Assistant Fire Management Officer

The duties of this job vary widely depending on whether the fire season is active or not.  During the season, an AFMO will report to active forest fires in a leadership role. On a large fire, an AFMO may supervise an entire section of the fire, work in the Incident Command Center to determine strategy, or fly in helicopters or planes to analyze the fire behavior.  On a smaller fire, he or she may be in charge of the entire incident, directing all of the operations until the fire is out.  When an AFMO is not on a fire during the active season, they supervise all the firefighters assigned to their station and oversee activities such as trainings, physical fitness activities, and maintenance of technical equipment such as fire engines and water pumps.  When it is not active fire season, AFMOs help plan prescribed burns to manage forest health, and continue to take courses and trainings to qualify for regional Fire Management Officer positions or other high-level opportunities such as Fire Investigator.

AFMOs need to be well-versed in fire behavior and suppression techniques, skills that are taught to beginning seasonal firefighters and refined in further trainings.  AFMOs need to understand how firefighting equipment works and is maintained such as water pumps and chainsaws.  They need to understand the science involved with fighting fires, such as how wind and humidity may affect operations.

Nearly all aspects of firefighting require significant physical exertion so strong conditioning is important. Forest fires are fought around the clock and shifts may last 20 hours so a very strong work ethic is critical. The personal safety of firefighters is always at stake so attention to detail, good judgment, and the ability to accept and process direct feedback is necessary. Fighting fire is a coordinated effort, oftentimes involving hundreds of firefighters, so the ability to work with others is required.

AFMOs typically must have at least an Associates's degree in a fire-related field such as forestry or fire science.  They must have served as a firefighter for several years, have experience working with fire-oriented budgets, and successfully completed increasingly complex fire-specific trainings that are offered each season, such as managing aircrafts on a fire, managing controlled burns, and commanding small fires.

Gaining experience and training are the only ways to achieve an AFMO position.  Each season as a firefighter qualifies you for additional trainings and openings in the fire hierarchy as many of these positions require a certain number of days on an active fire.  AFMOs typically have at least six to seven years of experience as a firefighter before earning their position. Most AFMOs begin their career as entry-level firefighters with a federal agency—but not necessarily the same agency that they currently serve.  It is common to begin as a first-year firefighter with the National Park Service and move to the U.S. Forest Service for a more senior position to advance, for example.

An AFMO typically earns between $60,000-$80,000 annually but wages can climb much higher depending on how active a fire season is. AFMOs earn hourly hazard pay during their time on an incident so there is significant earning potential in this position.