Job: 2025 Winter Fire Mitigation Crew Member

Job Description

Job Type: Seasonal, Weekly

Wage: $600/wk.

Location: Salida, CO.

Job Description:

Start/ End dates: January 13th – March 28th, 2025  

Status: Seasonal, Full-time

Location: Salida, CO 

Stipend: $600/week ($480/week living stipend + $120/week housing stipend) 

Ages: 18 – 30 

Benefits: $1565.08 (300-hr) AmeriCorps Education Award, optional low-cost housing, food is provided while in the field, uniform shirts, personal protective equipment, USFS recognized chainsaw certification, S-130/190 training course.

About the Position 

As wildfires become more common across the American west, Southwest Conservations Corps’ Winter Fire Crew provides the opportunity to engage in the important service of fire mitigation and prevention in Colorado. Incoming members will be expected to have their chainsaw certification to complete projects that can include felling, brushing, and/or limbing all in the name of fire mitigation. Members will go through S-130/190 and can receive their Incident Qualification Card to assist with burn operations on this crew.

As an AmeriCorps program participant with Southwest Conservation Corps, your office is the great outdoors! Each crew consists of 6 members and 2 leaders. Crews serve for 4 days at a time in frontcountry (access to your crew vehicle and trailer) locations, in all types of weather. You will serve as a member of the crew, perform heavy manual labor, and complete conservation projects using a variety of manual and power tools. Risk management is of utmost importance, and all SCC protocol must be followed at all times. 

Projects include hazardous fuels reduction and local environmental service projects. Crews may also complete technical and/or specialized projects depending on project partner needs, including disaster relief if the opportunity arises. 

Schedules will be 4-days on and 3 off. There is a possibility you could serve 5-days on and 2-days off, or a variation of schedules requiring all AmeriCorps crew members to show flexibility.

Optional low-cost housing will be available for members for the duration of the program. Please contact program staff to find out more information.

Required Skills & Experience. 

Participant Essential Eligibility Requirements

Essential eligibility requirements for the program must be met. If you are unable to meet certain requirements, we may be able to assist you with some modification unless it alters the fundamental nature of the program, compromises the health and safety of participants or staff, or places an undue financial or administrative burden on the organization.

 General Qualifications:

·       To qualify, you must be between the ages of 18 and 30

·       Regularly lift and/or move up to 50 lbs

·       USFS A-faller Chainsaw Certification

·       A US citizen that has received (or on track to receive) a high school diploma or GED

·       All offers of service are conditional upon completion of an acceptable check of the National Sex Offender Public Registry and federal criminal background check.

Participant and Expedition Behavior

·       Serve effectively as a member of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions

·       Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program

·       Contribute to a safe learning environment; no harassment of any kind

·       Appropriately represent SCC and AmeriCorps to the public and project partners at all time

Risk Management and Judgement

·       Effectively follow directions by others, so that you will be able to successfully manage hazards

·       Ask clarifying question when you do not understand a task

·       Maintain focus during the day, both while traveling and serving in varied weather conditions.

·       If taking prescription medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage without assistance from others.

Environmental Ethics & Outdoor Skills

·       Learn and safely perform fundamental outdoor living and skills as appropriate to the project.

• Serve in a physically demanding, possibly remote environment for an uninterrupted period of time

Substance Free

·       In accordance with a drug free program, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and SCC activities, and while on organization property.

SCC Los Valles equity is a core value. To put power behind this statement, we prioritize and encourage opportunities for Black, Indigenous, Queer, Trans, and Women of Color (QTBIPOC). Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Brittany LeTendre, Adult Program Manager, [email protected] for inquiries and submit an application on our website.

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

**Disclaimer: The duties and responsibilities described above are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee, time to time; the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands. Click “View Application” below for more detail on this specific job.