Fuels Crew Supervisor

We are accepting applications to fill one grant funded* full-time Fuels Crew Supervisor vacancy in Vandenberg Village, California for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

The Incumbent will model behaviors that exemplify exceptional, effective and ethical leadership; communicate and collaborate effectively at multiple levels; develop crew members; analyze potential training issues and data; and efficiently use public resources. The incumbent will prepare reports, correspondence, and presentations; as well as, maintain equipment; and recruit and train new Fuels Crew personnel as needed.

We are seeking candidates that have strong communication, supervisory, mentoring and analytical skills to train and prepare our Fuels Crew to be an essential part of the frontline fire prevention efforts and natural disaster incident recovery work for our Fire Department. The selected candidate will train, lead, supervise and mentor crew members with experience that ranges from new members with the minimal required skills through seasoned crew members with several fire seasons of experience.

*Civil Service Rule 904. Temporary or Limited Term Appointment. Duration of a limited term appointment shall be limited to a period not to exceed three (3) years, but is subject to annual review by the Commission to ensure the temporary or limited term nature of such appointment remains appropriate based on business operational needs and/or resources. This includes, but is not limited to grant funding or other limited funding source for the position. 

The Position

Under administrative direction, the Fuels Crew Supervisor plans, organizes, coordinates, and supervises the County Fire Department Fuels Reduction Crew program; supervises the work of the Fuels Crew; develops, directs, and implements the training curriculum for the Fuels Crew Program; manages and schedules maintenance for small tools, heavy equipment and vehicle maintenance for the Fuels Crew Program; and performs related duties as required.    

Distinguishing Characteristics: 

The Fuels Crew Supervisor is a non-safety classification responsible for the supervision of staff, operations, and related administrative functions of the Fuels Crew Program within the Prevention Division of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. The Fuels Crew is responsible for implementing fuels management projects at times in adverse environmental conditions while regularly working around heavy equipment with inherent risk of injury. Fuels management projects include fuel breaks, defensible space maintenance, roadside fuel reduction, community chipping, and prepping for prescribed fire and biomass removal.

The Department

Santa Barbara County Fire Department is a progressive, multi-mission public safety agency with a rich tradition and history. We stand ready to serve the people of this world-renowned area with professionalism, dedication, and pride. From the pristine beaches of the South Coast to the bucolic farmlands and vineyards in the North County, we are always here to answer the call. To learn more about the Santa Barbara County Fire Department please visit: www.sbcfire.com

The Ideal Candidate will be detailed oriented, organized and a dependable crew leader with proven situational awareness skills. They will possess some but not all of the following:

•   Supervisory experience that includes planning, coordinating, hiring, training, performance evaluation, and creating disciplinary corrective training plans as needed.
•   Good physical endurance with the ability to administer physical training to fuels crew members. 
•   Knowledge of basic landscaping and forestry methods and experience in using small, and large tools; safe driving rules and practices; and safe lifting and carrying practices.
•   Experience in operating, maintaining and training in the safe use of small and large mechanized forestry equipment to perform fuels management tasks such as using chainsaws for tree falling, limbing; and fuel removal through chipping, pile burning and biomass removal.
•   Fleet management experience that includes ensuring chippers, pickups, flat-beds, backhoes, mini-loaders, small dump trucks, and other specialized equipment and vehicles are maintained and ready for service. 

Incumbents are expected to learn to assume the full scope of duties, which may include but is not limited to the following:

