Park Ranger

Join Metroparks Toledo as a Park Ranger. In this role, you keep our parks safe and protect our natural resources. You’re the friendly face at our parks through positive interactions with people on a daily basis. You’ll combine traditional traffic and criminal law with community oriented policing and crime prevention to ensure we maintain our “Clean, Safe, and Natural” promise. 

Day in the Life?

No two days are the same. You set your routine based on our department goals to keep our parks safe. You might be patrolling a park trail on a bike, engaging with park visitors, or participating in a community outreach program. 

Here’s why we think you’ll love working at Metroparks

• Work outside in our beautiful Metroparks. Patrol in multiple ways – vehicles, bicycles, ATVs, on foot. 
• Known schedule (4 10s, 3 days off weekly) so you can plan your life outside of work.  
• Proactively create your daily activities rather than respond to a large call load. 
• Competitive pay, health care, retirement, and time off. Read more here. 
• Grow your career on a special assignment or develop to become Sergeant. 

You’ll love this job if

• You want to combine traditional traffic and criminal law with community oriented policing and crime prevention.  
• You want to build relationships with our park visitors and interact with people in a positive way on a daily basis. 
• You care deeply about preserving the natural resources in our parks for future generations. 

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Job Summary

Serve as law enforcement officer to assure the public’s safety, protection and enjoyment. Responsible for maintaining law and order, investigating crimes, and protecting life and property at Metroparks Toledo.

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Patrols Metroparks to preserve the peace and enforce the law, control vehicular traffic prevent or detect and investigate misconduct involving misdemeanors, felonies and other law violations' and to otherwise serve and protect.
• Patrol a designated area in a motor vehicle, bicycle and/or on foot; prevent and discover the commission of crimes, direct and enforce traffic, parking, and laws, administer medical assistance, check for safety hazards, answer calls and complaints, check security of buildings, and investigate accidents. Take corrective action as needed.
• At the scene of a crime or accident, initiate department procedures as relates to: emergency medical care, investigation, witnesses, site inspections, gathering and maintenance of evidence and arrests.
• Conducts investigations of crimes committed during assigned shift and performs follow up investigations as needed.
• Make arrests, escort suspects from the crime scene, and prepare detailed reports. 
• Give advice, assistance, and general information to the public. 
• Answer all emergency and non-emergency calls for service. 
• Attend assigned training classes and programs.
• Analyzes and evaluates evidence. Prepares cases for giving testimony and testifies in court proceedings.
• Obtain working knowledge of, and acquire the needed skills to enter and retrieve data for both in car mobile data terminals and in-house computer systems. 
• Make daily checks of equipment to ascertain that they are in proper working condition. 
• Serve in special assignment roles such as firearms instructor, detective, public information officer, or defensive tactics instructor, as assigned. 
• Carry out any lawful order or duty as prescribed by the Chief or other supervisor. 
• Perform outreach programs. 
• Ensure effective communication and working relationships between external departments and organizations. 
• Assist other law enforcement agencies through mutual aid.
• Promote cross departmental communications and objectives.
• Maintains a professional appearance to include grooming, uniforms and vehicles
• Maintains all departmental equipment and work areas to highest professional standards.
• Open and close parks; lock and alarm all buildings and facilities.
• Undertakes community oriented police work, and assists citizens with such matters as locked or stalled vehicles, crime prevention, traffic safety, etc.
• Assist with river rescues.
• Respond to animal and wildlife calls; enforce fish and wildlife regulations to ensure protection of wildlife and natural resources.
• Promote compliance with all safety regulations.
• Direct the work of Metroparks and volunteer staff as needed.
• Other Park District work related duties as assigned.

Equipment Used

• Vehicles: Law enforcement patrol vehicles equipped with lights and siren, UTVs, bicycles 
• Handguns, patrol and wildlife control rifles, TASER, OC spray, handcuffs, radar/laser guns, body worn cameras, and other equipment as needed.
• Radios, mobile data terminals, cell phones with specialized apps
• First Aid Equipment and AEDs 
• Software & Apps: Microsoft Office Suite, Geographic Information System (GIS), Specialized law enforcement software 
• General office equipment 

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Schedule: Wednesday - Saturday, 10 hour shift on either 2nd shift or 3rd shift
• Home Work Location: Glass City Metropark
• May require business use of personal vehicle to travel between Metroparks locations.
• Requires physical agility to perform law enforcement duties. Requires wearing 20 pounds of equipment. Must pass fitness for duty, psychological assessment and drug test at the time of hire. 

Job Requirements

1. Must be 21 years of age and possess a valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record.
2. Education: High School Diploma or GED
3. Experience: Some experience that demonstrates knowledge, skills and abilities of position. Some park operations and natural resources management experience preferred.
4. Certifications: Certified Peace Officer in the State of Ohio (OPOTA) 
5. Certifications: Must obtain the following certifications within 1 year of employment and fulfill requalification and recertification requirements: First Aid / CPR

Alternates to the position requirements may be made as Metroparks finds appropriate and acceptable.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge

• Knowledge of local, state, and federal criminal statutes of which charges and arrests are executed. 
• Understanding of state wildlife and watercraft laws.
• Knowledge of Metroparks rules, regulations and standard operating procedures.
• Knowledge of or ability to learn Metroparks properties, features, and natural resources areas.

Skills

• Computer skills including word processing and data entry.
• Problem solving skills; ability to analyze situations and adopt quick, effective, and reasonable courses of action with due regard to surrounding hazards and circumstances. 
• Customer service skills.
• In-depth interpersonal skills; demonstrated sensitivity and empathy.
• Oral communication skills and presentation skills.

Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to work without supervision.
• Ability to maintain all required law enforcement certifications. 
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality and apply departmental standards for security and privacy.
• Ability to observe accurately and remember faces, numbers, incidents, and places. 
• Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions and prepare clear, comprehensive reports. 
• Ability to maintain high standards in law enforcement activities; such as, use of firearms, self-defense, operation of a motor vehicle, interviewing techniques, radio and communication procedures, testifying in court, report writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees and the general public, and to effectively and discreetly convey information.
• Ability to instruct and train others.

Metroparks Toledo is an Equal Opportunity Employer.