DNR Hiring For 60 Year-Round Firefighting Jobs

OLYMPIA, WA — Washington's Department of Natural Resources is recruiting for dozens of jobs to bolster the state's wildfire response efforts year-round. DNR is looking to fill 60 permanent positions, from hand crews and heavy equipment operators to fire management officers and technicians.

Unlike seasonal positions during peak fire months, DNR said the year-round roles will use the offseason to assist with forest health initiatives and improve response efforts earlier and later in the fire season.

"When fires break out across our landscapes, it is imperative that we have the firefighters needed to protect our neighbors, communities, and forests," said Hilary Franz, Commissioner of Public Lands. "This is why I have made expanding our wildfire fighting force a top priority. In the offseason, these positions will do the vital work of restoring forest health — returning natural wildfire resistance — which is essential to reducing fire risk in the future."

DNR said the majority of the new positions are funded by House Bill 1168, which lawmakers passed unanimously last year, which secured $500 million for wildfire response and forest restoration efforts over the next several years.

Here are the jobs DNR is hiring for:

• 2 Fire Operations Specialists
• 8 Assistant Fire Management Officers (AFMO’s)
• 5 Hand Crew Superintendents
• 4 Hand Crew Foreman
• 25 Hand Crew Squad Bosses
• 12 Initial Attack Heavy Equipment Operators
• 5 Prevention Technicians

>> Applicants can learn more and apply on the DNR website.