Job Description - Program Specialist 1 - Fire Adapted Community Coordinator (26141516)
Position Title:
Program Specialist 1 - Fire Adapted Community Coordinator - (26141516)
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation''s mission is to help ensure that Montana''s land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations.
The DNRC believes employees are their most important asset. The DNRC empowers employees to exercise professional judgment in carrying out their duties. Employees are provided with the training and tools necessary to achieve the mission. Both team effort and individual employee expertise are supported and sustained.
Core Values:
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's Forestry and Trust Land Division recognizes that building a collaborative, professional, and inclusive work environment is critical to fulfilling our mission of managing, protecting, and promoting stewardship of Montana's forests and lands for the benefit of current and future generations and our trust beneficiaries. We hold ourselves to these high standards as we are accountable to the people of Montana.
Work Unit Overview:
The DNRC Fire Protection mission requires a robust approach to community preparedness and fire prevention enabling wildland fire protection activities across the state of Montana and actualizing a commitment to achieving a well-rounded fire protection program that, to the extent we can while redeeming our statutory mandates, embraces the three tenets of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy: effective wildfire response, fire adapted communities, and resilient landscapes. Our Fire Protection Program incorporates, as critical components, community preparedness, homeowner risk reduction, and fire prevention, as well as prescribed fire and hazardous fuels reduction. We deliberately engage Montana's citizens to prepare themselves, their property and their communities for wildfire. It is through the Fire Protection Program that the Department's aspirations in these areas become reality.
Libby Unit represents the DNRC Forestry and Trust Land Management Division within its assigned areas in Lincoln County. Libby Unit conducts field activities and is responsible for all day-to-day operations of this Division within the geographical area. The Unit provides direct wildland fire suppression service for approximately 390,000 acres of state, private, and federal land. A substantial portion of the land area is wildland residential interface, which presents a complex fire-management situation. The Unit assists the State/County Cooperative Fire Program in Lincoln County and aids the county and their rural fire departments as needed. Libby Unit manages and administers approximately 30,218 acres of state-owned land. On these lands, the State maintains a significant forest-management program that includes forest-product sales and forest-improvement projects. In addition, the Unit is responsible for administration of commercial leases, several residential leases, rights-of-way, grazing leases, and gravel pit development and sales, as well as management of recreational use. Libby Unit administers the Good Neighbor Authority Program (GNA) for the state of Montana on the Kootenai National Forest. Through partnership and agreement, the GNA program looks to increase the pace and scale of forest management with our federal partners.
Position Summary:
The Fire Adapted Communities Coordinator (FACC) primarily focuses on leading the development and implementation of a unit level program for community preparedness, fire prevention, fire information, and public outreach supporting both the current operational needs and the strategic initiatives of their Land Office, the Fire Protection Program, and the Forestry Division. The Libby Unit FACC operates under the supervision of the Libby Unit Fire Management Officer (FMO). Areas of emphasis include fostering fire adapted communities and promoting community preparedness, reducing human caused fires, supporting Libby Unit and Northwest Land Office (NWLO) efforts to educate the public on creating and maintaining resilient landscapes using prescribed fire and hazardous fuels reduction. The incumbent may be requested to provide fire information and function in an ICS position or support role during emergency situations and during special projects as assigned. Work assignments are covered by established policies and general program objectives; and the incumbent is responsible for working with the FMO to jointly determine the methods and techniques necessary to carry out assigned responsibilities.
The FACC serves as the principal subject matter expert and point of contact for their designated Unit (Libby) regarding matters pertaining to community preparedness, fire prevention, fire information, and public outreach. The incumbent serves both as an internal resource to DNRC Unit personnel and to key DNRC partners in local, state, tribal, and federal government. On a daily basis, the FACC works to build and maintain the capacity of the Libby Unit Community Preparedness and Fire Prevention program and cooperating partners by sustaining or creating where needed a comprehensive and coordinated system of fire prevention and community preparedness, and by providing technical assistance to DNRC personnel who support the DNRC Fire Protection mission and affiliated programs of the Forestry Division. The incumbent contributes substantially to ongoing and sustained efforts to implement the DNRC Fire Prevention and Community Preparedness Program at Libby Unit.
The incumbent must perform a variety of other professional and administrative tasks in support of the Libby Unit and NWLO, as assigned by the supervisor. This may include representing the agency at meetings and conferences, coordinating, and directing special projects, and attending training and/or continuing education as required. These professional and administrative tasks require general knowledge of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, the DNRC Fire Protection Program Strategy, and other areas related to overall missions of the Fire Protection Program, the Forestry Division, and the Department.