1.    Plans, schedules, assigns, and supervises the work of the Fuels Crew personnel and equipment engaged in fuels management projects, including crew safety and health.
2.    Patrols fuels project areas making inspections of work in progress, completed work, or existing conditions, including monitoring fuel inventories, brush disposal, backlog fuels disposal and preparation, and assists with Environmental Assessment development; assists with collecting related data; and assists with calculating probabilities of fire risks and hazards.
3.    Coordinates, directs, trains, disciplines, and evaluates the performance of subordinate employees; and interviews and recommends or selects candidates for employment.
4.    Develops, communicates, implements, and evaluates Fuels Crew operating procedures and proficiency standards; maintains and updates procedures and standards on a regular basis.
5.    Contacts and develops relationships with other governmental agencies, local businesses, residents, and property owners to ensure fuels management projects are supported and impacts are mitigated.
6.    Confers and coordinates with assigned staff and/or consultants to ensure project environmental compliance measures are adhered to.
7.    Coordinates and plans Fuels Crew logistics, travel, supplies, equipment and vehicle maintenance, and other required support; develops plans and budgets for the most efficient and effective use of Fuels Crew time and resources.
8.    Performs individually or as a supervisor in other resource areas as required.  
9.    May supervise mitigation and recovery work in response to local natural disasters.

1.    Four years of progressively responsible experience as a fuels crew leader, including experience supervising and training with fuels crews, forestry, range management, and wildland fire prevention;  Or,
2.    A combination of training, education, and experience that is equivalent to the employment standard listed above and that provides the required knowledge and abilities.

Additional Qualifications:  

Possession of a valid California Class C Driver’s License is required at time of appointment, as independent travel throughout the County is required.
 

Knowledge of: fire hazard reduction methods; principles and techniques for planning and implementing vegetation management projects; character and behavior of wildland fires; fire protection and prevention methods; organization, methods, and equipment necessary to prevent wildland fires; fire safety standards applicable to development in the wildland urban interface; principles and practices of training needs and analysis; basic techniques and methods of training; basic principles of budgeting; records management; basic principles of purchasing; principles, methods, and terminology of forest resources and wildland management.

Ability to: direct, coordinate, and supervise subordinate and contracted personnel; learn the principles and practices of employee supervision, training, and evaluation; effectively schedule work activities and meet deadlines; effectively respond to and resolve complaints and inquiries from the public; function with minimal supervision; learn the principles and practices of budget preparation and administration; participate in budget administration by monitoring and controlling expenditures; establish and maintain effective and productive working relationships with coworkers, members of other County departments and divisions, elected officials, representatives from outside agencies, contractors, and members of the community; prepare correspondence and administrative reports; and communicate clearly and effectively with subordinates, management, contractors, elected officials, representatives from other agencies, and members of the public.
 

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Previous experience as a supervisor for a fuels management crew
• Current or past certification as an Intermediate or Advanced Faller (FAL2 or FAL1)

SELECTION PROCESS: 

1.    Review applications and supplemental questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards.
2.    Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking: Responses to the required supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and scored. Candidates' final score and rank on the eligibility list will be determined by their responses to the supplemental questionnaire. This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than 11 qualified candidates. 

Candidates must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking Assessment to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive an email notice of their score on the exam(s), rank on the employment list, and exact duration of the employment list.

Recruiter will communicate with applicants by email during each step in the recruitment process. Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment and Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss required deadlines.

REASONABLE ACCOMODATIONS: The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants. Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. We require verification of needed accommodation from a professional source, such as a Medical Provider or a learning institution.

CONDITIONAL JOB OFFER: Once a conditional offer of employment has been made, the candidate will be required to successfully complete a background check, which includes a conviction history check, and satisfactory reference checks. Appointee will be subject to a post-offer medical evaluation or examination. The appointee must satisfactorily complete a probationary period of one year. 

Disaster Service Worker: Pursuant to Governmental code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

Statement of Commitment
The County of Santa Barbara provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type with regard to any characteristic or status protected by any federal law, state law, or Santa Barbara County ordinance. The County continues to be committed to a merit-based selection process and to eliminating barriers to attracting and retaining top qualified candidates. The County has a long-standing practice of providing a work environment that respects the dignity of individual employees and values their contributions to our organization. 

APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE DEADLINE:  5/14/2025 by 4:59 PM PST.  Applications and job bulletins can be obtained 24 hours a day at  https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sbcounty.
 
If you have any recruitment questions, please email Fire HR at FireDGHR@sbcfire.com

Salary : $89,448 - $107,582