Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Educate the public about fire safety and prevention.
• Educate the public about fire safety and prevention.
• Educate the public about fire safety and prevention.
• Administer regulations regarding sanitation, fire prevention, violation corrections, and related forest regulations.
• Inspect camp sites to ensure that campers are in compliance with forest use regulations.
• Inspect forest tracts and logging areas for fire hazards such as accumulated wastes or mishandling of combustibles, and recommend appropriate fire prevention measures.
• Patrol assigned areas, looking for forest fires, hazardous conditions, and weather phenomena.
• Estimate sizes and characteristics of fires, and report findings to base camps by radio or telephone.
• Relay messages about emergencies, accidents, locations of crew and personnel, and fire hazard conditions.
• Estimate sizes and characteristics of fires, and report findings to base camps by radio or telephone.
• Conduct wildland firefighting training.
• Extinguish smaller fires with portable extinguishers, shovels, and axes.
• Conduct wildland firefighting training.
• Examine and inventory firefighting equipment, such as axes, fire hoses, shovels, pumps, buckets, and fire extinguishers, to determine amount and condition.
• Direct maintenance and repair of firefighting equipment, or requisition new equipment.
• Direct maintenance and repair of firefighting equipment, or requisition new equipment.
• Restrict public access and recreational use of forest lands during critical fire seasons.
• Compile and report meteorological data, such as temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and velocity, and types of cloud formations.
• Conduct wildland firefighting training.
• Examine and inventory firefighting equipment, such as axes, fire hoses, shovels, pumps, buckets, and fire extinguishers, to determine amount and condition.
• Inspect forest tracts and logging areas for fire hazards such as accumulated wastes or mishandling of combustibles, and recommend appropriate fire prevention measures.
• Patrol assigned areas, looking for forest fires, hazardous conditions, and weather phenomena.
• Maintain records and logbooks.
• Direct crews working on firelines during forest fires.
• Locate forest fires on area maps, using azimuth sighters and known landmarks.

Skills

• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

Abilities

• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

Knowledge

• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

Education

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

Less than 5 years work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Bates Technical College
  1101 S Yakima Ave, Tacoma WA 98405
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 253-680-7000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.batestech.edu/
  Program Name
  Fire Science/Fire-fighting
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree, Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save

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• Everett Community College
  2000 Tower Street, Everett WA 98201
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 425-388-9100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.everettcc.edu/
  Program Name
  Fire Science/Fire-fighting
  Length
  At least one but less than two years
  Award Level
  Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years, Associate's degree
  Save

  ---

• Green River College
  12401 SE 320th St, Auburn WA 98092-3622
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 253-833-9111
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.greenriver.edu/
  Program Name
  Wildland/Forest Firefighting and Investigation
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree
  Save

  ---

• Lower Columbia College
  1600 Maple Street, Longview WA 98632
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-442-2311
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://lowercolumbia.edu/
  Program Name
  Fire Science/Fire-fighting
  Length
  At least one but less than two years
  Award Level
  Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years, Associate's degree
  Save

  ---

• North Seattle College
  9600 College Way North, Seattle WA 98103-3599
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 206-934-3600
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.northseattle.edu/
  Program Name
  Fire Science/Fire-fighting
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree
  Save

  ---

• Skagit Valley College
  2405 E. College Way, Mount Vernon WA 98273
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-416-7600
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.skagit.edu/
  Program Name
  Fire Science/Fire-fighting
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Associate's degree
  Save

  ---

• South Puget Sound Community College
  2011 Mottman Rd SW, Olympia WA 98512-6292
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-596-5200
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.spscc.edu/
  Program Name
  Fire Science/Fire-fighting
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree
  Save

  ---

• Spokane Community College
  1810 North Greene Street, Spokane WA 99217-5399
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 509-533-8400
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://scc.spokane.edu/
  Program Name
  Fire Science/Fire-fighting
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree
  Save

  ---

• Walla Walla Community College
  500 Tausick Way, Walla Walla WA 99362-9267
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-522-2500
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.wwcc.edu/
  Program Name
  Fire Science/Fire-fighting
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree, Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save

  ---

• Wenatchee Valley College
  1300 Fifth St, Wenatchee WA 98801-1799
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-682-6800
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.wvc.edu/
  Program Name
  Fire Science/Fire-fighting
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree
  Save

  ---

Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

51370/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

24.7/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

2,800

Yearly Projected Openings

200

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

• Dependability
• Stress Tolerance
• Leadership
• Integrity
• Self Control
• Independence

Tools

• Acoustic ear muffs or defenders
• All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled
• Anemometers
• Axes
• Binoculars
• Brush cutter
• Busses
• Claw hammer
• Direction finding compasses
• Fire extinguishers
• Fire pump sets
• Garden chainsaw
• Global positioning system GPS receiver
• Hard hats
• Hygrometers
• Lawnmowers
• Machetes
• Minivans or vans
• Mobile medical services first aid kits
• Notebook computers
• Radio frequency transmitters or receivers
• Remote reading thermometers
• Safety glasses
• Signal mirror
• Tablet computers
• Telescopes
• Two way radios
• Weather stations
• Wind vane

Technology

• Application server software
• Cloud-based management software
• Configuration management software
• Customer relationship management CRM software
• Data base management system software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Development environment software
• Document management software
• Electronic mail software
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
• Expert system software
• File versioning software
• Map creation software
• Metadata management software
• Object or component oriented development software
• Office suite software
• Operating system software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Web page creation and editing software
• Web platform development software
• Word processing software