Forest Health Engine Captain, Wildland Fire Management Supervisor (WFMSup)
Full-time, Project, Represented position (WPEA)
Anticipated Project employment is October 2026 - March 2029
Work Hours flexibility may be available and considered
Salary: $4,201.00 - $5,642.00 Monthly

Review of applications is ongoing. We reserve the right to make a hiring decision or close this recruitment at any time after 10/5/26. It is in your best interest to submit materials as soon as possible.

Responsibilities:
The Forest Health Engine Captains will be expected to excel at two separate jobs over the course of the project duration, depending on the time of year, and will be under the guidance of a Wildland Fire Management Specialist (Assistant Fire Management Officer). One of these responsibilities will be operating as a supervisor for the River City Fuels Crew, a 22-person fuels reduction crew following specific prescriptions to implement forest health plans for priority sites around the District. This will include supervising one Wildland Fire Management Lead and up to four Wildland Fire Management Technicians. This position will be the primary leadership on the ground at the project sites and is responsible for assessing and monitoring the safety of the crew members while also comparing crew production output to project deadlines. 

This position will be making recommendations on fuels reduction strategies and then driving the completion of the prescriptions while ensuring the guidance of the forester or project manager is being adhered to. The Forest Health Engine Captain will be operating alongside agency partners and is a critical part of the professional representation of the Arcadia District.

The fuels reduction crew will be implementing wildland hazardous fuels mitigation projects. These critical services protect public resources, natural resources, and public safety. The fuels reduction projects will help the agency implement Goal 1 of the 20-Year Forest Health Strategic Plan, Eastern Washington, by directly providing scientifically sound, landscape-scale cross-boundary management and restoration treatments in priority watersheds to increase forest and watershed resilience. The treatment projects include non-commercial tree thinning using chain saws, tree pruning, and slash abatement. Slash abatement can be performed using prescribed fire, chipping, or windrowing for mechanical mastication.

During the fire season, the Forest Health Engine Captains will be operating as a Wildland Firefighting Engine Captain on a Type 5 brush Engine in the Arcadia District, supervising up to 4 Wildland Firefighters, and responsible for responding to wildfire incidents in a safe and efficient manner. This will include operating in NWCG Wildland Fire positions such as Incident Commander, Engine Boss, Heavy Equipment Boss, Wildland Fire Investigator, and more depending on the scale and needs of the incident. 

When not on wildfire incidents, these positions are responsible for creating daily schedules for the firefighters on their Engine, which may include training, studying, or checking previous incidents. The Engine will be expected to be competent and professional while on and off the fire line. The Forest Health Engine Captain will also play a hand in our prevention messaging and support the Department's Wildfire Ready Neighbor program, where they will be expected to be subject matter experts on wildfire home defense and hardening. 

The Arcadia District is a fast-paced and complex work environment that places an emphasis on building culture that requires an individual who will work within the team goals and dynamics to be successful. The individuals selected for these positions would be employed year-round, completing fuels reduction work in the winters and engaged in fire suppression in the summers.

Required Qualifications: 
You must meet all the Required Qualifications and Competencies to be considered for this position. There are multiple pathways to meet qualifications, such as education, volunteer work, life skills, and experience.  Please clearly communicate in your application material that your skills align with the position and qualifications. 

• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent.
• NWCG qualified as:
  • Single Resource Boss (any)
  • Incident Commander Type 5
• Supervisory experience.
• Experience with computer applications, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and GPS.
• Experience with:
  • Fire Effects and Fire Fuel Reduction
  • Smoke Management
  • Regulatory Education
  • Fire Regulatory and Enforcement
  • Fire Prevention Programs
  • Fire Suppression
  • Silvicultural techniques to improve forest health