SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
ELKO, Nev. – The Northeast Nevada Interagency Fire Management program is hosting a job fair at the BLM Elko District Office at 3900 East Idaho St. in Elko on Jan. 6, 2010, from 6-8 p.m. Interagency fire staff and computers will be available to help people as they apply for positions. Applications for summer seasonal firefighting and dispatching positions for the 2010 fire season must be submitted online. Applications must be submitted no later than Jan. 19, 2010, to receive first consideration for Nevada BLM locations.
The Northeast Nevada Interagency Fire Management is recruiting for positions on engine crews at stations in Elko, Carlin and Wells, and for positions on the Ruby Mountain Hotshot crew and the Elko Helitack crew. Government housing may be available at these stations depending on location. Salary for these positions ranges from $9.45 to $16.04 per hour depending on experience, with a normal term of employment from June 1 through mid-September. Selected applicants must complete a pre-employment drug screen and physical examination prior to appointment, and are subject to random drug screen testing during their period of employment. Selected applicants for primary firefighter positions must also pass the “pack test” after entering on duty. This test consists of a three-mile walk over flat terrain carrying a 45-pound pack in 45 minutes or less.
“Summer firefighting jobs with the BLM, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and Forest Service are very popular,” said Northeast Nevada Interagency Fire Management Officer Jeff Arnberger. “Benefits include earning money for college or travel and gaining experience with the federal government. Plus it’s a great job – working outdoors, traveling the West and constantly changing work environments and tasks. Our firefighters routinely earn enough to pay for a year’s worth of college expenses each season.”
Applicants interested in “on-call” firefighting and support positions with the BIA’s Eastern Nevada Agency are also encouraged to attend the job fair.
For more information about fire jobs and how to apply, call the Northeast Nevada Fire Information Hotline at 775-753-0301 or visit the BLM Elko Fire and Aviation Web site at www.nv.blm.gov/elko/fire.
