Ranger Academy

[Rlong1985]

The only thing I have considered is local Law Enforcement until now. I stumbled upon some information about the Park Ranger Program offered by a Northern California Community College and it really sparked my interest.

Currently I am active duty military with the United States Navy. My EAOS is coming up this year and struggling with what I should next.

I was hoping someone could tell me about the prospects of finding a job right now, and what agencies could I apply for with this type of program. What are actual jobs people are finding with a Level Two FLE Commision, and how do you make the jump from Seasonal to Full time? Thanks for the information.

[RT302]

Because you placed the post in Federal Questions, would it be safe to assume that you are looking at federal park ranger positions in general and Santa Rosa Junior College specifically?

First, I will clarify that I never attended SRJC, nor worked as as a seasonal park ranger for the National Park Service. I have however, stayed at several Holiday Inn Expresses...:D (that and I know several people who attended. I think one may be a member of RP.) Also, I work for one of the other federal land management agencies....

A quick and dirty background: SRJC is one of about 12 or so institutions of higher learning throughout the country that are accredited by the National Park Service to provide the curriculum necessary to acquire the NPS Level II seasonal law enforcement commission. The Level II commission is only recoginized by the NPS, but not by the other federal land management agencies, such as US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, etc.., because those agencies don't utlize seasonal LE.

That Level II commission, plus any veterans point that you may have, would put you in good standing to attain a seasonal/ temporary LE position at any one of the hundreds of National Park Service sites throughout the country.

Now you ask, "But what if I want a permanent park ranger job?" The answer is, the current NPS trend seems to be to hire their permanent, full-time LE positions, from their seasonal ranks. These are the folks that get the ride to FLETC. Essentially, do your "time" as a seasonal park ranger, to get a permanent job. There is a truism to this process. They get someone who has worked within the agency before, and they (NPS) know what they are getting from their seasonal ranks. Some NPS folks have said that the seasonal career path shows which employees have the heart and dedication to become permanent park rangers. Those of us in other land management agencies just laugh and remind them that "No, it just shows who drank more of the Kool-aid.":D:D:D easy MORA and Pater...... j/k

HOWEVER, if you see any vacancy announcements for Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Philadelphia or Boston, apply anyway. These locations are ALWAYS hiring, just not some of the most attractive sites. You MAY be able to get hired right off your boat for those places.

There are couple of full-time park rangers on RP. Hopefully, they will be along shortly to chime in (and throw barbs back at me for the Kool-aid comment!)

[Rlong1985]

As a Level Two Park Ranger rather than a Level One are you preforming the duties of a Law Enforcement Officer? I know the academy is tought to ensure the student has a understanding of LE duties, but how much hands on experience are you actually getting in the job.

When I think of a seasonal "Park Ranger", it makes me think of a college kid just out of high school at the local county park.

I am only starting to understand the NPS, the Park Ranger idea came up when I saw the jobs open on USA Jobs.

[CACBAND]

Rlong1985,
I'm NPS (but not NPS LE), yes, as a level two Law Enforcement Ranger you are still doing law enforcement duty.
Per NPS-wide policy the only things you can't do (that I know of), is serve arrest and search warrants on your own (you need a level-I ranger with you), investigate felonies (can be down under the direction of a level-I ranger), carry off-duty outside your park unless you get written approval from your chief ranger.
Trust me our seasonal rangers are not just “college kids.” The last I heard the NPS was among the highest assaulted in federal law enforcement.

There are two people on here that I know of who are NPS law enforcement (one of them is US Park Police, I think, which is part of the NPS)

[Rlong1985]

Thanks CACBAND for the information.

Are there any Level Two Rangers on Real Police? Or Level Ones that started the route I plan on going?

I am still not a one hundard precent certian what a Park Ranger does on a normal patrol. Are you in a Crown Victoria on a normal route or do you have a backpack hiking out to campsites talking to people and looking for violations, or a little bit of both.

[TJMS81]

I am still not a one hundard precent certian what a Park Ranger does on a normal patrol. Are you in a Crown Victoria on a normal route or do you have a backpack hiking out to campsites talking to people and looking for violations, or a little bit of both.

