Wildland & Special Rescue Technician Supervisor

Posting number: 202600296

Department: Fire

Job classification: Wildland & Special Rescue Technician Supervisor

Posting type: Open

Categories: Fire & EMS

Summary

Under the direction of the Fire Chief or designee, this position serves as a supervisory, responsible for overseeing wildland fire suppression, fuel mitigation, prevention operations, and operational support for the department’s Special Operations program, including technical rescue.

Examples of duties

• Supervises staff, provides instruction to employees; plans and assigns work; evaluates and approves/disapproves leave requests; approves timesheets; checks final work to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures; recommends the hiring of new employees; recommends disciplinary action; provides feedback on work performance for employees; completes performance evaluations for employees.
• Delegates duties to crew members on a fuels/suppression crew performing fuel reduction or suppression activities using a variety of hand and power tools.
• Operates a variety of 4x4 vehicles, chippers, and other heavy equipment necessary for wildland hazard fuel reduction projects.
• Responds to wildland fires as a Crew Boss/ Engine Boss on an engine or hand crew.
• Conducts briefings and after-action reviews.
• Operates GPS data collectors to map project areas for tracking and monitoring of project.
• Participates in prevention projects with homeowners and communities in the wildland urban interface.
• Conducts trainings for specialized equipment.
• Performs regular preventative maintenance on chainsaws and hand tools, and safety inspections on all vehicles and equipment.
• Participates and leads prescribed fire and suppression activities in or out of the County.
• Serves as an incident commander on wildland fires and other incidents.
• Provides support to other emergencies in and out of the County.
• Ensures that the essential duties of the Forestry Technician Lead(s) and Forestry Technician(s) are complete and provides assistance when needed.
• Participates in comprehensive physical training program to enhance the ability of crew members to perform the required arduous firefighting duties.
• Serves as a lead rescuer during technical rescue incidents, including rope rescue, low- and high-angle evacuation, swift water operations, and confined space support when qualified.
• Coordinates and supervises rescue team assignments during emergency responses and training deployments, ensuring adherence to safety protocols and ICS structure.
• Maintains operational readiness of special operations equipment, including routine inspection, inventory, and minor repairs of rope systems, rescue tools, and personal protective equipment.
• Leads small teams in the integration of wildland and special rescue operations during complex incidents, ensuring clear communication and operational continuity.
• Acts as a field liaison between the Special Operations program and Battalion Chiefs during multi-discipline responses.
• Evaluate scene safety and provide rescue hazard assessments during operations in challenging terrain, vertical environments, or remote locations.
• May travel for up to 18 days on a wildland fire as a crewmember on an engine or hand crew on assignment through the Resource Mobilization Plan (RMP).
• Additional duties may be assigned by the Fire Chief.

Knowledge/ Skills:

• Knowledge of fuel reduction treatments with regards to reducing catastrophic wildland fire and improving forest health.
• Knowledge of wildfire suppression strategy and tactics.
• Knowledge of and skill in applying the principles of National Wildland Coordinating Group (NWCG) S130, S190, I100, L180, S131, S133 training
• Knowledge of and/or experience with GPS data collection required.
• Knowledge of wildland firefighting tactics and strategies.
• Knowledge of and experience with New Mexico Resource Mobilization Plan (RMP) Deployments.
• Knowledge of wildland fire behavior and conditions that influence it.
• Knowledge of fire line safety practices and procedures to prevent firefighter injuries and loss of life.
• Skill in supervising and training personnel within a fire organization.
• Ability to use specialized hand tools.
• Ability to operate 4x4 vehicles, operate chippers, and other equipment used in fuel reduction.
• Ability to operate various word-processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and database software programs, including Fire/EMS based computer software.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing, and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with fire administration, local officials, associate personnel and the public.

Qualifications

• High school diploma, GED or Bronze level ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC).
• Three (3) years of experience in fire mitigation to include at least one (1) as a National Wildfire Coordination Group (NWCG) qualified FFT1 or Single Resource Boss.
• Must be NWCG-qualified as Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5) or higher.
• Must possess:
  • Santa Fe County or IFSAC Rope Rescue Technician certification.
  • Santa Fe County or IFSAC or Santa Fe County Pump Operations certification or NWCG S-211 Portable Pumps and Water Use Certification.
• Must possess Santa Fe County or IFSAC Emergency Vehicle Driver (EVD) certification.
• Must possess Santa Fe County Exterior Operations certification
• Must be NWCG-qualified as a Single Resource Boss (will be required to provide an agency-certified task book) within 6 months of hire.
• Must complete NWCG S-212 (Wildfire Power Saws) training within three (3) months of hire.
• Must pass the NWCG Work Capacity Test (Pack Test) at the arduous level (3-mile hike carrying a 45-pound pack in 45 minutes) within two (2) months of hire, then again annually.

Supplemental information

Working Conditions:
Work is performed both indoors and outside, in varied weather conditions. Work schedule may vary including extended hours and irregular shifts and being called back to work under emergency situations. May be on call for emergencies. Travel is required. Arduous physical exertion is required in unusual situations. Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs. Manual and finger dexterity required. May be subject to exposure to heat, smoke, cuts, bruises, scrapes, burns, broken bones, insect and/or animal bites, germs, bacteria, viruses,
environmental allergens, gases, fumes, contagious diseases, mental anguish under emergency conditions. May be subject to life threatening situations.

Conditions of Employment:
Selected candidate must submit to and pass a County paid pre-employment physical and drug/alcohol screening. Additionally, selected candidate must submit to and pass a county paid criminal background screening. Selected candidate must possess and maintain a valid New Mexico Class E Driver’s License as incumbent shall be appointed to drive a County vehicle during the performance of his/her duties. Candidate must obtain and/or maintain all certifications required.