FOREST RANGER - 42002085

Requisition No: 878516 

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: FOREST RANGER - 42002085

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 42002085 

Salary:  $45,990.62 - $52,889.46 

Posting Closing Date: 07/06/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

FOREST RANGER
(WILDLAND FIREFIGHTER)

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE
 

***OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY***
 

CONTACT:

Chad Williamson, 352-665-2105

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

In accordance with Florida Statute 633, any person employed in this class must:

• • Be a high school graduate or the equivalent, as the term may be determined by the Division of State Fire Marshal of the Department of Financial Services, and at least 18 years of age.
  • Not have been convicted of a misdemeanor relating to the certification or to perjury or false statements, or a felony or a crime punishable by imprisonment of 1 year or more under the law of the United States or any state thereof or under the law of any other country, or dishonorably discharged from any of the Armed Forces of the United States.  “Convicted” means a finding of guilt or the acceptance of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, in any federal or state court or a court in any other country, without regard to whether a judgment of conviction has been entered by the court having jurisdiction of the case.
  • Submit a fingerprint card to the division with a current processing fee.  The fingerprint card will be forwarded to the Department of Law Enforcement and/or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
  • Have a good moral character as determined by investigation under procedure established by the division.
  • Be in good physical condition as determined by a medical examination as prescribed by the division.  Such examination may include, but need not be limited to, provisions of the National Fire Protection Association Pamphlet 1582.
  • Be a non-user of tobacco or tobacco products for at least one (1) year immediately preceding application, as evidenced by the sworn affidavit of the applicant. 
    
    

NOTE: ALL POSITIONS WITHIN THIS CLASS REQUIRE POSSESSION OF A VALID DRIVER LICENSE.

***ATTENTION CANDIDATES***
 

To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:
 

• All fields in the Candidate Profile must be completed (an attached resume is not a substitution for the information required on the candidate profile).
• Work history, duties and responsibilities, hours worked, supervisor, and formal education fields, etc. must be filled out to determine qualifications for this position.
• Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile.
   

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values
and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified
individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
                            

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

The incumbent must obtain a Class A Commercial Driver License (CDL) within six (6) months of appointment.  The Florida Forest Service will cover the majority of the cost associated with attaining the required CDL training and the initial CDL test when administered at an agency authorized CDL training center.

Occasional to moderate travel required. 

Position may respond to emergencies, including natural disasters or other type incidents requiring travel, as needed.

The incumbent must live within 30 miles of the headquarters, which is located at 5353 NE 39th Avenue, Gainesville, Florida, throughout employment in this position.

Certificate of Compliance as Firefighter.

Florida Statute 633 requires that any person employed in this class obtain a Certificate of Compliance which includes, in addition to the above requirements, satisfactory completion of a fire fighter training program approved by the Division.  No employee shall obtain permanent status unless the Certificate is received.

Applicants who receive a job offer must pass:

1. Pre-employment drug test in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S.
2. Pre-employment comprehensive medical examination
3. Pre-employment physical fitness test
   
   

Post employment – incumbents must pass:

1. Reasonable suspicion, post-accident, and random drug and alcohol testing provisions and the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse query requirements of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulation, Title 49, Part 382, CFR
2. Annual medical examination (pulmonary function and blood pressure)
3. Annual physical fitness test
   
   

Successful completion of a drug test is a condition of employment in the position in accordance with Section 112.0455 F.S. “Drug Test” means any chemical, biological or physical instrumental analysis administered for the purpose of determining the presence or absence of a drug or its metabolites.
 

NOTES: 

To maintain fairness and integrity, applicants are required to provide honest and authentic responses during all stages of the evaluation and selection process. Applicants must rely on their own personal knowledge, thoughts, and impressions. A candidate’s use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to answer qualifying questions or participate in interviews will be taken into consideration when determining qualification for the position.

Successful applicant must pass a background screening, including fingerprinting, as a condition of employment.

Successful applicant with a current Commercial Driver’s License must pass a query of the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.

10 hours per day, 4 days per week M-TH.

JOB DUTIES:

This work is in wildland fire mitigation.  It includes prescribed burning and other methods of fire reduction in order to minimize the risk of destructive wildfires.  Fire suppression assistance is provided on large extended attack fires.

This individual operates and maintains various kinds of equipment in wildfire mitigation and suppression of fires, including operating truck-tractor/semi-trailer or truck and trailer combinations, pumper trucks, bulldozers, transports, and truck tractors.  Work includes safe application of herbicides and operation of brush cutters, chain saws and other hand tools in preparing sites for prescribed burning.  A variety of ignition devices are used in application of prescribed burning.  Work is performed region wide and requires frequent extended travel.

Performs maintenance and construction activities on fixed facilities and equipment.

Provides technical prescribed burning assistance under the supervision of a Forest Area Supervisor, which includes: pre-suppression plowing and standby burning assistance, and assistance to homeowners in making their homes safe from wildfire. 

Intensifies public awareness of the value of prescribed fires through fire prevention programs presented in a variety of public forums.  Also, presents a variety of other forest education programs.

Performs other related work as assigned.

The Following Special Benefits for this Position Include

• State of Florida Special Risk Retirement package
• Annual Uniform Allotment
• Annual Boot Allotment
  
  

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck.  The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:
 

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits;
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal holiday each year;
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision and other supplemental insurance options;
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please visit www.myfrs.com;)
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Tuition waivers;
• And more!

 
For a complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

For an estimate of the total compensation package for this position, please visit the “Total Compensation Estimator Tool” located above under the “Posting Closing Date.”
 

SPECIAL NOTES:

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.