I'm heading to LMPT at FLETC in two days but when I get back, I get my choice between a Dodge Power Wagon, Chevy 2500 P/U, or a Jeep Rubicon...all of which have the off-road package. Since I'm 5'8" 175 lbs and the other new guy is 6'5" 250 lbs, we're giving him the Jeep...he's straight of college and needs to earn his leg room. HAHA! Seriously though, I'm not NPS but I have seen them drive anything from CV to Hummers so it depends on your park. Your park also determines your duties. Patrol time and common violations vary.

+1 to everything RT302 said as well. I might also add not to set your sights so narrow initially. You may have better luck getting on with BLM, USFS, or USFWS and can then transfer to NPS. You might also realize you like the mission of that other agency and decide to stay with them. Myagency has a lot of ex-Border Patrol as well. That may be an option as well. Good luck.

[MDEMT280]

If you're looking for a permanent job, veterans preference will help. Eligibility for a Level 2 commission along with the vet preference will help more. There are lots of permanent jobs that have been opening up at the GL-5 level that require either a bachelor's degree in a closely related field, or a year of experience (which can typically be achieved through a couple seasons of seasonal LE work).

Parks like to hire people who are immediately eligible for a commission. Often times, they will make it a special hiring factor -- no commission, no consideration. This is because they have up to two years to send someone to FLETC. If they hire someone who can be commissioned right away, that means their law enforcement employee can start doing law enforcement right away, instead of answering questions at a desk, etc.

So, the veteran's preference will give you a nice score bump-up on any application. The LE training can make you eligible for more vacancies.

The prospects of finding a job seem to be pretty good, especially for seasonals. The more certifcations you have, like EMT, firefighter, etc., the better off you are. There are people who come out of seasonal academies straight into term or perm positions, or who land permanent positions within a season or two of graduating.

Even those who don't land perm/term positions are frequently getting multiple job offers straight out of the academy. Even places like Yellowstone were having trouble filling vacancies.

If you haven't yet, head on over to www.usajobs.gov and do a series search for 0025. That will show you the open Ranger positions -- you're specifically looking for Law Enforcement (LE) or Protection (P).

CACBAND pretty much hit on the Level 2 restrictions. I just want to add, Level 2 employees also don't investigate fatalities. The vast majority of law enforcement contacts can be handled by a Level 2 commissioned employee, and you'll be expected to handle your fair share of the work. You wear the same uniform as a permanent employee, drive the same kind of vehicle, patrol solo, do your own paperwork, etc.

Because the GS/GL-5 positions require a year of specialized experience, or a college degree, it's common to see someone recently out of college, but not really someone right out of high school. Also, since seasonal law enforcement is not a 6c covered position, the age 37 cutoff doesn't apply. So, you wind up with retired cops, retired firefighters, former military, school teachers who have summers off, etc.

Normal patrol duties? Well, there are close to 400 units in the National Park Service system, ranging from urban areas to rural areas, parkways to caves, forests to seashores. There are natural parks, and cultural parks. There are parks that have international borders, and they deal with illegal immigrants and smuggling. There are parks with significant archaeological resources, which deal with lots of ARPA cases. There are slow parks, and busy parks. It's possible to do nothing but traffic in a Crown Vic, and it's possible to do nearly 100% back-country patrol by foot, canoe, raft, etc. (And everything in between!)

What do you deal with on a daily basis? Really, it depends on what "amenities" the park provides. Roadways bring traffic violations and vehicle collisions. Gift shops can result in shoplifting, customer disputes, etc. Intrusion and fire alarms at park buildings. Campgrounds can yield lots of resource violations, like unattended campfires, collecting firewood, food storage violations, etc., plus possibly drunken parties, drug use. Park employees (both NPS and concessions) who live in the park bring loud parties, neighbor disputes, drug use, fights, domestics, and so on.

You may respond to medicals for people who suffer altitude sickness, heat- and cold-related emergencies, falls, drownings, and so forth. Search and rescue looking for a separated or overdue party. You might do a high-angle rescue to pluck an injured climber off of a cliff. You could deal with sick and injured wildlife. You may be required to provide security during fee collection operations at the booth, or assist during fee remits. You might check the condition of boundary fences and look for encroachment onto public lands. You may even be detailed out on a wildland fire detail, or a homeland security detail.

Not all parks offer all possibilities, however. Not a lot of boat patrol at Fort Laramie National Historic Site, for example. Not everywhere has an ambulance, or a fire engine to staff. Not all park units have campgrounds, or lodges, or restaurants. Some parks close up entirely at night, some have life 24/7.

