Drone Operator

The Drone Operator recruitment is an Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) internal recruitment. Only applications from current, non-probationary OCFA safety personnel will be accepted. 

The OCFA is currently accepting application for the position of Drone Operator.  This recruitment will be used to establish a Candidate Pool List of qualified personnel for future vacancies. 

(These duties are intended to be a representative sample of the duties performed.)

• Possession of a current part 107 license or ability to pass license exam within six (6) months of selection (OCFA will provide instruction on subject materials) 
• Completion of quarterly training with OCFA drone team 
• Maintenance of 2-10 hours of training each month 

• Current, non-probationary OCFA safety personnel 
• Rating of standard or above on most recent performance evaluation 

POST-SELECTION REQUIREMENTS 
Possession of a current FAA Part 107 license or ability to pass license exam within six (6) months of selection 
 

HIGHLY DESIRABLE  

• Recreational and/or professional drone experience 

HOW TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION

• Online application 
• Cover memo of interest 
• Letter of supervisor concurrence 
• Resume 
• Inclusion of related certificates of training  
• Inclusion of FAA Part 107 License, if applicable 

IMPORTANT DATES

• Recruitment closes: Sunday, August 24, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. 
• Oral interviews: TBD 

If there are changes to this recruitment process, Human Resources will notify all affected candidates. 
 

CANDIDATE POOL LIST 

Placement on the candidate pool list will be established based on successful completion of all recruitment process components. The candidate pool list will remain in effect for a period of one (1) year from the date of establishment or until all names on the list are exhausted. The candidate pool list may be extended or abolished at the discretion of the Assistant Chief of Human Resources / Human Resources Director. 
 

QUESTIONS 
All questions regarding this position should be directed to Battalion Chief Dan Dufrene at danieldufrene@ocfa.org or Fire Captain Frank Granados at frankgranados@ocfa.org . 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who will cover cost of the FAA Remote Pilot Training?   

• The initial pilot carding training is an online course that will be completed while on duty as time permits.   The cost for this training will come from the drone program training budget- $250 per person. 

  
Who will cover the 2-10 hours of recurring monthly training?  Will this be on their own time or Authority time? 

• Training scenarios can be practiced and trained on during normal work hours and training hours will be coded to Air Operations. 

    
The recruitment announcement indicates there is no additional compensation associated with this assignment.   How are OCFA personnel deployed?   Who approves release of staff to deploy if it is non-safety employee who is deployed? 

• Deployment happens on an as needed basis.  When a team is requested, a request is sent out on the “What’s App” group to see who can respond.  No one is on constant staffing or stand by pay for the drone team.  If someone is available and not working on an engine or in some other capacity, they respond. 

What if employees are required to deploy off-hours? 

• If asked to deploy, employees will receive SA time coded to Air Operations.  In the case of being assigned to an incident, i.e., Bond Fire, Laguna Fire, employees complete EAR and are attached to the incident. 

 What about overtime? Can being a part of the Drone program result in overtime? 

• Yes, there will be overtime associated with the program, and it will be coded to Air Operations program. 

Are personnel in the Drone program only using OCFA drones? If not, are personal drones tagged? Insured for damage or loss? 

• Only OCFA drones will be used.   No personal drones are to be utilized. 

How long are selected employees in the program? Do they need to recertify? How are employees removed if there is misconduct or performance issues? 

• Participation in program does not have a minimum or maximum term.  All currency and recertification training are accomplished through quarterly training and the hands-on training that members do throughout the year.   There is an annual review of the program in November of every year, we evaluate operators at that time.  If there were performance issues, those are addressed accordingly, and all supervisors are made aware of any issues. 

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) ACCOMMODATION 

In accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, anyone who needs an ADA accommodation for the purpose of employment testing should contact Duke Steppe, Human Resources Manage at dukesteppe@ocfa.org no later than 72 hours prior to the need for an accommodation. 

WITHDRAWING FROM RECRUTMENT PROCESS

If an applicant chooses to withdraw from a recruitment process, they must submit an email notification to Duke Steppe at dukesteppe@ocfa.org requesting to withdraw from the process. The email to the recruiter must include the applicant's current phone number.

NOTE 
 The provisions of this publication do not constitute an express or implied contract. Any provision in this publication may be modified or revoked without notice.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER