DIVISION FOREST FIREWARDEN

Code: 02663 State Competitive Range: R26 (FY 2027)

Salary: $83,582.01 - $122,831.91/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 Supervising Forest Firewarden or other supervisor in the Department of Environmental Protection, supervises the field and administrative work involved in a division of the Forest Fire Service or headquarters staff, including the preparation of fire management, suppression, and presuppression programs, and forest fire prevention programs and studies designed to protect life and property from wildfire for not less than 1,000,000 acres of state and private land; performs other related duties.

Examples of work

• Prepares long and short range presuppression and fire suppression plans including studies and revisions of resource inventories, plan of organization, attack plans, and cooperative agreements; submits recommendations for capital improvement and budgetary requirements.
• Provides planning inputs to interstate compact organizations, intrastate cooperating agencies, and organizes, controls, coordinates, and motivates field division or staff personnel in the fire protection and management program.
• Oversees the gathering of damage information with regard to environmental, structural, and/or other personal property losses due to wildfire.
• Conducts all division studies including data processing, cost analysis, fire protection analysis, damage appraisals, equipment studies, workload analysis, radio and communication operations, national fire danger rating evaluations, meteorological studies, detection systems, logistics, fuel modifications, and engineering projects utilizing modern computerized methods.
• Plans, organizes, and assigns the work of the organizational unit and evaluates employee performance and conduct, enabling the effective recommendation of the hiring, firing, promoting, and disciplining of subordinates.
• Is responsible for the collection, deposit, and transmittal of monies received from permits, fines, and reimbursements.
• Conducts work programs involving administration of work schedules and union agreements, information and education, training of regular and cooperating personnel, and organizational and land use inspections.
• Applies The Burning Permit Law and provides recommendations for restricted use and checks for compliance with performance and safety standards set forth in suppression plans; conducts field work involved in posting and enforcing closures and restricted use.
• Directs suppression forces engaged in wildfire 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 command overhead positions during a major forest fire.
• Supervises the issuance of summonses and arrests, without warrant, to any person whom he/she has probable cause to believe is committing a violation of the Forest Fire Prevention and Control Act (Title 13).
• Administers periodic testing, inspection, and equipment studies to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of forest fire equipment.
• Determines, prepares, and activates plans to reduce hazards in areas of excessive risk; proposes action on incendiary fires; assists in the preparation of plans for the use of prescribed fire, control of railroad hazards, road and highway maintenance, dumping restrictions, brush and trash removal; conducts prescribed burning operations on state and private lands for the purpose of hazard reduction.
• Communicates with the National Weather Service and recommends the installation, evaluation, or determination of fire weather stations.
• Maintains standby alerts when protected areas are endangered; provides supervisor with a constant flow of information on normal fire days and follows emergency procedures outlined in bureau circulars during periods of exceptional stress.
• Initiates patrol activities in high hazard and risk areas; organizes and directs fire suppression forces actively engaged in fire control activities ensuring 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 conducts prompt and aggressive investigation procedure for human- caused fires, equipment accidents, complaints, vandalism, 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; makes recommendations to courts regarding severity of penalties with values lost and threatened in accordance with fair market value.
• Cooperates with public and private agencies in developing written cooperative agreements to establish a plan to respond to emergency incidents; keeps cooperators informed of special fire situations; assists on special projects; attends meetings; correlates plans and multiple use policies with agencies involved, and ensures understanding by all key personnel.
• Administers the training and certifications to 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 the most current techniques required in fire suppression and relays new techniques to and trains subordinates.
• Assists in forest insect and disease control projects.
• Organizes air attack and aerial fire detection programs; maintains specified standards for fire observers and ground detection units; cooperates with forests and parks in recreational maintenance work for section personnel.
• Is responsible for divisional vehicular maintenance and improvements of buildings and grounds used; conducts condition surveys, maintains safety and security standards.
• Maintains proficiency in forest fire suppression at the level mandated by national standards under the Incident Command System.
• Plans and maintains a forest fire prevention sign program and provides records on their utilization.
• Makes recommendations for the distribution of radio equipment and improvement of the network; supervises the divisional fireline maintenance program, maintenance of small hand tools, mobile, vehicular, and related equipment; develops engineering plans and specifications for building construction, and prepares condition surveys for divisional fireline, airfield, and/or property maintenance.
• Prepares and supervises the preparation of clear, technically sound, accurate, and informative reports, studies, and surveys containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations of labor and monetary costs involved in fighting forest fires.
• Administers divisional lands and conducts special administrative and fire equipment studies.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and 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.

AND

Experience

Five (5) years of experience in forest fire prevention and control work, one (1) year of which shall have involved responsibility for program planning, implementation, and supervision relative to forest fire prevention, presuppression, and suppression.

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 techniques.
• Knowledge of modern administration and management methods.
• 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, and forest fire prevention plans covering risk and hazard reduction.
• Knowledge of computerized techniques used for survey and planning for personnel, equipment, capital budget and improvement, and resource and land use.
• Knowledge of the methods useful in enlisting the cooperation of paid and voluntary fire fighters and residents of wooded areas.
• 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 appropriate statutes, laws, and the administrative code pertaining to the Forest Fire Prevention and Control Act (Title 13).
• Ability to organize assigned technical and supervisory work and provide suitable assignments and instructions for employees and volunteer workers and to supervise the performance of effective work methods.
• Ability to maintain state and national standards of physical fitness necessary to qualify for wildfire suppression.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with subordinates and to instruct technical fire management, planning personnel, clerical employees, and those members of the public interested in or concerned with the work of the section.
• Ability to analyze major fire management problems and to direct research, survey, and design efforts toward the solution of such problems utilizing modern computerized methods.
• Ability to supervise presuppression planning and coordinate plans with civic, business, and other cooperating groups and organizations.
• Ability to plan and supervise basic statistical analysis or fire management program activities, administrative work involved in maintaining personnel, financial, equipment, and other types of records.
• Ability to act as a representative of the State Firewarden.
• Ability to provide advice and guidance in all matters concerning forest fire management.
• Ability to supervise the operation of motorized fire suppression equipment.
• Ability to coordinate fire management activities and supervise the maintenance of essential records and files.
• Ability to prepare technical correspondence and supervise the preparation of clear, technically sound, accurate, and informative statistical and other reports and planning documents containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Ability to utilize audio/visual equipment in the development of educational and training programs.
• Ability 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, and 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: 26/R26- CGS 3/07/00

Note

The 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 college 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) credits is equivalent to one (1) year of experience).

CERTIFICATION

In accordance with NJAC 5:73-1.6(b), c & (d), effective February 17, 2000, applicants for this position must possess a valid Incident Management Level 1 certification issued by the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety, Department of Community Affairs.

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 fire fighter and/or show proof of Red Card Certification as a Type I 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.