One of the great advantages to the NPS hiring system is that each park is its own hiring authority. You apply only to where you want to work. You don't run the risk of being assigned to Organ Pipe Cactus if you hate the desert and wanted to drive a boat in Acadia. You really can shop around to find the best fit for you.

I suppose the only constant when it comes to what a Ranger does on patrol is that staffing can dictate what gets done. If you've barely got enough people to cover the main roadways in the front country where 95% of the visitors are, it'll be hard to get time to spend a day or two on foot in the back country with the remaining 5% of the people.

One thing to consider about the NPS, probably moreso than FWS, USFS, or BLM is that NPS is very much a multi-mission agency. You'll often see LE Ranger positions called "Protection Ranger." Depending on where you're at, you can go from making a traffic stop, to manning an ambulance for an injured person, to putting on bunker gear and responding on a fire engine to a structural fire, all in one shift. That's on top of being "The Ranger," and having folks ask you everything from, "What's that bird/animal/plant/mountain range?" to "How do I get to...?"

It's a very unique position.

[Rlong1985]

MDEMT,

I think you answered everything I had asked and then some. Thank you! I think at this point I am going to spend a shift or two with the local NPS rangers here in San Diego if they allow ride alongs.

Traffic and a more urban enviroment is where I would want to be. But I would not turn down a historical haritage park. Any suggestions for a more urban enviroment? Williamsburg ( not sure if its a state park or national), or Jamestown are the only ones I can think of are there any others with city like feel?

[MDEMT280]

MDEMT,

I think you answered everything I had asked and then some. Thank you! I think at this point I am going to spend a shift or two with the local NPS rangers here in San Diego if they allow ride alongs.

Traffic and a more urban enviroment is where I would want to be. But I would not turn down a historical haritage park. Any suggestions for a more urban enviroment? Williamsburg ( not sure if its a state park or national), or Jamestown are the only ones I can think of are there any others with city like feel?

Some big urban parks are Jefferson National Expansion Memorial ("The Arch" in St. Louis), Independence National Historical Park (Philly), and Boston National Historical Park (Boston ... duh?), Gateway National Recreation Area (NY/NJ), and Golden Gate NRA (the Presidio area, and other sites in the San Francisco Bay Area).

If you want to do traffic, traffic, and more traffic... Blue Ridge Parkway and Natchez Trace Parkway are two good possibilities. BLRI especially has a very progressive/aggressive drug interdiction program going on, and very good staff.

Many other parks have signficiant road patrol duties (for example, Skyline Drive in Shenandoah NP or Newfound Gap Road in Great Smoky Mountains NP) but you'll also do backcountry, campgrounds, etc.

You may find out that working in an urban park isn't all you imagine it to be, however. After all, there's a reason JEFF, BOST and INDE hire so often. Having talked to someone who worked at INDE (Philly), they do a lot of security-type work there, and for pretty much anything serious, they drop back and punt to Philly PD.

The NPS has several types of juridiction, including exclusive, partial, concurrent, and proprietary. Exclusive is just that: The park is exclusively the responsibility of the Federal government, and all calls for service will be handled by the Rangers. Partial allows the states to retain some rights. Concurrent means jurisdiction is shared between the Federal government and the local authorities (i.e., State Patrol or county sheriff have law enforcement authority in the park as well as Rangers). Proprietary means the Feds retain the rights of a landowner, and will enforce basically petty offenses and misdemeanors under 36 CFR. Major incidents get handed off to the local agency having jurisdiction.

Depending where you go, you may find that you get to do more in a park with exclusive or concurrent jurisdiction. In a park with proprietary jurisdiction, you drop back and punt much more often.

No matter what your jurisdiction, though, remember that your primary responsibility is the Park Service property, buildings, resources, employees, and visitors. You probably won't be running and gunning with Philly, Boston or St. Louis PD every night. If you want to do urban policing, answering calls for service, etc., you'd probably be much better served by applying for that city's police department.

Hopefully MORAranger will be along to a) give RT hell for his Kool-Aid comment ;) and b) provide some more insight, as I believe she worked at one of the above-mentioned urban parks.

