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Park Ranger (#423070)
$33.41-$40.61 Hourly / $5,790.44-$7,038.32 Monthly / $69,485.27-$84,459.84 Yearly
Apply as a Reinstatement applicant



CLASS SUMMARY

Under general supervision, the Park Ranger class operates within a Solano County park monitoring park grounds and visitors for safety and security, assisting and informing park visitors, protecting the parks’ natural resources, leading Park Ranger Assistants, Departmental Aides, and performing the same duties as those led.  This is a non-peace officer class.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

This class is distinguished from the:  
- Park Ranger Supervisor class which supervises the staff and is responsible for daily operations at one or more County parks;  
- Sheriff’s Security Officer class which assists sworn personnel in providing security and guarding County property against fire, theft, vandalism, trespassing, and acts which could be injurious to others or to property, and which may be required to carry a firearm;  
- Park Ranger Assistant class which is the trainee and entry level in the Park Ranger series and which performs ground maintenance work and assists the Park Ranger in providing visitor services and protecting the natural resources of the parks;  
- Departmental Aide class which is an Extra Help class and which performs clerical and park maintenance duties at an assigned County park.

Essential Duties

• Performs lead worker duties over Park Ranger Assistants, Departmental Aides, volunteers, work release inmates, etc. such as:  
• providing on-the-job training and ensuring staff receive required or needed formal training; 
• passing on instructions received from supervisor and getting work started;  • distributing work among staff;   
• monitoring work for progress and quality, keeping supervisor informed of work progress, and ensuring work is completed in a timely and efficient manner; 
• reviewing work of assigned crew, informing supervisor of conduct problems, and providing input on performance to supervisor;  
• ensuring accuracy and timeliness of timesheets and monitoring leave schedules;  
• resolving informal employee complaints; and  
• ensuring work is performed safely and efficiently. 
• Assists visitors to a County park:  interprets the natural and historical features of a park area to park visitors; advises the public on park rules and regulations; leads tours; develops interpretive and promotional materials; takes park reservations; issues permits and assigns use areas; provides first aid and CPR to sustain injured individuals until proper agencies are on scene.
• Monitors the natural resources of the County parks:  checks parks, trails and waterways for potential hazards; assesses the impact and activities of park users; controls rodent and other pest populations; removes non-native plant species; applies pesticide and herbicides; identifies and reports plant problems; monitors and adjusts irrigation systems. 
• Monitors park grounds and visitors for safety and security:   
• Patrols park lands and waterways on foot, in a motorized vehicle, or other modes;  
• Identifies and, when possible, reduces and eliminates safety hazards;  
• Observes fire risk conditions in the parks (for example, fuel load, vegetation growth, weather conditions) and reduces fire risk by mowing, pruning, etc.;  
• Provides warnings to park visitors of potential violations of laws, rules and regulations;  
• Issues parking citations to unoccupied vehicles;  
• Reports violations of laws, rules and regulations to the Solano County Sheriff’s Office;   
• Responds to medical, fire and accident emergencies in the park, reports wildfires, and requests assistance from public safety and ambulance services;  
• Uses Oleoresin Capsicum (OC)/pepper spray for self-defense, if needed;  
• Completes incident reports. 
• Performs the same duties as the work being led such as the following: 
• Collecting fees either at the gate or at each campsite and preparing bank deposits of money collected. 
• Planting, watering, fertilizing and pruning trees, bushes and flowers; watering and mowing lawns; maintaining roads, trails and walks and keeping them clear of hazards. 
• Designing, constructing, repairing and/or maintaining a variety of Park facilities such as retaining walls, carports, fences, campsite posts, stairs, floating docks, benches, and signs; replacing broken water pipes; and repairing irrigation systems. 
• Collecting garbage and litter in campgrounds, restrooms and picnic areas; cleaning and sweeping tool shops, toll buildings, restrooms, etc.; cleaning grills and picnic tables; replacing light bulbs. 
• Maintains records and prepares reports pertaining to fees collected, inventories, incidents, etc. 
• Performs other duties of a similar nature or level as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Knowledge of:  
• Standard and accepted principles of leadership, on-the-job training, and work review. 
• English composition, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation for both written and oral communications.  
• Oral communication techniques to include presentations to groups of various sizes and knowledge of subject matter in a positive, inclusive, and motivational manner. 
• Standard office procedures, practices, equipment, personal computers, and software. 
• Laws, regulations and policies applicable to work performed such as those pertinent to the safety and security of County parks to include environmental protection, fish and game, and motor vehicle usage. 
• Customer service techniques for dealing with customers, often in a difficult or confrontational situation. 
• CPR and first aid techniques. 
• Basic arithmetic. 
• Fee collection and deposit practices. 
• Proper operation of communication equipment such as two-way radios, pagers, and cell phones. 
• Principles and practices of natural resources conservation. 
• Plant and lawn care to include irrigation, fertilization, herbicide application, and pruning methods and techniques. 
• Common plant types and problem symptoms. 
• Insect and disease control to include the application of pesticides. 
• Basic construction practices. 
• Safe and proper operation and maintenance of the tools and equipment used in grounds keeping, cleaning, and park maintenance to include push and riding mowers, small tractor with trailer, hand pruners and trimmers, hand tools such as saws, socket wrenches, shovels and rakes, power tools such as drills, sanders, routers, and saws, chemical sprayers, chemical sealants and glues, arc and gas welders, chainsaws, etc.  
• Operation of fire extinguishers.  

