The Florida Forest Service is a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and employs more than 1,250 people in more than 90 job classes.
Employee Benefits
Common Job Classes
Most of the employees of the Florida Forest Service work in one of the following job classes:
Forester
The Florida Forest Service employs rural, staff, state lands and supervisory foresters statewide. Foresters are professionals trained to manage timberland and forest ecosystems for many purposes. Florida's millions of acres of commercial forest land provide trees for paper and wood products, provide recreational areas for hunting, camping and fishing, help to purify our air and water, and provide homes for many species of wildlife.
Florida Forest Service foresters are trained to manage forest systems for multi-use benefits; provide technical assistance to landowners; educate the public about the value, health and sustainability of forest resources; and assist cities and counties with the development of ordinances and programs designed to protect and enhance community forests.
Additional duties include seedling survival checks, GIS mapping, timber marking, forest measurements, overseeing harvesting, and prescribed burning and coordination during wildfire incidents. All Florida Forest Service foresters must possess a four-year degree from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in forestry.
Forest Ranger/Wildland Firefighter
The forest ranger is first and foremost a wildland firefighter. Florida Forest Service forest rangers/wildland firefighters are an elite team of selfless public servants who put their lives on the line to protect the citizens, homes, businesses and natural resources of Florida. They fill various wildfire suppression roles, including fighting wildfire on the ground using a range of specialized equipment. The forest ranger is also often called on for landowner assistance and to conduct fire prevention education programs at schools and civic group meetings. Additional duties include wildfire suppression, wildfire detection, wildfire prevention and mitigation, prescribed fire, cooperative forestry assistance, state forest management, reforestation, recreation and forest education.
All forest rangers must have a high school diploma or equivalent and must meet Florida Forest Service health and physical fitness requirements for initial employment. Within the first year of employment, forest rangers must successfully complete the curriculum for certification as a Certified Florida Wildland Firefighter. Training is provided at no cost to the employee.
Duty Officer
The duty officer is an important link in Florida's firefighting activities. The duty officer operates radio transmitters and computer terminals and transmits information and emergency messages related to firefighters. The duty officer dispatches forestry and fire crews by two-way radio. They also provide information pertaining to road and weather conditions, travel directions and related information, and plot exact locations of wildfires. All duty officers must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Telecommunications Specialist
The telecommunications specialist is responsible for installing, repairing, maintaining and replacing two-way radios, telephones, computers and other electronic communication equipment. The Florida Forest Service utilizes a complex network of communications equipment, both in fire control and in forest management. All Florida Forest Service telecommunications specialists must have a high school diploma or its equivalent and four years of work experience in telecommunications. College education from an accredited institution can substitute at the rate of 30 semester or 45 quarter hours for one year of the required work experience, provided such education includes telecommunication coursework.
Other Job Classes
- Accountant
- Administrative Assistant
- Aircraft Mechanic
- Biological Scientist
- Environmental Specialist
- Forest Area Supervisor
- Heavy Equipment Operator
- Mechanic
- Park Ranger
- Pilot (Single, Twin and Rotorcraft)
- Senior Clerk
FDACS is an equal opportunity employer and encourages people to review the job listings to find out if this agency can offer them a career opportunity.