Relationship-building is a function critical to the success of this position. The incumbent establishes and maintains effective working relationships with Unit and NWLO staff, other agency FACCs and staff, interagency partners, dispatch centers, local government, and the public. The FACC will maintain daily communication with the Libby Unit FMO regarding current issues, projects, and operations.
Lead and Manage the unit community preparedness program:
Serve as the principal subject matter expert and point of contact at the Libby Unit regarding matters pertaining to community preparedness, fire prevention, fire information, and public outreach. Provide leadership to and support for DNRC Libby Unit personnel as well as interagency partners to assure consistent, cost-efficient, adaptable, and sustainable progress toward the overall objectives of the Fire Protection Program Strategy and Forestry Division initiatives and contribute substantially to local efforts fostering the creation of fire adapted communities.
Lead and manage the Libby unit''s efforts to reduce human caused fires.
Analyze fire occurrence statistics to identify and prioritize fire causes, locations, frequencies, and emerging trends.
Assess Unit projects, program, and funding needs; and synthesize assessments and analyses.
Prepare a Unit Community Preparedness and Fire Prevention Plan and follow up on goals and needs identified in the plan.
Collaborate with Libby Unit and other NWLO units, as well as cooperating agencies, to coordinate fire prevention plans, programs, and implementation strategies.
Keep local cooperators well informed.
Program budget and grant administration:
Track program expenditures and communicate spending information or needs to FMO.
Continually assess community preparedness and fire prevention needs to establish funding priorities and research, identify, and pursue fire prevention, mitigation, community preparedness and public education/outreach grants.
Public information and training Delivery:
Serve as the Libby unit''s informaiton officer for fire-related activities.
Develop, acquire, and deliver training relevant to the community preparedness and fire prevention programs.
Communicate with Libby unit FMO and other FACC''s to ensure consistency in subject matter delivery.
APPLICATION MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION ARE:
HELPFUL HINT: You must check the "relevant document" box to ensure your attachments are uploading correctly to the specific application.
Benefits:
Minimum Qualifications:
The incumbent must be able to attain and maintain Public Information Officer (PIOF) qualification. Additionally, a secondary qualification in support of fire is expected.
Work Environment:
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
Knowledge of:
Skills in:
Ability to:
Minimum Physical Requirements:
Fire suppression activities often include extremely hectic conditions, requiring an ability to think calmly and clearly, make appropriate but rapid decisions, provide adequate responses, and coordinate numerous activities all occurring at the same time. Under such conditions this position can be extremely demanding, both mentally and emotionally.
SPECIAL INFORMATION:
Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States. A valid driver''s license is required with less than 12 conviction points in the most recent completed 36 months.
ELIGIBILITY TO WORK:
In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act, the person selected must produce within three days of hire documents that show authorization to work in the United States. Examples of such documentation include a birth certificate or Social Security card along with a driver's license or other picture I.D., or a U.S. passport, or a "green card"
Effective May 4, 2026, this agency is participating in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. After accepting a job offer and completing Form I-9, your information will be submitted to the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration for verification.
Applicant Pool Statement: If another department vacancy occurs in this job title within six months, the same applicant pool may be used for the selection. Training Assignment: This agency may use a training assignment. Employees in training assignments may be paid below the base pay established by the agency pay rules. Conditions of the training assignment will be stated in writing at the time of hire.
Salary: $
28.38 - 28.38 Hourly
Telework Eligibility: Telework Eligible (Full-time telework is not available. Telework schedule must be supervisor approved.) Benefits Package Eligibility: Health Insurance, Paid Leave & Holidays, Retirement Plan
Number of Openings
: 1 Employee Status: Regular Schedule: Full-Time
Job Type
: Standard
Shift
: Day Job
Travel
: Yes, 10 % of the Time
Primary Location
: Libby
Agency: Department of Natural Resources & Conservation Union: 000 - None
Posting Date
: Jun 10, 2026, 9:13:25 PM
Closing Date (based on your computer''s timezone)
: Jul 2, 2026, 11:29:00 AM
Required Application Materials: Cover Letter, Resume, References
Contact Name: Stacey Gabrio | Contact Email: stacey.gabrio@mt.gov | Contact Phone: 4064443309 The State of Montana has a decentralized human resources (HR) system. Each agency is responsible for its own recruitment and selection. Anyone who needs a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the agency''s HR staff identified on the job listing or by dialing the Montana Relay at 711. Montana Job Service Offices also offer services including assistance with submitting an online application.
State government does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, creed, political beliefs or affiliation, veteran status, military service, retaliation, or any other factor not related to merit and qualifications of an employee or applicant.