The National Park Ranger Academy at the CNCC recently graduated 12 students who are now equipped, trained, and prepared for the field as Seasonal Park Service Law Enforcement Rangers.
The 16 week training program was intense and arduous including early morning workouts (physical conditioning), practical exercises to test their knowledge of patrol skills, interviewing skills, report writing skills, as well as written tests to access their learning. The students passed firearms qualifications, driver training, control tactics, field sobriety test training, FEMA Hazardous materials training, tactical medicine, Active Threat/Shooter response, Tactics, and other necessary qualifications according to standards of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. In addition, the students were exposed to OC spray and Taser as non-lethal weapons.
The students were constantly tested and challenged in the program, and in all situations learned how to come out on top and successful, despite sometimes having the odds stacked against them. Part of the unwritten goal of the program is to graduate students with the necessary mental mind set (Warrior Mindset) that will enable them to face a potential enemy or adversary seeking to do them harm, and make quick and decisive decisions to diffuse and/or neutralize a situation that might be quickly evolving into a dangerous and potentially life threatening series of events.
These graduates will now move on and are eligible to be hired as seasonal law enforcement Park Rangers and will reinforce the permanent Park Ranger cadre as they protect the National Parks around the country and the people within them.
Please join me in congratulating Class 18-02 on a job well done!
Charles D. Huyck
NPS Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy
