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Recruitment began on March 29, 2024
Expires April 29, 2024
InternshipPre-Health & Healthcare, Public Service and Policy
Duration: 8 Month Fellowship- Starting Summer 2024 (dates are dependent upon the start date)
Location: Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center, 2840 Kachina Dr, Pueblo CO 81008. Pike San Isabel National Forest, Cimarron Comanche National Grasslands”
Fellowship Description: This position is working in the wildland fire community, you will be supporting local, state and national wildland fires. Also working with partners from local fire management, government, state and federal fire managers and government. This Center is the second largest center in the geographic area, covering from the high mountains of Colorado to the low plains of Kansas. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a fire dispatch in support of fire suppression activities.
Introduction:
This position serves as a Fire Dispatcher located in a dispatch center. This may be a single agency dispatch office or interagency dispatch center located in a fire management organization. The area involved may encompass federal, state, tribal and private lands within the dispatch center’s area of influence. The center is responsible primarily for wildland fire preparedness and suppression support activities, but may respond to all-risk incidents as needed or directed. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a fire dispatcher in support of fire suppression activities.
In accordance with USDA Department Regulation 4430-792-2, this position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the USDA Drug Free Workplace Program and subject to pre-employment drug testing. All applicants selected for this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Incumbents of this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis on an ongoing random basis, after appointment as directed.
Major Duties:
- Serves as a dispatcher, receiving, filling, and tracking resource requests for fire and other emergency incidents. Follows established procedures to perform a variety of technical duties common to the dispatch of personnel, equipment, aircraft and/or supplies according to predefined plans or in response to resource orders from the field. Initiates requests to higher organizational levels for additional resources as needed.
- Maintains resource status and tracking systems and operates telecommunications systems.
- Collects, processes, collates and submits incident information to support fire operations (e.g. fire reports, smoke permits, spot weather forecasts, prescribed fire burn requests).
- Organizes and reviews completed records of all orders placed and actions taken to ensure adherence to established operating procedures.
- Processes and interprets weather information (e.g., spot weather forecasts, weather station observations, current and forecasted weather, lightning detection, and fuel moisture levels). This information is used to determine burning indices, preparedness levels and staffing levels for suppression and aviation resources.
- Inputs data into a number of fire-related computer applications (e.g., incident qualification records, fire reporting systems, and automated dispatch systems) and makes the initial assessment of outputs.
- Provides critical logistical support information to the supervisor and makes recommendations concerning the efficient uses of available resources.
- Records and maintains communication logs.
- Coordinates and may assist with fire training and orientation.
- Gather information for the development and maintenance of the dispatch mobilization guide and internal dispatch operating guides.
- Shares information with cooperators and other interested entities.
Special or Preferred Skills:
The ideal candidate:
- Comfortable working independently within an office, 8+ hour days, and computer skills.
- Is good at networking and creating partnerships.
- Is proficient in and enjoys writing and communicating clearly.
- Has excellent customer service skills, has confidence in their ability to ask questions for taking fire and all-risk reports.
- Is able to listen, ask questions and capture conversations resulting from the interviews; has experience working in a structured setting.
- Answering phones and talking on two way radios.
- Ninety (90) days of experience as a primary/rigorous firefighter or equivalent experience outside federal employment.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Ages 18 and up
- Available to work full-time (40 hours per week) for 8 months – Starting June 2024.
- Driver’s license required OR preferred dependent on public transportation – RA may be required to drive a government vehicle.
- 3rd or 4th year undergraduate student, recent grads, or young professionals (Minimum: completed 2 years at accredited university or earned an Associate’s degree or higher) – Environmental Science or Natural Resource degree. Wildlife Biology, Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, English. Open to a variety of Bachelors or Masters degrees and recent grads with strong writing skills. But not required.
- US citizenship or permanent residency. Interns must undergo a government background check if selected.
- Bilingual in Spanish preferred but not required
Stipend + Benefits:
- $500 weekly pay stipend based on a 40-hour workweek*
- $1,000 monthly housing stipend
- $50 monthly commuting stipend (if in-person)
- Option for health insurance coverage during full term
- Up to $2,750 available for Forest Service work travel, orientation, trainings, professional development opportunities that align with RA role and goals
Direct Hire Authority Eligibility – after completing a minimum of 960 hours, DHA status provides special non-competitive hiring status when applying for Forest Service positions.
Application:
HAF is managing the recruitment for these positions. All applications should be submitted through HAF’s MANO Project application page. A resume and two references will be required for submission. Your application or resume should include professional and educational experience, along with any awards, technical skills or volunteer activities. Application questions or issues may be directed to MANO Program Associate Veronica Torres, veronicat@hispanicaccess.org .
Applications for this position are due on April 28th, 2024.
About Us:
Promote safety, efficiency, professionalism coordination and support within the Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Zone wildland fire, prescribed fire, aviation, and all risk response. The mission of the Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center (PBC) is to provide and utilize interagency cooperation and standardized procedures to provide safe, efficient, and effective dispatch operations and management services relating to all risk emergency response and natural resource management.
To accomplish our mission, PBC operates within a formalized interagency dispatch system. Requests from the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center (RMACC) are routed through PBC to local unit offices. Requests within the center are allocated according to basic dispatch principals (type, location, cost) regardless of agency and/or ownership. All incidents and resulting requests are given equal consideration based on values at risk and resource availability.
The PBC area of influence encompasses the area East of the Continental Divide to the Kansas/ Missouri state line, and Denver south of Interstate 70 to the New Mexico State line. This includes all lands administered by the FS- Pike San Isabel National Forest, Cimarron, Comanche National Grasslands, Rio Grande National Forest, BLM- Royal Gorge Field Office/ District, San Luis Valley District Office, NPS, BIA, USFWS Refuges, Colorado State Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Kansas State Forest Service within the PBC Zone.
This position is matched for Secondary Firefighter Retirement Coverage under CSRS to 5011112 approved by OPM on 6/22/76, 7a; and under FERS to 01002594 approved by USDA on 12/27/91, C2.
US Forest Service Mission:
To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.
Hispanic Access Foundation Mission:
Hispanic Access Foundation (HAF) is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization that connects Latinos to partners and opportunities improving lives and creating an equitable society. HAF’s vision is that all Hispanics throughout the U.S. enjoy good physical health, a healthy natural environment, a quality education, economic success and civic engagement in their communities with the sum improving the future of America.
