Forest Fire Management Victoria has begun recruiting Project Firefighters for summer as well as new permanent Forest and Fire Operations Officers across the state to help keep people safe this summer.
Gippsland’s Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Chris Stephenson said: “Advertising commenced this week for 174 Project Firefighters and 15 Forest and Fire Operations Officers in Gippsland.”
“These frontline forest firefighters are an important addition to our resources as we prepare for the upcoming fire season,” Mr Stephenson said.
“Statewide, there are 300 Project Firefighter summer positions available along with 49 new permanent Forest and Fire Operations Officer roles.”
“This fire season, Forest Fire Management Victoria will have over 1,000 frontline forest firefighters, supported by a further 2,000 staff from across DELWP, Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water and VicForests who have a fire role in addition to their normal duties.”
Project Firefighters respond to bushfires, support seasonal planned burning preparation and delivery, and undertake roadside vegetation and fire trail maintenance. The permanent forest fire management staff undertake field roles across regional Victoria and perform critical roles in fighting fires and responding to other emergencies. They also do planning, preparation and community engagement for planned burning, along with pest and weed control and road maintenance.
These jobs will be based at Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and Parks Victoria offices and depots in regional Victoria.
To hear first-hand from staff working in similar roles and to talk through the application process people are invited to attend either of two information sessions at the Heyfield DELWP Work Centre, 1 Licola Road, Heyfield on Wednesday 9 August 2017, 5.00 – 7.00 pm, or Sunday 13 August 2017 1.00 – 4.00 pm. These will be informal sessions and provide an opportunity to talk to staff individually about the jobs and what they involve.
This summer, Forest Fire Management Victoria ran a video project to follow eight project firefighters across the state to capture their experiences behind the scenes.
In Gippsland, we followed the journey of Krystal Davies from Yarram.
To find out more and apply online, visit www.ffm.vic.gov.au or call 136 186.
