job hunter and potential firefighter,
It may be too late but can't hurt to but in your app for the most northern position locations.
With that being said,
It was an absolute b*tch for the hiring process this year, tiny mistakes in an app get you disqualified in an instant (happened to me for two locations this year), sequestration threw a wrench into things, and a new hiring system confuses all. If you think just putting in an app will get you hired, then you never will be. Many of the bosses I talked to had hundreds of applicants to go through, the economy still sucks and the 'unemployment rate' is a joke, twisted statistics to try and keep consumer confidence high. Check out the 'employment rate' for a wake up call.
I made an Excel sheet of more than 30 locations and numbers and called, called, and called some more. Nearly every person I talked to had an alternate list of applicants that called and expressed interest and filled out recruitment forms. They can train you, motivation and a good attitude seem to be primary hiring factors, and a resume rarely shows that as well as persistence in the app process. Good luck, you're gonna need it as this point. Very pumped for my first fire season.