Part-Time Certified Prescribed Burn Manager (CPBM)
Position: Certified Prescribed Burn Manager (CPBM)
Employment Type: Part-Time / Seasonal / On Call
Pay: $60.00 - $65.00 per hour BOE
Reports To: Project Manager
Work Location: Various Pizzo Group project locations
Season: Prescribed Burn Season
Position Summary
The Pizzo Group is seeking a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager (CPBM) to provide part-time, seasonal support for prescribed burning operations.
This is a specialized, burn-day-only position. The CPBM will be responsible for the safe and compliant management of assigned prescribed burns, including burn-day leadership, crew coordination, required notifications, field oversight, safety, communication, and completion of required prescribed-burn documentation.
The position is on call during burn season, with work scheduled around weather conditions, approved burn windows, project schedules, and operational needs.
Essential Responsibilities
Burn-Day Leadership
The CPBM will have overall responsibility for the assigned prescribed burn on the day of the burn and will:
- Serve as the designated Certified Prescribed Burn Manager for the assigned burn.
- Be present and remain in charge of the prescribed burn while burn operations are underway.
- Review the approved burn plans and confirm that burn-day conditions are appropriate to proceed.
- Conduct the pre-burn briefing with the burn crew.
- Review crew assignments, ignition procedures, holding operations, safety procedures, communications, escape routes, safety zones, and emergency procedures.
- Assign and direct burn crew personnel.
- Coordinate ignition and holding operations.
- Monitor fire behavior, weather, smoke, personnel, equipment, and surrounding conditions throughout the burn.
- Make the final operational decision to proceed, modify, postpone, or terminate the burn based on actual field conditions and the approved prescription.
- Ensure the burn remains within the parameters of the approved burn prescription.
- Maintain overall command and control of the burn operation.
Notifications and Burn-Day Requirements
The CPBM will be responsible for ensuring required burn-day notifications and regulatory requirements are completed, including:
- Confirming that required permits and approvals are in place before ignition.
- Confirming required notifications to appropriate fire departments, dispatch centers, emergency agencies, adjoining landowners, or other parties have been completed.
- Completing or confirming any required same-day notifications.
- Maintaining appropriate communication with emergency response agencies when required.
- Ensuring all required documentation is available at the burn site.
Safety and Emergency Management
The CPBM will have primary responsibility for prescribed-fire safety during the assigned burn and will:
- Conduct the required pre-burn safety briefing.
- Ensure crew members understand their assignments and emergency procedures.
- Establish and communicate escape routes and safety zones.
- Monitor changing weather and fire behavior.
- Continuously evaluate whether conditions remain appropriate for the burn.
- Stop or modify operations when conditions become unsafe or fall outside the approved prescription.
- Respond to unexpected fire behavior or other emergency situations.
- Coordinate with emergency responders if necessary.
- Assume appropriate incident command responsibilities in the event of an escaped fire until command is transferred to the appropriate authority.
Burn Documentation
Following each assigned burn, the CPBM will complete and submit all required burn-day documentation, including:
- Complete all burn reports.
- Required weather and burn-condition information.
- Burn start and completion times.
- Personnel and crew information.
- Required notifications.
- Documentation of significant events or deviations from the prescription.
- Documentation of any injuries, property damage, escaped fire, or emergency response.
- Other documentation required by Illinois law, applicable regulations, the project, or company procedures.
The CPBM will provide completed documentation to the appropriate Pizzo Group representative promptly following the burn.
Qualifications
Required
- Current Certified Prescribed Burn Manager (CPBM) certification issued by the State of Illinois / Illinois Department of Natural Resources (Desired), or CPBM certification issued by the State of Michigan, State of Indiana or State of Wisconsin will be accepted.
- Demonstrated prescribed-fire experience.
- Working knowledge of prescribed-fire safety, fire behavior, and burn operations.
- Ability to lead and direct a prescribed-burn crew.
- Ability to make sound, independent go/no-go decisions based on field conditions.
- Ability to complete required burn documentation accurately.
- Ability to communicate effectively with burn crews, Pizzo Group management, fire departments, emergency personnel, landowners, and other parties as necessary.
- Valid driver's license.
- Ability to work outdoors in varying weather and field conditions.
Work Schedule
This is a part-time position.
Work will occur primarily during the prescribed burn season and will be dependent upon:
- Weather conditions.
- Approved burn windows.
- Project schedules.
- Client requirements.
- Site conditions.
- Pizzo Group operational needs.
Burn dates and start times may change due to weather and field conditions. The CPBM must be available to respond to assigned burn opportunities during agreed-upon periods of availability.
There is no guaranteed minimum number of hours.
Scope of Position
This position is specifically limited to the management and execution of assigned prescribed burns.
Professional Authority
Because the CPBM is responsible for the safe management of the prescribed burn, the CPBM has the authority and responsibility to delay, modify, suspend, or cancel a burn when actual conditions do not meet the approved prescription or when the CPBM determines that proceeding would create an unacceptable safety or compliance concern.
Production schedules or project deadlines will not override the CPBM's responsibility for safe and compliant burn operations.
Physical Requirements
The position requires the ability to:
- Work outdoors for extended periods.
- Walk and work over uneven, wooded, wet, or rough terrain.
- Work in conditions involving smoke, heat, fire, dust, and vegetation.
- Carry and operate prescribed-fire equipment as necessary.
- Wear required personal protective equipment.
- Respond quickly to changing field conditions.
- Communicate effectively with crew members in an active fire environment.
Certification Requirement
The employee must maintain a current Certified Prescribed Burn Manager (CPBM) certification throughout their employment and must immediately notify Pizzo Group management of any expiration, suspension, revocation, or other change to their certification status.
Employment Status
This is a part-time position. Hours are based solely on scheduled prescribed-burn operations and operational needs. No minimum number of hours is guaranteed.
Safety:
Safety is always Pizzo's number one goal. As an employee, you have a legal right to a safe and healthy workplace. At Pizzo, you may be asked to read the workplace safety and health posters and comply with all applicable OSHA and Illinois safety standards. Our employees follow all lawful employer safety and health rules and regulations, and wear/use the required protective equipment while working. Employees are to report hazardous conditions to the employer, report any job-related injury or illness and report any near misses to the employer. You may be asked to join our health and safety committee, provide guidance on site from an H/S perspective or render first aid. Each one of us shares the responsibility of making sure everyone goes home to their family’s safe daily.
