The SCA Alaska All Female Fire Corps is a partnership between SCA and the National Park Service.
The SCA Alaska All Female Fire Corps is a 14-week AmeriCorps program focused on leadership development, completing critical fuels reduction and fire mitigation service projects, and building a sense of community. As a member of a 4-person crew you will be led by one SCA Project Leader. If you’ve ever wanted to learn the hard and soft skills of being a conservation leader, come join this community of like-minded, service oriented individuals and help us tackle one of the nation’s most pressing conservation issues.
Alaska Female Fire Corps crews live and work together for the duration of their program. SCA emphasizes the importance of community building and growth in interpersonal skills throughout the program. Preference will be given to female-identifying applicants: cis and trans females, as well as non-binary and gender non-conforming people, are welcome to apply for this position.
Program Description
*Please note: This is considered an entry level position in wildland fire fighting. Those who apply for this position should have interest in wildland fire fighting as a career though previous experience is not necessary*
The Student Conservation Association's Alaska Fire team is focused on providing young adults opportunities to grow competitive skills in the field of wildland fire fighting to prepare them to move into jobs with the National Park Service after their term of service. Skills will include hands on conservation service experience, professional development training, and nationally recognized certifications.
Members are AmeriCorps members. This means that they receive a weekly living allowance and are eligible for a 300-hour Education Award upon program completion.
Members of the fire crew will spend 3 months on service projects with the National Park Service in Alaska. Service projects will include fuels reduction work: using hand tools and chainsaws for felling and bucking dead trees, thinning overgrown tree stands, and hauling fuels off site and away from vulnerable structures. The crew may be deployed on a live fire with federal fire teams and will pause their AmeriCorps service term with SCA during that time, becoming NPS employees.
A variety of projects will be performed in cooperation with the National Park Service on several projects across Alaska. Service will be outdoors and will typically require heavy lifting (~50 lb) and using chainsaws and hand tools. Team members will be supervised in the field by an SCA Project leader. All team members are expected to be respectful, on-time, hardworking, and aware of conditions to ensure a safe service environment.
Members of this team will go through additional Fire Academy Training with the National Park Service. This will include courses S130, S190 to obtain the Red Card and S212 Chainsaw training required for wildland firefighting. Members will need to pass a fitness test, known as the “pack test”, where they must walk 3 miles carrying 45 pounds in under 45 minutes on a flat surface.
During the season and upon successful completion of Fire Academy Training, the crew will pause their service work projects with SCA, and NPS will hire them directly for 2 weeks of work under local NPS fire team guidance. During this time members and leader will be paid as NPS employees at approximately $19.72/hour. Members should expect to work 12-16 hour days for two weeks while on fire assignments though the schedule may vary depending on the project.
Preference will be given to applicants that are interested in pursuing a career in wildland fire fighting and those that are local to Alaska.
2023 Tentative Schedule
*Please note – this is a tentative schedule. Dates may change, but training opportunities will remain the same.
May 14 – Aug 20, 2023: Female Fire Team Member Dates (12-14 weeks)
•2 weeks SCA training in SCA program, Wilderness First Aid and Conservation Work Skills
•2 weeks of NPS Fire Academy training in S130, S190 and S212 Chainsaw training (AD status)
•8 field weeks completing SCA service projects under NPS guidance
•2 weeks fire assignment under NPS employment (AD status)
Leadership development
Leadership development is an important component of the SCA Alaska All Female Fire Corps program. Members will go through intentional leadership and communication training to prepare them to excel as leaders in the field. Responsibilities include managing the effort and progress of the crew, meal planning, assessing and managing risk on the project, and reporting and administrative tasks directly related to member service activities. SCA Alaska field staff will be assigned to support the crew to provide technical on-the-ground support/training and additional leadership training and guidance (as needed).
Crew Housing and Transportation
Members should expect to camp throughout the program. Housing will be provided during work projects “hitches” of the program in the form of shared tents or communal bunk houses. Program vehicles will be provided for the daily commute to the work site, and they will be driven by the SCA Project Leader and any AmeriCorps member who is 21+ and successfully completes SCA’s Drivers Training. During field season, members should expect to be traveling with their crew to project sites throughout Alaska. While under NPS employment, members should anticipate the possibility of travel via boat, helicopter, float plane or bush plane to remote sites.
Hours
Corps members serve approximately 40 hours a week for the duration of the program. Members must achieve a minimum of 300 hours of service within that 10 weeks of service (AD status hours do not count towards AmeriCorps service hours). Service does not follow a typical Monday-Friday schedule often. The general schedule is from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm but may vary by project. Time off is with the crew and transportation is limited. Members are responsible for planning their time off.
Responsibilities
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Ensure project, basecamp, community, and general safety standards are upheld; full engagement is expected in all service projects and community activities.
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Execution of project service work; physical labor for 10 hours each day outside in a remote setting
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Uniform: AmeriCorps Member will be required to wear the AmeriCorps and SCA logo daily
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Interfacing with general public and partner organizations in a manner that reflects positively upon the crew, organization, and agency.
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Play an active role in learning and executing the logistics of a project, cooking meals, understanding emergency response plans, critically thinking about risk and hazard mitigation, and completing all necessary paperwork related to member service activities.
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Comply with all SCA, NPS, and AmeriCorps policies and refrain from any prohibited activities.
Member Qualifications (Essential Functions)
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Interest and investment in leadership development and teamwork is required
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Commitment to living and serving within an intensive crew environment; interpersonal skills and community living experience are pluses.
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Commitment to service in environmental conditions that will include: heat, cold, smoke, bugs, high winds, and precipitation.
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Must be willing to learn how to use hand tools and power tools to accomplish service activities.
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Must be eligible to serve as an AmeriCorps Member:
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Be a citizen, permanent resident, or national of the United States;
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Be at least 18 years or older;
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Have a high school diploma or equivalent or actively working to obtain one;
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Be willing to undergo National Service Criminal History Check, including criminal background, sex offender and FBI checks;
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Ability to lift 50 lbs, and walk/hike on uneven terrain, uphill or downhill, for 5 miles.
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Ability to pass SCA’s background check.
Member Benefits
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Corps member compensation amounts:
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$1,120 – to help with travel to/from Anchorage
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$250/week living allowance
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Camping through the duration of the program and food during hitches.
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AmeriCorps award (300 hours) upon successful completion of the program.
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Trainings provided: Wilderness First Aid, S212 Chainsaw, S130 & S190 (Federal Fire training courses) Leave No Trace, SCA Leadership Development Training
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Group gear provided
**This position is part of a specialized SCA AmeriCorps program and if you are selected, you will be serving as an SCA AmeriCorps member. **
It is our strong belief that equal opportunity for all members is central to the continued success of our programs. We will not discriminate against an applicant because of race, religious creed, religion, color, sex, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, age, physical disability, mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity characteristics or expressions in selections, terminations and or recommendations. Opportunity is provided to all applicants in the basis of qualifications and program requirements. Upon request, reasonable accommodations will be provided to applicants during the selection process and to members during service.
Position ID: PO-00734631
Expected Dates: May 15, 2023 - August 19, 2023
Location:
725 Christensen Drive
Suite 6
Anchorage, AK 99501
US
Training Provided: Wildfire training, wilderness first aid, red card, chainsaw S212
Educational/Recreational Opportunities: .
Professional Development Opportunities: .
Handicap Accessible?: No
Main Area of Focus: Natural Resources Mgmt
Further Details
AmeriCorps Eligible: Eligible
Driving Logistics: Not needed
Indoor/Outdoor: Outside
US Citizenship: Yes
