Wildfire Dispatcher

Role Responsibilities

If multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment and precision skills are your strengths, we have the perfect role for you. Consider stepping into the position of Wildfire Dispatcher, where your dedication to accuracy drives your success. Discover how your contributions seamlessly transform into effective wildfire response and community safety.

The Wildfire Dispatcher takes appropriate actions to move, place, or direct wildfire resources with direction from a Duty Officer. Working with a variety of communication equipment, the Wildfire Dispatcher provides communication links between the Area Duty Room, aircraft, lookouts, and crews working in the field.  

Holding a calm and focused demeanor, the Wildfire Dispatcher manages multiple tasks effectively, ensuring accurate and timely data entry into multiple Wildfire specific programs, prioritizing radio calls, and verbal communication skills to effectively navigate work teams of all sizes. Wildfire Dispatchers will see changes in pace throughout the day, and at times the job will involve multiple demands, interruptions, and time-specific requests. Attention to detail is paramount, as are professionalism, discretion, and confidentiality.  

Look into a glimpse into the role of a Wildfire Dispatcher, and learn more about the critical communication link this position plays between the forest area duty room, aircraft, and personnel in the field.

In this role, you will be responsible for coordinating emergency communications, supporting wildfire response efforts, and providing technical and administrative support to ensure safe and efficient operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Receive and respond to 310-FIRE calls and smoke detections transmitted via radio
• Monitor aircraft and wildfire activity to ensure compliance with regulations, policies, and procedures
• Maintain accurate records including aircraft position logs, manifests, daily flight logs, and reports
• Process aircraft requests for multiple agencies within the department
• Utilize maps, GPS coordinates, and legal land descriptions for dispatch and coordination
• Initiate emergency response procedures for overdue or missing aircraft, overdue personnel, or other emergency incidents
• Operate and troubleshoot radios, computer systems, and dispatch applications
• Participate in the Incident Command System (ICS) during wildfire events, both in-office and in the field
• Prioritize tasks, solve problems, and manage operations in fast-paced and changing conditions
• Demonstrate proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel) and other relevant software

Successful applicants will receive training in the Alberta Wildfire Dispatcher Course, training in recording and conveying radio transmissions to and from aircraft, crews, and lookout observers in the field or on wildfires, and training in wildfire-specific computer programs utilized in the day-today work.

Join us in this critical role where your skills contribute to effective wildfire response and community safety. 

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

About Your Competencies:

• Creative Problem Solving: develops solutions to complex problems conscious of the development, conservation, and use of resources
• Drive For Results: strives to exceed objectives and maximize resource to achieve results aligned with the goals of the department, considerate to both internal and external partners
• Build Collaborative Environments: Takes a collaborative approach with your work to foster open communication and leverage team skills
• Agility: identifies alternative approached in uncertain, complex situations, supporting others in determining and assessing strategy

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

High school diploma plus one (1) year of related experience.

Related experience includes:

• Customer service, retail, hospitality, food service, healthcare support, logistics, administration, or other fast-paced roles requiring multitasking, communication, and attention to detail
• Proficient computer skills, including keyboarding, data record management, and use of Microsoft Office applications (Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Volunteer or community roles such as camp operations, park services, youth leadership, event coordination, outdoor recreation
• Emergency or skiing dispatch, ski patrol, aviation  coordination, radio communications, aircraft tracking, GPS mapping, wildfire response, search and rescue, lookout observation, forestry, or land-based operations

Directly related experience or education may be considered on the basis of:    

• one year of experience for one year of education or    
• one year of education for one year of experience 

Assets:

• Knowledge of or experience with the Forestry sector
• Knowledge of Incident Command system, 24-hour clock, and phonetic alphabet

Additional Requirements:
The following conditions are not required at the time of application but must be provided prior to your start date.

• A valid, unrestricted Alberta Class 5 driver’s license or an equivalent Canadian license.
  • For more information on determining license equivalencies, exchanging a non-Alberta license, or information on licensed driver training schools.  
• A minimum 3-year Driver's Abstract, showing a record of seven (7) demerits or less (obtained within 30 days of your commencement date and presented to management prior to commencement). 
• A valid Standard First Aid certificate with CPR certification. 
• A current Defensive Driving certificate.  

*All candidates must be 17 years of age or older as of March 1, 2026, or prior to their start date. Position start dates range from March 1 to April 30, 2026.

A Certificate of Proficiency in Radio (Aeronautical) from Industry Canada is required for working in this position. This certificate can/will be obtained through the Alberta Wildfire Dispatcher Course that is provided to those who work in this position.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification.
Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

This competition is recruiting seasonal wage Wildfire Dispatcher positions for all Alberta Forest Areas, with weekly hours up to 40.

About Your Work Environment:
This position entails shift work and may involve night shifts. Candidates are expected to have flexibility for early morning, overnight, evening, and weekend shifts. Radio Rooms are typically operational 0700-2100.

The estimated shift pattern, as determined by the Forest Area, may involve either 10 days on and 4 days off, or 7 days on/2 days off-7 days on/5 days off,   or 7 days on/ 3 off, 7 days on/ 4 days off.

The Wildfire Dispatcher role resides within all ten of our Forest Area Offices in Alberta:

• Calgary Forest Area    
• Edson Forest Area   
• Fort McMurray Forest Area   
• Grande Prairie Forest Area    
• High Level Forest Area    
• Lac La Biche Forest Area   
• Peace River Forest Area    
• Rocky Mountain House Forest Area   
• Slave Lake Forest Area    
• Whitecourt Forest Area   

This position could require availability for export (travel outside of home area).

What We Offer:

• Wage employees receive 11.6% in addition to regular wage earnings in lieu of paid holidays and vacation leave
  • 5.6% of regular wage earnings instead of paid holidays
  • 6% of regular wage earnings instead of annual vacation pay
• Shift differential and opportunity to work overtime, overnight, evening, and weekend shifts
• Free accommodations may be available as determined by the Forest Area

Application Information:

• Your resume should indicate date ranges (month and year) for all education and work experience, specifying if the experience was casual, part-time (PT) or full-time (FT), while highlighting applicable duties or achievements
  • For example, Call Centre Representative: Apr 2019 – Aug 2019 (PT, 20 hours per week)
• Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in