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Career Details : Forest Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisors

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Description

Supervise firefighters who control and suppress fires in forests or vacant public land.

Experience

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Education

A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required for these occupations. However, many also require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Training

Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Tasks

  • Dispatches crews according to reported size, location, and condition of forest fires.
  • Parachutes to major fire locations and directs fire-containment and -suppression activities.
  • Trains workers in parachute jumping, fire suppression, aerial observation, and radio communication.
  • Maintains radio communication with crews at fire scene to inform crew and base of changing conditions and learn of casualties.
  • Directs loading of fire-suppression equipment into aircraft and parachuting of equipment to crews on ground.
  • Observes fire and crews from air to determine force requirements and note changing conditions.

    Related Careers

    Important Abilities

    General Work Activities

    Important Skills

    Frequent Work Context

    • Responsible for Others' Health & Safety
    • Consequence of Error
    • Responsibility for Outcomes and Results
    • Job-Required Social Interaction
    • Frustrating Circumstances

    Related Majors

    Major Add to MyFSA
    Environmental Protection Scienceadd Environmental Protection Science to MyFSA
    Fire Administration Managementadd Fire Administration Management to MyFSA
    Fire Protection Administration/Technologyadd Fire Protection Administration/Technology to MyFSA
    Fire Scienceadd Fire Science to MyFSA
    Fire Science/Public Safetyadd Fire Science/Public Safety to MyFSA
    Fire Services Administrationadd Fire Services Administration to MyFSA
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