The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is California’s fire department and resource management agency. The organization is comprised of nearly 12,000 permanent and seasonal employees. The mission of the Department is to serve and safeguard the people and protect the property and resources of California.

When you join CAL FIRE, you join a family of employees that function as a team. You will build trust and friendship with your co-workers, as together you respond to emergencies and challenging situations. CAL FIRE provides employees with a variety of career choices and opportunities. We hope that you will consider a rewarding and challenging career with CAL FIRE!

Job Duties:

Pilots a helicopter in single pilot operation under hazardous conditions, during day or night, such as: mountainous terrain, turbulent air, reduced visibility, confined areas, over water, with external loads (including Heli torch and other airborne pyrotechnical devices), to and from unimproved landing sites, at high altitudes, in high temperatures, in toxic smoke, with high gross weights at or near the performance limits of the aircraft, in close proximity to uncontrolled fire line, and in close proximity with other aircraft such as with other firefighting helicopters, air tankers, lead planes, news media helicopters, as well as general aviation and military aircraft.

Licenses: Possession of a valid Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Commercial Airman Certificate with rotorcraft-helicopter rating or a valid FAA Airline Transport Pilot's Certificate with a rotorcraft- helicopter rating. and

Possession of a valid and current Class II Airman's Medical Certificate issued by an FAA authorized medical examiner. and

Possession of a valid driver license of the appropriate class issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Applicants who do not possess this license will be admitted to the examination but must secure the license prior to appointment. and

Experience: Applicants must have logged at least 2,000 hours of pilot-in-command flying helicopters, which must include the following:

• At least 500 hours of mountain pilot-in-command helicopter flight time, routinely making landings in mountainous terrain above 4,000 feet MSL.
• At least 500 hours of turbine helicopter time as pilot-in- command.
• Two hundred and fifty hours as pilot-in-command of helicopters performing low level missions in fire control, map survey, powerline patrol, search and rescue, and spray or seeding operations over mountain or forested or comparable military operations.
• At least 100 hours as pilot-in-command in helicopters carrying sling loads.
• At least 50 hours as pilot-in-command in helicopters in the past year.

Knowledge of: Safe helicopter operating procedures; State and Federal forest and fire laws; regulations of the Department of Transportation, FAA, and other regulations governing civil aircraft movements; terrain, weather, and flying conditions in California.

Ability to: Skillfully pilot a helicopter using all known devices and attachments associated with helicopter forestry firefighting while making correct and sound decisions on their use in practical applications; operate a helicopter under hazardous conditions.