Employment Opportunities

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Western Fire Resources is seeking solid individuals to join our growing company. We are currently seeking Engine Captains for the 2025 fire season and beyond. At Western Fire, we do things a little differently. While still a call-when-needed VIPR resource, we run consistent engine crews for the entire season. This guarantees cohesive crews that take pride and ownership in their engines. A successful applicant will be assigned to a particular engine, and be assigned 2 firefighters for the entire fire season. 

Speaking of engines, we only use BFX Fire Apparatus type 6 engines built to the US Forest Service 643U specifications and stocked beyond federal NUS minimums. All engines in the fleet are 2022 or newer. Maintenance, including oil changes, changing fuel, air, and cabin air filters, greasing grease fittings, and rotating tires, is done after each fire assignment. 

Our company is 100% employee focused, as we realized long ago that employees are the most important part of our company. Obviously, our engines cannot roll without employees, but more importantly, we will not roll one of our engines without the right employees. Our company reputation is dependent upon having a solid group of firefighters representing us. With zero turnover among our permanent firefighters since 2020, we feel that we have that group assembled, but will need another Captain or 2 to cover expansion.

The following are the details of the position. Please reach out to admin@westernfirellc.com with any questions you may have. 

- Assignment is 12 May 2025 through 15 October 2025, or beyond. 

- Location is Canadian, Texas. 

- Dispatch Center is Region 3, Santa Fe Interagency Dispatch Center.

- 2-week paid Critical Training beginning on 12 May 2025, which includes a Work Capacity Test, RT-130, CPR, First Aid, AED, and Stop the Bleed. 

- The applicant will be asked to commit for the full season, which will guarantee him or her a permanent spot on an engine with a consistent engine crew (i.e., no crew swaps to leave you waiting for an available engine), guaranteed 16s while on assignments, all PPE provided (including a boot allowance), local lodging provided while waiting for an assignment, weekly paid hours for PT when not on an assignment, and a Wildland Firefighter Foundation 52 Club membership ( https://give.wffoundation.org/52-club ).

- Our engines have a 5-year running average of 78 days per season, and even averaged 59 days during the mostly non-existent 2023 fire season. 

- We provide all required fringe benefits, such as holiday pay, sick leave, annual leave (after 1 year), and Health and Welfare pay. 

- We also follow state laws, such as the California and Colorado overtime laws, when working in those states. 

- Hourly pay rate is competitive with most companies, but when factoring in the 16-hour shifts and how fast that allows you to accumulate overtime (up to 72 hours per week), Captains can easily make $6,300 or more in a 7-day work week before taxes. 

- Pay (W2) is bi-weekly within 1 week of the end of the previous pay period. 

- Applicant must be professional and safety-conscious, with a strong work ethic and initiative. 

- Prior Federal qualification as an ENGB or CRWB will receive preference. 

- Ability to attain a minimum score of 200 points on the BLM Fire Fitness Challenge will receive preference ( https://www.nifc.gov/about-us/our-partners/blm/training/fitness-challenge ).

- Region 3 fire experience will receive preference. 

- In addition to appropriate certifications, position task books, and a recent master record, applicants will be asked to provide ICS-225s or other personnel performance evaluation forms showing that they have demonstrated the principles of duty, respect, and integrity on previous assignments.