Fire Equipment Operator

SALARY:

$56.22 $67.69 Hourly

$116935.52 - $140795.20 Annually

CORE VALUES

Commitment Courage Integrity Innovation Teamwork Service

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department is currently accepting applications to fill one vacancy for Fire Equipment Operator.This permanent position will begin on March 30 2026.

When completing your application and supplemental questionnaire you must check All Locations in the agency-wide questionsand the supplemental questionnaire to be considered for this position.

About the County of Santa Barbara Fire Department:
Since 1926 the Santa Barbara County Fire Department has served and safeguarded the community from the impacts of fire medical emergencies environmental emergencies and natural disasters through leadership planning education prevention code enforcement and all-hazard emergency response. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department has a rich tradition and commitment to service excellence; we are well equipped well trained and experienced. We have excellent working relationships with other State fire agencies and maintain a reputation as leaders in the region. We have 294 employees an annual operating budget of $120.9 million and a capital budget of $3.3 million. Services are provided through 16 fire stations air operations heavy equipment and three offices located throughout Santa Barbara County. We serve the cities of Buellton Goleta and Solvang private lands and County unincorporated areas. To learn more about the Santa Barbara County Fire Department please visit:

BENEFITS:The County of Santa Barbara offers generous benefits please CLICK HERE to visit our website. Additionally applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for retirement reciprocity and time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate.

POSITION:Under direction operates heavy motorized equipment in clearing and constructing fire breaks and fire trails; assists in fighting fires; and performs related work as required.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: This class is distinguished from other classes involving equipment operation by the assignment to firefighting duties and the operation of the equipment during emergencies. The classification of Fire Equipment Operator is further distinguished from Fire Equipment Operator Assistant in that incumbents operate heavy equipment such as bulldozers and motor graders while the Fire Equipment Operator Assistants service heavy equipment.

Ideal Candidate:

• Self-Motivated
• Excellent Communication Skills
• Team Player
• Welding Experience
• General Construction Experience
• Wildland Fire Fighting Experience

1. Transports bulldozers to fire areas using a tractor semi-trailer; operates bulldozer at the scene of wildland fires to construct clear and widen fire breaks fire trails and roads or to clear terrain for the safe passage of equipment and personnel; operates equipment on steep narrow mountain roads and under hazardous conditions.
2. Operates assigned heavy equipment performing grading and excavating work and in fire prevention and suppression activities including planned burn projects; assists in loading and unloading heavy construction equipment; tows auxiliary equipment such as blades and discs to be used in fire prevention and grading work; administers first aid in field during emergency operations; responds to out-of-county requests for mutual aid as directed.
3. Operates heavy equipment for emergency responses and road improvements; assists in all risk disaster responses and mitigation and hazardous material containment by removing debris clearing flood channels delivering sand and constructing containment dikes.
4. Performs routine servicing of assigned equipment such as changing fluids and replacing oil filters hoses and fan belts; orders and installs replacement parts; maintains records of equipment inspections and servicing performed; maintains other logs and records as required.
5. Provides technical direction to fire equipment operator assistants during road construction fire prevention firefighting or maintenance work.
6. Helps maintain the Construction yard/Station 24.
7. Must participate in all departmental training and other mandatory training and classes related to fire department operations and the Incident Command System (ICS).

1. Three years of experience operating heavy motorized equipment including bulldozers motor graders and tractor semi-trailers in rugged terrain for logging companies forestry services or other industries where construction involved pioneer excavation and trail construction; or
2. Two years of experience operating heavy motorized equipment including bulldozers motor graders and tractor semi-trailers in rugged terrain in fire prevention or suppression activities on wildland fires; or
3. A combination of training education and experience that is equivalent to one of the employment standards listed above and that provides the required knowledge and abilities.

Applicants hired after December 26 1988 shall be disqualified from further employment consideration if they use tobacco products in any form on or off duty.

Additional Requirements:

• Possession and maintenance of a valid California Class A Driver License. A California Firefighter Endorsement 1A and 1B are required within one year of appointment.
• Appointees must obtain a California EMT-1 certificate within one year of appointment and maintain a valid certificate throughout employment.
• Appointees must complete the heavy fire equipment operator academy offered by CALFIRE within one year of appointment.

Appointees to this classification will be subject to mandatory testing for drugs prior to beginning work; once on the job incumbents will be subject to mandatory testing for drugs and/or alcohol on a random reasonable suspicion post-accident return-to-duty and follow-up basis.

