National Park Service Careers: Visitor and Resource Protection

This article is part of a series about National Park Service (NPS) Careers. Visit our Work With Us page to learn more about the different types of work NPS employees do.

The NPS preserves and protects the resources and values of the national park system. Since our mission includes the protection of the parks and their visitors, we have specific staff who enforce park rules and help visitors in need.

At Cuyahoga Valley, these rangers work in our division of Visitor and Resource Protection. This work group includes commissioned law enforcement personnel as well as our dispatchers and other communications staff. Some larger and more remote parks may also include staff who specialize in search and rescue, wildland fire management, EMS, and even aviation. The common thread through most of these careers is keeping the parks and their visitors safe.

Enforcing Park Rules

There are certain laws and rules that apply to all national parks. The Code of Federal Regulations mandates much of what is and is not allowed in our parks. But each national park is unique. Each was set aside to preserve and protect specific landscapes and ecosystems. To a certain extent, each park can decide which activities it can allow visitors to engage in safely, without harming themselves or park resources.

Cuyahoga Valley and other parks with bodies of water may allow fishing, paddling, or other water-based activities. Some parks may allow rock climbing in certain areas. Some contain thousands of acres of wilderness and allow backcountry camping. Others preserve large buildings that visitors can reserve for events. Due to the variety of park uses across the system, each park has a unique set of rules to keep its resources and visitors safe.

Rangers Who Save Lives

Visitor and Resource Protection rangers are on the front lines in the national parks. They ensure park visitors are following the rules, while also looking out for people who need their help. Prevention is a big part of the job. By enforcing certain rules, they hope to avoid incidents where visitors put themselves, other visitors, or park resources in danger. Response is important too. Visitor and Resource Protection rangers are often the first to arrive at an emergency. They are trained in first aid and other life-saving skills.

Communications is another essential part of Visitor and Resource Protection. When staff and volunteers are out in the park, sometimes they encounter emergencies or other situations where they need assistance. When they pick up their radio or phone, their first call is to the park's Communications Center.

Cuyahoga Valley has a 24/7/365 Communications Center that serves multiple national parks in the region. They manage emergency calls by phone and radio. The dispatchers are experts, certified as both Public Safety Telecommunicators and Emergency Medical Dispatchers. They use an array of equipment and technologies to evaluate calls for service, and coordinate the appropriate response.

Dispatchers need to know the park roads, trails, geography, public safety procedures, and NPS laws and regulations. They must calmly and efficiently get the right help to the right place as quickly as possible. This can make a big difference in protecting lives and resources.

What Kinds of Careers Are There?

There are several different careers that fall into this category. Some of the common positions include:

• Dispatchers – monitor alarms and security cameras, receive and evaluate phone and radio calls from staff and visitors, and coordinate emergency response when needed

• Visitor Use Assistants – help visitors out in the park, enforcing parking rules or closures, and communicating issues to other staff as needed

• Park Rangers – highly-trained staff who do preventive law enforcement and respond to emergencies and other incidents in the parks
• Backcountry and Climbing Rangers – assist visitors in backcountry or climbing areas, check permits, and assist with search and rescue efforts
• Supervisory Park Rangers – supervise and lead other staff, create weekly and annual work schedules, and manage special projects

What Skills Are Needed?

Visitor and Resource Protection employees come from many different backgrounds and have different educational journeys. Some start their career by attending a police academy, or working as a police officer or EMT. Others gain knowledge and skills in college or the military, and work for the NPS afterwards.

There are various ways to gain experience working in a park-related protection field. Learn more about internships, training academies, and the federal application process on our How to Apply page.