Also called: ATGS, Air Tactical Group Supervisor
Circles above a wildfire in a small plane, directing all the aircraft fighting it, like an air traffic controller for firefighting.
Air attack supervisors sit in an observation plane over the fire, telling helicopters where to dip water and tankers where to drop retardant while keeping everyone from colliding. They also report fire behavior to crews below.
Federal GS pay; overtime and hazard pay often add 50%+ in busy seasons.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 12 years after high school. Years of ground and aviation fire experience plus national qualifications.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Fire Science, Aviation, Forestry.
Growing about average. Wildland fire seasons are getting longer; federal wildland workforce is being reorganized (approx.).
Low risk for 10 years. Drone and satellite feeds add awareness; juggling every aircraft over a fire in real time stays human.
Classes: Geography, Physics, Earth science, Speech.
Official data: O*NET occupation 33-2022.
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