Have you been seeking information regarding Ohio park ranger training and degree requirements to advance your career? We have some great information compiled for you here.
Ohio State Parks, during their peak season, will generally utilize over 390 full-time workers and close to 950 part-time or seasonal workers.
Park rangers, who are frequently referred to as park policemen, are utilized by Ohio State Parks. Ohio state parks regularly receive over 50 million visitors annually. Park rangers provide frontline services to visitors, including support and protective services. Park rangers offer special activities and educational programming for visitors by way of several customer care initiatives and seasonal naturalist programs.
Park officers in Ohio at the entry-level are in charge of applying and patrolling criminal code (and the woods and park rules, as well as car laws). Park rangers at more advanced degrees are in charge of running investigations that are more complex and supervising lower level park officers.
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Ohio Park Ranger Job Duties
- Helping in the investigation of fires, as well as the suppression of fires
- Helping park visitors with issues and supplying advice
- Keeping records associated with law enforcement actions
- Performing regular maintenance of property and park facilities
- Finishing investigations into criminal issues and regulations; and rules dealing with recreation and parks, forestry, natural areas, etc.
Ohio Park Ranger Education
Park ranger cadets and people seeking to become park rangers in Ohio should possess some fundamental familiarity with regulations, agency rules, and law enforcement.
Degree Prerequisites
People applying for park ranger work in Ohio must be at least 21 years old and have completed an official degree program at the Bachelor’s level in a subject that is related, such as among the following:
- Forestry
- Fisheries
- Wildlife conservation
- Parks and recreation
- Environmental science
Discover online park ranger educational opportunities in Ohio that are a match for you!
Ohio Park Ranger Training
Along with the schooling requirements from the Department, candidates for park ranger work in Ohio must finish the Ohio Peace Officer Basic Training Class. Nominees must also pass a background investigation, including the following elements that are significant:
- Polygraph assessment
- Psychological examination
- Medical examination
Fitness testing, and urinalysis for drug testing, are required, as well.
All new park ranger cadets in Ohio get significant training on operations from the occupation, for instance:
- Wildlife
- Watercraft
- Utilization of firearms
- Areas that are natural
- Standards of ethos
- Rules of evidence
- Recreational trails
- Court actions
- Processes of arrest
- Treatment of prisoners
- Forestry
- Uniform regulations and attention
- Public and human relationships
Park rangers in Ohio must keep an agency-mandatory physical state and qualify on a semiannual basis with relevant gear and firearms.
Ohio Park Rangers and the National Parks Service
Park rangers in Ohio who work for the National Park Service are liable for resources and the national parks in Ohio.
Park rangers may serve in a protective/security or cultural/interpretive ability.
- Criminal justice/police science
- Natural sciences
- Sociology
- Natural resource management
- Forestry
- Park and recreation direction
People serving as park rangers that are protective must also have at least 3 years of law enforcement expertise or National Park Service.
Pre-employment conditions for park ranger occupations with all the National Park Service includes these elements:
- polygraph evaluation
- background investigation
- successful conclusion of a medical examination
- psychological assessment
The following represent a number of the most famous state parks in Ohio:
- East Fork State Park
- Mosquito Lake State Park
- Alum Creek State Park
- Indian Lake Park
- Buck Creek State Park
Created in 1949, The Ohio Division of Parks efficiently manages the upkeep, oversight, operation, as well as the creation of the State’s many parks. 74 state parks are now included in Ohio’s state park system.
Salary Information for Park Rangers in Ohio
Park Rangers in Ohio take home a great salary while pursuing a fulfilling career protecting the land of Ohio. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average Park Ranger in the state of Ohio makes a median salary of $56,230 per year.
Park Ranger Programs and Schools in Ohio
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Choose your area of study and receive free information about programs you are interested in. Park rangers are responsible for protecting our parks and wilderness areas as well as guiding and educating the public. These duties are the same across the local, state, and national levels. Park rangers pursue degrees related to parks and recreation, environmental science, as well as law enforcement and criminal justice.