Knowledge of: the operation of heavy equipment and vehicles including tractor semi-trailers; road construction and maintenance practices such as grading installation of culverts building truck trails and fire roads; general construction practices minor maintenance and repair of heavy equipment; basic computer operations; basic math to compute vehicle and hauling weights.

Ability to: skillfully and safely operate a variety of heavy equipment and vehicles including bulldozers motor graders and tractor semi-trailers; operate skip loader roadside brush and weed mower and fork lifts skillfully and safely in a variety of environments; establish slope and grade and centerline for graded dirt road construction in mountainous terrain; load and unload bulldozers and other types of heavy equipment used in fire prevention and suppression activities; read and understand equipment maintenance manuals and schematics to make minor repairs; write legibly to record work performed on equipment and assignments; communicate one-on-one to understand verbal directions; establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers; follow written and verbal instructions; work independently and without close supervision.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

Knowledge of: basic firefighting techniques including fire behavior weather conditions safety hazards and precautions; basic fire suppression methods in open and mountainous terrain local geography roads and water supply systems; and basic first aid.

Ability to: operate a variety of heavy equipment skillfully and safely; repair heavy equipment and fabricate parts; perform small engine repairs; make tactical decisions in emergency situations regarding use of equipment; read topographic maps; and operate Global Positioning System (GPS) devices.

Pay Grades:

1. Pay Grade I: Employees in this classification who are not certified in any of the specialty response qualifications provided in the Memorandum of Understanding between the County of Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara County Fire Fighters Inc. Local 2046 for pay grades II or III shall be classified pay grade I.
2. Pay Grade II: Employees who are certified by the Fire Chief in accordance with department specialty response qualifications and maintain certification and/or qualification in one or two of the additional distinguishing characteristics provided in the Memorandum of Understanding between the County of Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara County Fire Fighters Inc. Local 2046 shall be classified in pay grade II.
3. Pay Grade III: Employees who are certified by the Fire Chief in accordance with department specialty response qualifications and maintain certification and/or qualification in three or more of the additional distinguishing characteristics provided in the Memorandum of Understanding between the County of Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara County Fire Fighters Inc. Local 2046 shall be classified in pay grade III.

Movement between pay grades is based solely upon obtaining and maintaining certifications for specialty response and movement to a lower pay grade due to loss of a certification is not considered to be disciplinary.

Emergency operations require working 16 to 24 hours shifts under difficult conditions such as fire and floods for 14 to 21-day assignments. Incumbents are required to complete out-of-county mutual aid assignments as directed. This position involves frequent heavy lifting over 25 pounds often combined with bending twisting or working on irregular surfaces. Transporting heavy equipment requires the ability to move loading ramps weighing 125 pounds on to and off a trailer.

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS:

1. Review applications and supplementalquestionnairesto determine those applicants who meet the employment standards.
2. Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking:Applications that meet the employment standards will be evaluated and scored. Candidates final score and rank on the eligibility list will be determined by the information provided on their supplemental questionnaire. This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than 11 qualified candidates.

Candidates must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking Assessment to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established all candidates will receive an email notice of their score on the exam(s) rank on the employment list and exact duration of the employment list.

Recruiters will correspond with applicants by e-mail during each step in the recruitment process. Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment & Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss required deadlines.

NOTE: The appointee must satisfactorily complete a 12-month probationary period.

Background Investigation:Once a conditional offer of employment has been made candidates will be required to successfully complete a background check which includes a conviction history check and satisfactory reference checks. Appointee will be subject to a post-offer medical examination.

REASONABLEACCOMMODATIONS:The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants. Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. We require verification of needed accommodation from a professional source such as a Medical Provider or a learning institution.

Disaster Service Worker:Pursuant to Governmental code section 3100 all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement
The County of Santa Barbara provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination harassment and retaliation of any type with regard to any characteristic or status protected by any federal law state law or Santa Barbara County ordinance. The County continues to be committed to a merit-based selection process and to eliminating barriers to attracting and retaining top qualified candidates. The County has a long-standing practice of providing a work environment that respects the dignity of individual employees and values their contributions to our organization.

APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE DEADLINE: 11/18/2025 at 4:59 pm PST; postmarks not accepted. Applications and job bulletins can be obtained 24 hours a day at .

If you have any recruitment questions please email Kari Burks at .

Employer

County of Santa Barbara

Address

1226 Anacapa Street

Santa Barbara California 93101

Website