Ranger Academy

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

The County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) celebrated the graduation of 51 Park Rangers from the 2016 Park Ranger Academy on Sept. 21. This customized academy included a robust eight days of training that covered a variety of topics including policy and procedures, enforcement, trends and best practices in the field, customer service, and field trainings comprised of interpretation, trail building, playground and tree inspections. The Academy also incorporated a career development panel that was mutually beneficial for rangers and DPR to foster staff succession planning within DPR. Graduates were given the tools needed to excel in their positions and the knowledge to share with their respective park teams. Park Rangers gained a greater understanding of DPR’s mission and vision, and professional tools to take back to their parks to bring graduates and the parks they serve to the next level. The graduates are taking leadership roles in their work teams and their productivity has increased. They are being counted on to lead a parks and recreation department that prides itself on being Best in Nation.