Skills in
• Assigning work and providing work directions, reviewing work performance and conduct of staff, and providing on-the-training to staff led. 
• Using modern office equipment, and computers and related software applications. 
• Communicating information and ideas clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. 
• Working with and speaking to various cultural and ethnic individuals and groups in a tactful and effective manner. 
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties. 
• Maintaining accurate records and documenting actions taken. 
• Establishing good relationships with the public and with customers, projecting a friendly, reassuring and helpful image, and providing customer service that meets and exceeds unit 
goals and expectations. 
• Observing and recording license plate numbers, colors, incidents, vehicles, etc. in the event of a violation of rules or of the law. 
• Understanding, interpreting and applying applicable laws, regulations and policies and using good judgment in their application. 
• Administering first aid and CPR. 
• Performing routine mathematical calculations. 
• Handling cash. 
• Maintaining written records, logs, and inventories. 
• Driving a 4-wheel drive car or truck with either an automatic or standard transmission both on paved or dirt roads at varying speeds and conditions including driving in areas of very rough terrain. 
• Caring for trees, bushes, lawns, roads, trails, to include the application of herbicides and insecticides. 
• Maintaining and repairing walkways, drainage and irrigation systems, picnic areas and campsites. 
• Operating and maintaining a variety of hand and power tools properly and safely.

Education and Experience

High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent;

AND

Either: One year of experience in park operations, grounds keeping, or semi-skilled maintenance work that included considerable contact with the public; 

Or: One year of experience performing duties equivalent to the Solano County class of Park Ranger Assistant.

LICENSING/CERTIFICATION REQ

• Applicants are required to possess a valid California Driver’s License, Class C 
• Incumbents will be required to obtain first aid and CPR certification within the probationary period. 
• Incumbents will be required to obtain certification to carry and use OC/pepper spray within the probationary period. 
• All licenses and certificates must be kept current while employed in this class.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

 • Positions in this class typically require  balancing, stooping, kneeling, reaching, standing, walking, crawling, reaching, pushing, pulling, lifting, fingering, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motion.  Must demonstrate color vision sufficient to distinguish colors in order to describe events in an accurate manner.  Must have depth perception and good eye-to-hand coordination to drive vehicles and operate a variety of hand and power tools. • Very Heavy Work:  Exerting in excess of 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or in excess of 50 pound of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• The County may conduct a background check and a reference check on candidates prior to appointment to a position within this class.  The background check may include the State of California Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Child Abuse Central Index, and criminal checks in any City/County where the applicant has lived, worked or gone to school. 
• Incumbents are required to travel independently, for example, on park roads and from one County park to another. 
• Incumbents are required to work weekends, holidays, irregular hours, on-call, and after normal business hours.
• Incumbents may be subjected to moving mechanical parts, electrical currents, intense noises, fumes, odors, dusts, chemicals, gases, exposure to unpleasant field conditions including rain, cold, windy or hot weather, working in remote areas, inadequate lighting, disruptive people, imminent danger and a threatening environment. 
• Incumbents may be required to take vacation during low park usage months. 
• Each County campground requires a resident Park and Recreation Division employee.

CLASS: 423070; REV: 10/1/1992;