Description

This is a varied responsible and professional position coordinating stewardship and nature/historic education programs, patrolling city parks and public spaces, safeguarding equipment and facilities, enforcing park and parking rules and codes. Provides information regarding rules, regulations, park resources and department services to park visitors. Provides exceptional customer service to all. The position reports to the Parks Operations Supervisor.

Examples of Duties

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Customer Service: A high level of customer service is provided to the general public in person, by phone and two-way radio. Communicates clearly, politely and concisely. Uses independent judgment in balancing enforcement options with the customers' needs. Services are continuous during the daytime, nighttime and weekends. Position has authority to restrict access to facilities as needed. This duty is performed daily.

2. Stewardship / Outdoor Education Programs: Develops and implements public education programs including lectures, interpretive materials and programs. Coordinates natural resource and wildlife-based recreation opportunities such as fishing, wildlife observation, environmental education and interpretation. Educates the public on responsible use of natural resources for recreational use. This duty is performed daily.

3. Parks Enforcement: Safeguards parks facilities, patrons and wildlife. Enforces city codes and regulations in city parks, recreational facilities, open spaces, parking lots and other city owned public spaces. Issues citations cautions patrons and trespasses violators as needed. Patrols parks and facilities by driving, walking, and bicycling. Responds to complaints, inquiries and calls for assistance from citizens and law enforcement. Coordinates with law enforcement on criminal activities requiring law enforcement assistance and/or arrest. Clears and locks facilities and parking lots after closing hours. Makes minor repairs on facilities and signs. This duty is performed daily.

4. Security: Provides security and crowd control at department functions, for rental facilities and city sponsored events and programs in accordance with established procedures. This duty is performed daily.

5. Record Keeping: Processes new programming and events through direct supervisor and administration. Keeps a calendar and schedule of programming and interpretation events. Prepares daily monitoring activity reports and incident reports on parks activities. Prepares work orders for repair of equipment and facilities and incident reports to document safety, injury and damage issues. This duty is performed daily.

6. Playground/Trail Safety Inspections: Provides regular inspections of Nature Trails and all parks play structures. Identifies, documents and takes immediate corrective action in regard to safety hazards. Observes children at play and makes recommendations regarding layout as it relates to safety concerns. Prepares work orders to initiate repairs needed to play structures. Provides regular trail and natural area maintenance within natural resource-based parks. This includes but is not limited to the cutting of fallen trees, invasive/exotic plant control, and mowing. This duty is performed daily.

7. Provides general custodial duties at park facilities. This duty is performed daily.

8. Provides support for department special events before, during and after the event in the areas and for functions relative to essential job duties and/or otherwise assigned. This duty is performed irregularly.

9. Recordkeeping (in addition to above): Compiles park use and incident statistics. Deciphers data and makes recommendations on enforcement activities in response to the data. This duty is performed weekly.

10. Cooperation with Other Enforcement Agencies: Communicates regularly with other enforcement agencies such as Ocala Police Department; Florida Fish and Wildlife officers, Marion County Parks and Recreation, Florida State Parks and animal control agencies to address and collaborate on relevant issues in regard to parks operations and management. This duty is performed weekly.

11. May assist with code enforcement functions of the city in areas near or adjacent to parks, especially when code violations are contributing to the degradation of parks property. This duty is performed irregularly.

12. Assists with the training, delegating and monitoring of work assignments of subordinate staff involved in the enforcement functions of the department.

Perform any other related duties as required or assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Four-year degree in Recreation – Natural Resources Management Specialization, Forestry, Environmental Management, Natural Resources, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Natural Resource Programming or Education, Criminal Justice, or closely related field.

2 years related experience and/or training, and 7 to 11 months related management experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Must possess and maintain a valid with an acceptable driving record.

Current certification in adult, child and infant CPR (within three months of hire).

Current First Aid certification (within three months of hire). Training according to the State of Florida Police Standards and Training curriculum (as available or other equivalent training as offered).

Florida CDL Class "B" Driver's License with Airbrake Certification & Passenger Endorsement. (Park Ranger II only depending on area of assignment)

Supplemental Information

SOFTWARE SKILLS REQUIRED

Advanced: Enterprise Resource Planning, Spreadsheet

Intermediate: 10-Key, Accounting, Contact Management, Database, Payroll Systems, Presentation/PowerPoint, Word Processing/Typing

Basic: Alphanumeric Data Entry

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze, and understand common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents; Ability to respond to complex or difficult inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Under administrative direction, setting up own standard of performance. Virtually self-supervising. Reports to senior management of the organization.

PLANNING

Considerable responsibility with regard to general assignments in planning time, method, manner, and/or sequence of performance of own work, in addition, the organization and delegation of work operations for a group of employees engaged in widely diversified activities.

DECISION MAKING

Performs work operations which permit frequent opportunity for decision-making of major importance which would have considerable effect on the final attainment of multiple major activities and the organization's projects of a large organization component and organization's clientele.

MENTAL DEMAND

Highly intense mental demand. Continual involvement with strategic and operational management functions which relate to both the short-term and long-term time periods.

ANALYTICAL ABILITY / PROBLEM SOLVING

Moderately directed. Activities covered by wide-ranging policies and courses of action, and generally directed as to execution and review. High order of analytical, interpretative, and/or constructive thinking in varied situations.

USE OF MACHINES, EQUIPMENT AND/OR COMPUTERS

Regular use of highly complex machines and equipment; specialized or advanced software programs.

ACCURACY

Probable errors would normally not be detected in succeeding operations and may have serious effects in relationships with patrons and/or with the operations of other segments of the organization. Frequent possibilities of error would exist at all times, since the above mentioned areas are inherent in the job.

PUBLIC CONTACT

Extensive contacts with various diversified sectors of the public environment; wherein, the contacts are of major importance and failure to exercise proper judgment can lead to substantial losses to the organization.

EMPLOYEE CONTACT

Contacts with other departments or offices and also frequently with individuals in middle level positions; consulting on problems which necessitate judgment and tact in presentation to obtain cooperation or approval of action to be taken. Also, important contacts with associates as required in advanced supervisory jobs, plus frequent contact with senior level internal officials.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

The following physical activities described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and expectations.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, talk or hear; frequently required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel, taste or smell;

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds, occasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

The following work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is continuously exposed to outdoor weather conditions; frequently exposed to work near moving mechanical parts; and occasionally exposed to work in high, precarious places, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, wet or humid conditions, extreme heat, risk of electrical shock, work with explosives, vibration.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.