March 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 22

Who, What, Where & how Around the Parks

H o w We D i d I t

In Training
OC Ranger Academy trains county park rangers

hen m any peo ple think of Orange
County, California,
they picture surfers,
sandy beaches, and
year-round sun. But the Southern California county of 3 million residents is also
filled with rolling canyons, scenic vistas,
a hardy trail system, and nearly 60,000

States to teach county park rangers, who
are peace officers but do not carry firearms, the unique skills they need.
So OC Parks created one.
" Rangers serve as ambassadors for the
parks. They help children understand and
appreciate the natural world around them.
They guide visitors to sights they've never
seen before or let them see those sights

acres of regional parks and open space.
With so much land to watch over, OC
Parks, which manages parks for the
County of Orange, needs top-quality and
well trained park rangers to keep the 12
million annual visitors happy, safe, and
satisfied. Yet no comprehensive training
programs existed anywhere in the United

in a brand new way, " says OC Parks Director Mark Denny. " This is why our new
rangers need the best possible training
designed specifically for their job. "
In 2010, OC Parks partnered with a
local community college, Santa Ana
College, to create the OC Parks Ranger Academy-the only academy in the

20 Parks & Recreation M A R C H

2 0 1 2 w w w . N R P A . O R G

United States specific to the role of unarmed county and regional park rangers. In the past, OC Parks had relied on
local law enforcement academies to help
train recruits. This only provided some of
the needed training and didn't let the OC
Parks fully guide its curriculum.
The academy, now in its third year, still
covers basic law consistent with P.O.S.T.
standards enforcement but also conservation, preservation, and education
about the natural world. Training at the
OC Parks Ranger Academy includes customer service, presentation skills, natural
resource management, emergency response, first aid, CPR, AED, off-highway
vehicle operations, Laws of Arrest, basic
fire suppression, and more.
Instructors include trainers from OC
Parks, Santa Ana College, the National Association of Interpreters, and other
contractors. The overall cost to the county
for the program each year totals just under $100,000. Santa Ana College spends
about an additional $10,000.
Training is rigorous and standards are
high in the OC Parks Academy. The academy consists of approximately 260 hours
of instruction in a moderate-stress environment. College credit is provided and
tests and quizzes are given during the
academy. Recruits must maintain a cumulative score of 70 percent or higher. Recruits spend approximately 20 hours per
week outside of academy time completing homework, uniform preparation, and
memorization.
So far, 13 graduates of the 16-week
program work as full-time OC park
rangers. Additionally, three current fulltime park rangers are enrolled in the
third OC Parks Ranger Academy Class.

Photos: courtesy of OC Parks

Marisa O'Neil

March 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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