Incident Meteorologists

This is demanding work, and incident meteorologists must be prepared to work in rugged or otherwise challenging terrain for up to 14 days straight when deployed. If a wildland fire continues to burn for longer than two weeks, a new IMET team is assigned to provide meteorological support. Incident meteorologists work outdoors in all types of weather—from sub-freezing temperatures to extreme heat. They travel to fire zones to collect meteorological data so they must be in good physical condition. Incident meteorologists may be exposed to high heat and heavy smoke. They wear protective gear to stay safe.

Although this career can be very demanding, most incident meteorologists feel an immense amount of satisfaction because their work plays a direct role in ensuring the safety of wildland firefighters and other emergency response professionals. And despite the negative aspects associated with their work, many incident meteorologists cite both the chance to work closely with others and the opportunity to work in often beautiful areas as other benefits to their work.