Just my personal opinion, but I think you'd be doing yourself a great disservice if you don't get out of the urban areas and give a natural park a chance. Many parks are like small cities in and of themselves. You've got restaurants, hotels, campgrounds, parking lots and roadways, stores, recreation activities. You can get DUIs, domestic violence calls, robberies, assaults, drug possession. Remember, even criminals take vacations! On top of it, you add in things that make the Ranger profession distinctive, things you might not see in a 100% urban area, like poaching, marijuana grows, etc.

Take a look at places like Yellowstone NP, Yosemite NP, or Lake Mead NRA. They're all very busy when it comes to law enforcement. In fact, you may even get more law enforcement action at a big natural park than an urban park. Here's a link to Yellowstone's website. Take a look at their Law Enforcement info: http://www.nps.gov/yell/parkmgmt/lawenforcement.htm

[Rlong1985]

I think I want to give Park Ranger a try, if not for anything else the experience.

The more I learn about the responsibilities, the more respect I have for the position. A week ago I knew little other than they had Law Enforcement authority, now I am finding out they deal with EVERYTHING on the books and then some.

I know right now I want to go to the academy and apply.

[CACBAND]

I think I want to give Park Ranger a try, if not for anything else the experience.

The more I learn about the responsibilities, the more respect I have for the position. A week ago I knew little other than they had Law Enforcement authority, now I am finding out they deal with EVERYTHING on the books and then some.

I know right now I want to go to the academy and apply.

That's great, I wish you the best. Some things to think about, look around at getting your red-card (wildland fire) it's a 4 day class at many colleges, then the “pack-test” (walk 3 miles in 45 minutes with 45 pounds, really not that bad).
Northern Arizona University (in Flagstaff) has a 4-week NREMT-B class, it’s 8 hours a day, 5 days a weeks, but it’s a fast way to get your EMT if you can comment to studying every night. If nothing else you really should get first-aid / CPR certified (one day class). NAU also has an academy that you can attend before or after the EMT class.

There are also 3 academies were you can get state peace officer training if that’s something you want (but by no means need for the NPS). You can see a list of the different ones here:
http://www.prm.nau.edu/rangers/other...g_programs.htm

You may also want to ask the rangers on your ride-along what academy they went to, what did they like, dislike. You’ve got a lot of choices in picking an academy.

Also just for fun, here are two YouTube slideshow videos with a bunch NPS photos. (Checkout the photo at :22 on the bottom one).

[MDEMT280]

Awesome, good luck!

+1 to what CACBAND said re: EMT and FF. You will be a lot more attractive to parks with those certifications.

When you look at seasonal academies, see what other certifications they give you. Do you get a full 24-hour NHTSA SFST course, or just a quick overview? TASER training? Intoxilyzer certification? There's a lot of stuff that's not "necessary," but it might make you look better on paper.

(Of course, the other line of thinking is, the seasonal who pays $500 for an academy is eligible for a Level 2 commission just like the seasonal who pays $5,000 for an academy. And if the NPS really wants you to be trained in something, like TASERs, they can arrange it.)

If you're not 100% sure about being a Ranger, or about the NPS, do give some serious consideration to attending one of the academies that offers state POST certification as part of the training. That gives you the flexibility to pursue a local law enforcement position if you don't want to be a Ranger, or to pursue state or local Ranger, Game Warden, Natural Resources Police type positions if you want something other than the NPS. Like CACBAND said, it's not required for NPS, but if it doesn't add that much more time or money to the training... why not open up all those other doors for yourself, just in case?

[Rlong1985]

Thanks guys for the advice you have been more than helpful.

I hope this thread answers alot of questions about the Ranger Academy in the future, that is people only learn to use the search.

Between 16 hour work days on the ship right now and the our on going availibility period, it will be difficult if not impossinble to take any classes before I get out. I am going to try, and should have at least my CPR/First Aid/AED before the academy.

[MDEMT280]

Between 16 hour work days on the ship right now and the our on going availibility period, it will be difficult if not impossinble to take any classes before I get out. I am going to try, and should have at least my CPR/First Aid/AED before the academy.

Definitely check around with the academies. In the past, at least, FFT2 and First Responder have been offered as part of the academy curriculum in some places.

No point in dropping some extra coin to pay for a class on your own, when you can attend for no extra charge as part of the academy training anyway.

[Rlong1985]

I will ask SRJC what is included in the Academy. Your right it would be nice to get it included or free rather than pay for it.