ASSISTANT DIVISION FOREST FIREWARDEN

Code: 02662 State Competitive Range: P24 (FY 2027)

Salary: $76,286.63 - $111,856.03/year FY 2027 schedule (last updated 2026-07-27)

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under direction of a Division Forest Firewarden or other supervisor in the Department of Environmental Protection, has charge of an area consisting of not less than 1,000,000 acres of state and private land in the Forest Fire Management Program including the preparation of fire suppression and presuppression programs and forest fire prevention plans or studies designed to protect life and property from wildfire including participation in technical planning assistance to interstate compact organizations and intrastate cooperating agencies; does related work as required.

Examples of work

• Directs suppression forces actively engaged in fire control to comply with performance and safety standards set forth in national directives, state directives, and bureau circulars.
• Maintains personal qualifications to assume one or more of the overhead positions during a major wildfire situation such as Fire Incident Commander, Plans Chief, or Logistics Chief and directly oversees fire observers, maintenance and work program personnel, or Section Forest Firewardens.
• Has charge of and participates in fire suppression plans and actions.
• Is responsible for the supervision of prescribed burning on state and private land for hazard reduction.
• Prepares clear, technically sound, accurate, and informative reports and data summaries, studies, and surveys containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations of labor and monetary costs involved in fighting forest fires.
• Gathers damage information with regard to environmental, structural, or other personal property losses due to wildfire.
• Conducts and attends review of annual problem fires or situations with key personnel and attempts to establish or determine contributing causes.
• Assists in the revision of fire plans.
• Maintains standby alert through the deployment of key personnel when a protected area is in danger of wildfire.
• Organizes and schedules patrol in high hazard and risk areas when burning conditions warrant, and ensures compliance with performance and safety standards set forth in suppression plans.
• Assists law enforcement agencies in apprehension actions, consults with legal authorities for assistance with procedural determination, and is responsible for the prompt investigation of human-caused fires or other complimentary problems which may constitute a breach of legal or environmental restrictions.
• Interviews offenders and witnesses and participates in court and settlement actions, and makes recommendations to courts regarding severity of penalties with values lost and/or threatened in accord with fair market value.
• Issues summons and makes arrests, without warrant, of any person whom (s)he has probable cause to believe is committing a violation of the Forest Fire Prevention and Control Act (Title 13).
• Oversees periodic testing and equipment studies to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the forest fire equipment.
• Directs the operation of air attack and aerial fire detection programs, reviews safety aspects of the total operation, inspects facilities used by the aircraft, and assists with the evaluation of program practices and results.
• Cooperates and assists specialists from other agencies in forest insect and disease control projects and studies.
• Oversees and participates in the inspection, design, and construction and/or maintenance work pertaining to fire fighting vehicles, and mobile or engine driven mechanical equipment; develops a safety program for use of this equipment.
• Assists in the interpretation and transmission of forest fire danger, hurricane, and flood watch information from weather reports and coordinates operations of the fire danger rating system and reports precipitation and weather watch information to state headquarters.
• Participates in the development and coordination of written and verbal co-agreements with other public agencies to establish a plan to respond to emergency incidents and attends meetings and correlates plans concerning multiple use policies of the agencies involved and keeps cooperators informed of fire situations.
• Contacts key people and groups in the protection area and prepares prevention and current fire situation releases for radio, television, and the press; helps develop films, lectures, and presentations; designs, develops, and oversees construction of exhibits; and obtains and distributes published fire prevention materials.
• Oversees personnel maintaining watch in fire observation towers and maintains communication with the general public and other cooperating fire reporting agencies.
• Establishes priorities and schedules work necessary for the maintenance and physical improvement of buildings and grounds utilized.
• Organizes, directs, inspects, and prepares collective and individual reports on maintenance, inventories, and other related matters.
• Coordinates the review and planning of the maintenance program for small fire control equipment and assigned hand tools and conducts studies to develop better fire control equipment and administrative functions.
• Administers the annual review and planning of the maintenance program for fire lines, culverts, water holes, bridges, access roads, airfields, and helistops or heliports.
• Plans, organizes, and assigns the work of the organizational unit and reviews employee performance and conduct.
• Oversees the training and certification process for new recruits and verifies their eligibility to volunteer their services to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
• Attends training courses established by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group to keep abreast of current techniques required in fire suppression and relays new techniques to and trains subordinates.
• Maintains proficiency in forest fire suppression at the level mandated by national standards under the Incident Command System.
• May be required to conduct periodic field examinations of special use permits, leases, agreements, or licenses to determine compliance with terms set forth.
• Plans and conducts fire control and administrative training for all personnel involved in fire activities and develops programs utilizing audiovisual equipment, prepares lesson plans, and participates in individual and group training.
• Directs search and rescue operations.
• Administers the Burning Permits Laws and bureau policy concerning burning permits and makes recommendations for restricted fire use which can include the canceling of permits during periods of high fire hazards.
• Establishes and maintains essential records and files.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with an Associate's degree in Forestry, Forest Management, Forest Science, Natural Resources Management, Forest Resources, or Fire Science.

