How can I get a job as a Wildland Firefighter in New Zealand?

Question

I'm currently a wildland firefighter in the US. I want to go to New Zealand on a holiday work visa and work as a seasonal wildland firefighter there. How do I get a job with the NZ Forest Service or whatever department hires wildland firefighters there?

Answer 1

NZ is a separate country so I don't know why you've asked this in the Australian section

I live in NZ & we don't get many bushfires & we're only small so we don't have wildland firefighters!!!  And in Australia they have a huge bushfire problem in summer but alot of the firefighters are volunteers & of course supported by the city paid firefighters.

We have only the firefighter service in our cities who would also attend any bushfires out of the city.  But apparently as there are so few fires here, alot of their work involves removing bodies from car accidents, etc & educating the public re fire, etc, like visits to schools, etc.

We also have volunteer firefighters for rural areas.

Contact our fire service for advice, but I don't think we have any job shortages in that line of work, we also have park rangers who look after parks (& would report fires to the nearest fire service) but again, they are not going to give jobs like that to visitors & there is no work shortage there.

As firefighters have a lot of spare time on their hands due to lack of fires & as they have that comaderie thing going on, I'm sure they'd at least like a social visit from you while you're hear though & maybe share some stories.

www.fire.org.nz/

For job outlook situation:

http://www.careers.govt.nz/default.aspx?...

Forestry dept:

www.maf.govt.nz/forestry/

volunteer firefighters:

www.fire.org.nz/volunteer

Royal Forest & Bird Society (a nature organisation, I'm sure they'd love a visit from you also & they go on bushwalks & have info on our forests & wildlife)

www.forestandbird.org.nz

Answer 2

im not sure.......trying googling it