Chief Ranger - Public Safety & Law Enforcement

Title: Chief Ranger - Public Safety & Law Enforcement

State Role Title: Natural Resource Spec II

Hiring Range: $44,000 - $60,564

Pay Band: 3

Agency: Dept Conservation & Recreation

Location: Pocahontas State Park

Agency Website: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

If you have always wanted to work in a beautiful and serene environment? Then we have the perfect position for you at Pocahontas State Park! We are hiring a Chief Ranger - Public Safety and Law Enforcement.

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is the state’s lead conservation agency, and it takes a diverse agency to conserve resources for a diverse commonwealth.

Virginia’s award-winning state park system, a division of DCR, boasts an incredible and diverse array of natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources including parks in the mountains, on the ocean, on the Chesapeake Bay, on 8 major rivers, on 4 major lakes, 4 rail trails, 3 battlefield sites, and 32 sites listed on the National Historic Registry. Our parks encompass over 75,000 acres, offering campsites, cabins, trails, shorelines, lakes and ponds, international dark sky sites, and over 20,000 educational programs and workshops each year.
The Chief Ranger – PS&LE position serves as a sworn, commissioned, and certified law enforcement officer as defined in the Code of Virginia § 9.1-101, with the responsibility to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth and the regulations of the Department.

As one of Virginia's Law Enforcement Rangers, you will:

• Support Pocahontas State Park programs and services with special emphasis on providing public safety, law enforcement, and resource protection by enforcing park rules, regulations, and state laws.
• Ensure the protection of people, property, and resources on land owned, leased, or operated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation through articulated and displayed specialized knowledge of public safety and law enforcement activities.
• Patrol properties in a vehicle, on foot, and by other modes of transportation.
• Assist with special events and search and rescue operations.
• Respond to and conduct initial investigations of incidents, including felonies, crimes, and violations of rules, public use, safety requirements, and motor vehicle accidents, crowd control activities, responding to calls for public safety and law enforcement services, and proactively protecting property resources from all forms of degradation.
• Serve as a public safety resource by interacting with park visitors.

Chief Ranger – PS&LE’s will also:

• Provides PSLE oversight at home and nearby park as required, including reviewing reports as requested and ensuring compliance with General Orders, laws, codes, and regulations. - serves as primary contact for daily LE operations with District Ranger, serving as Acting District Ranger when requested.
• Provides ongoing law enforcement operational awareness and statistical awareness to the site PM for assigned sites, ensuring PM awareness of trends or issues that could impact site operations.
• Requests and coordinates site-specific LE special operations proactively and in response to issues, coordinates preparation of assigned site event operational/security plans for routing to District Ranger and DM.
• Coordinates scheduling of site Park Ranger PSLE with site PMs and District Ranger PSLE to ensure appropriate coverage.
• Assisting in wilderness management, boundary enforcement, protection of natural and cultural resources (e.g., wildlife, plants, archaeological sites, historic buildings), and supporting wildland fire suppression protection, including such duties as wildlife management.
• Maintaining Park boundaries and signage, marking forest roads/trails, and completing quarterly written trail inspections as well as other forms of written documentation.
• Facilitates stewardship (e.g., diagnosing basic maintenance issues and ensuring public safety through basic facilities and grounds maintenance) and use of appropriate safety equipment and equipment.

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation offers paid leave; a minimum of 13 paid state holidays per year; medical, dental, vision, and life insuran