Experience

Four (4) years of experience involving the prevention, presuppression, and/or suppression of forest fires.

License

Appointees must possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey. Appointees may also be required to possess a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and applicable endorsements for the class and type of vehicle being operated.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of modern forest fire prevention, presuppression, and suppression programs and their application to specific situations.
• Knowledge of geology, topography, forest types, and forest fire behavior in various fuel types and their effects on natural resource yields.
• Knowledge of forest fire suppression action and resource plans involving interpretive simulation and problem solving related to the containment of going fires.
• Knowledge of forest fire prevention plans covering both risk and hazard reduction programs for reducing fires throughout the assigned area by applying appropriate weights to various casual agents.
• Knowledge of the National Fire Danger Rating System and the handling of basic statistical analysis for the calculation of weighted averages, standard errors of the mean, correlation coefficients, and regression analysis.
• Knowledge of methods useful in enlisting the cooperation of paid and voluntary firefighters and residents of wooded areas.
• Knowledge of forest fire suppression equipment, techniques, principles, and practices.
• Knowledge of fire apparatus and testing equipment.
• Knowledge of the Incident Command System as applied to all risk emergency responses.
• Ability to read, interpret, and apply the appropriate statutes, laws, and administrative code pertaining to the Forest Fire Prevention and Control Act (Title 13).
• Ability to read, analyze, interpret, and apply information on the state laws and department policy regarding the theories, practices, and procedures relating to forest fire prevention and management.
• Ability to communicate with associates and disseminate forest fire control information to the general public.
• Ability to maintain state and national standards of physical fitness necessary to qualify for wildfire suppression.
• Ability to prepare and conduct comprehensive and effective educational programs for the advancement of section personnel as well as interested members of cooperating agencies in the techniques and fundamentals of forest fire prevention and control.
• Ability to conduct organizational inspections in a professional manner and prepare reports concerning the various facets of section operations that will result in improved procedures.
• Ability to plan, direct, consummate, and evaluate all elements of the prescribed burning program including the effects of various fire intensities and temperature profiles on stand composition, successional tends, hydrology, soils, wildlife, recreation, and aesthetic values.
• Ability to interpret and disseminate accurate forest fire danger information to divisional organizations.
• Ability to employ equipment and analyze remote automated weather station data.
• Ability to assume complete charge when serving as duty officer including the instruction and assigning of clerical and maintenance employees, dispatch for patrol or suppression activities, and preparation of comprehensive reports.
• Ability to assume field command of large or problem fires by functioning as Incident Commander (authorized person in charge of incident/fire) or any of the line staff support positions created for modern forest fire control maintenance.
• Ability to calculate wildfire probabilities.
• Ability to plan and direct basic fire management program activities and conduct administrative work involved in personnel, financial, equipment, and other records.
• Ability to conduct investigations to determine fire causes and to proceed with law enforcement measures applicable to violations of state laws including those pertinent to arson.
• Ability to conduct wildfire damage appraisals through the application of scientific sampling and inventory methods of both understory and overstory species.
• Ability to analyze large fires for the determination of tactical errors and submit reports containing recommendations for subsequent procedures that would be instrumental in avoiding a repetition of poor performance.
• Ability to create an effective forest fire prevention sign program for fire prevention and oversee the construction or maintenance of roads, trails, drainage, and bridges for fire line or access purposes.
• Ability to organize the maintenance of vehicles and provide engineering suggestions in blueprint form for transmission to state research and development shops or cooperating national fire equipment research experiment stations, and participates in various fire and equipment studies.
• Ability to prepare technically sound, accurate, and informative statistical and other reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Ability to give speeches for officials and groups and interpret public reaction to planning procedures.
• Ability to provide professional advice and guidance in all matters concerning forest fire management.
• Ability to operate motorized fire suppression equipment.
• Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
• CODES: 23/P24- CAH 2/3/96

Note

The definition and examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.

Additional semester hour credits in the above fields, up to the level of a Bachelor's degree, may be substituted for up to two (2) years of the required experience. Thirty (30) semester hour credits is equivalent to one (1) year of experience.

SPECIAL NOTE Appointees will be required to establish residence in an assigned area within thirty (30) days of appointment. (The appointee must live within the forest region assigned).

Appointees will be required to complete an internal forest fire training course administered by the Department of Environmental Protection involving the administration of laws covering the protection of forests from wildfire.

Appointees must maintain qualifications as a forest firefighter and/or show proof of Red Card Certification as Type II Incident Commander under the National Interagency Fire Qualification System (NIFQS) standards as established by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Failure to maintain qualifications will result in progressive disciplinary action.

The responsibility for ensuring that employees possess the required motor vehicle license, commensurate with the class and type of vehicles they operate, rests with the appointing authority.

Appointee may be required to obtain a commercial pilot's license.