FORESTRY AIDE 2 - 08042026-879719

Location: Kingston, TN – Department of Agriculture, Roane County (East Tennessee District)

Pay

$3,229.00 monthly ($38,748.00 annually)

Schedule

Full-time

Qualifications

Education equivalent to graduation from a standard high school and experience equivalent to one year of full-time work in one of the following areas:

• Fire suppression or fire prevention
• Conservation of trees, soil, water, or wildlife
• Farming or harvesting of forest products or orchards
• Land surveying or mapping
• Operation of sawmills, tractors, or bulldozers
• Maintenance and repair of heavy equipment or carpentry

Substitution of Education for Experience: Additional college coursework in fire science, emergency management, homeland security, and natural resources from an accredited college or university may substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of one year.

Substitution of Experience for Education: Experience in the listed areas may substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of four years.

Necessary Special Qualifications

• Possess and maintain a valid vehicle operator's license during employment
• Be at least eighteen (18) years of age on the date of application
• Pass the job-related work capacity test for wildland firefighters (WCT) for positions that perform fire line activity as a primary duty (walk 2 miles with a 25-pound backpack in 30 minutes or less)
• Obtain applicable Commercial Driver's License (CDL) within twelve (12) months of hire
• Maintain a level of physical fitness and general health (both physically and mentally) to effectively perform duties

Driver Standards: For the past five years, the candidate's driver record must not include: DUI, reckless driving, license suspension for moving violations, or more than 4 moving violations.

About the Role

Under general supervision, performs fire prevention, fire suppression, and conservation work on state forests and private lands of average difficulty. This is the working and/or lead level class in the Forestry Aide Sub-Series. Operates and maintains heavy equipment and performs wildland fire suppression, forest management, and reforestation tasks.

Responsibilities

• Serve in a lead role directing other wildland firefighters and external resources regarding fire suppression activities or all-hazard situations, ensuring safety, coordinating job assignments, and maintaining communication
• Assess environmental conditions of active fires (e.g., weather, topography, fuel type) and use understanding of fire behavior to determine course of action to control fires
• Construct fire lines using hand tools (e.g., fire rake, Pulaski, leaf blower) for extended periods
• Attend mandatory technical training and annual TN/KY Wildland Fire Academy for specialty certifications
• Gather and report information about landowners, fire causes, locations, values/structures at risk, and relay details to Fire Resource Coordinator for resource determination
• Operate hand-held equipment, heavy machinery, and vehicles, including bulldozers, wildland fire engines, tractors, forklifts, dump trucks, road graders, and backhoes
• Maintain facilities, grounds, assigned equipment, and vehicles for incident readiness
• Educate local cooperators, the public, and agencies on fire tactics, behavior, tools, and Tennessee Division of Forestry functions; provide training for firefighters and permit writers
• Monitor seedling storage facilities to ensure viability
• Review and assist in timber harvest sites on private or public forest land for forestry Best Management Practices and contract compliance
• Collect forest management data and conduct seedling survival checks
• Assist with vendor services such as prescribed fire, timber marking, tree planting, and fire line construction
• Determine order fulfillment based on seedlings delivered versus ordered; confirm Seedling Shipping Manifest accuracy
• Inspect and mark boundaries of State Forests to gather information on timber trespass, illegal recreational activities, etc.
• Identify dead and dying trees to diagnose causes (e.g., insects, disease, natural causes) and recommend actions; assist in monitoring, detection, and control of forest pests and invasive species

Skills

• Action Oriented
• Customer Focus
• Instills Trust
• Business Insight
• Communicates Effectively
• Active Learning and Listening
• Coordination
• Critical Thinking
• Equipment Maintenance
• Service Orientation

Knowledge

• Building and Construction
• Customer and Personal Service
• Geography
• Mechanical
• Public Safety and Security

Abilities

• Limb and/or Full Body Flexibility
• Auditory Attention
• Multilimb Coordination
• Problem Sensitivity
• Rate Control

Tools & Equipment

• Office Equipment
• Safety and Heavy Equipment
• Fire Line Hand Tools
• GPS Unit
• Mobile and Portable Radio