Baxter Park Enforcement Ranger

CODE:  9404    PAY GRADE:  23 ($44,824.00 - $60,819.20/yr.) 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT BAXTER STATE PARK:

An amazing experience awaits you here. Baxter State Park is an iconic four-season wilderness park, home to Katahdin, the tallest peak in Maine. Some of the most remote, rugged country in the Northeast US lies within the 200,000-acre park, including 47 mountain summits, more than 50 pristine lakes and ponds, and over 200 miles of hiking trails. The park offers over 300 sites for camping and primitive lodging in rustic private cabins, shared bunkhouses, lean-tos, and tent sites. Our headquarters is located in the nearby town of Millinocket.

The park was designated ‘forever wild’ by Percival Baxter, a former Maine Governor, who bequeathed it to the people of Maine. Our primary focus is wilderness preservation, while providing unique opportunities for visitors to closely experience and appreciate a landscape that is truly wild.

You’ll find working at Baxter State Park is not just a job, it’s an adventure. We want you to bring your skills, experience, and your sense of awe to Baxter State Park. By joining our hardworking team, you can inspire current and future generations to love and appreciate spending time in the wilderness.

Join us to preserve the wildness and protect the experience in this wild, rugged landscape.

Click Here for a Map of Baxter Park

The Baxter Park Enforcement Ranger is a sworn law enforcement officer who supervises campground rangers and/or gate staff, protects natural resources and enforces BSP Rules & Regulations, provides support for public and employee safety in the Park, participates in search and rescue operations, and supports maintenance efforts within assigned coverage areas.  Candidates should be comfortable working in remote and primitive places, working in a team environment, and performing basic maintenance duties. 

BAXTER PARK ENFORCEMENT RANGER JOB DESCRIPTION:

This is investigative and protective services work as a sworn law enforcement officer within Baxter State Park.  Work involves supervising and directing the actions of subordinate personnel engaged in activities related to the operation and/or maintenance of Baxter State Park and the protection and preservation of park resources, issuing written warnings and/or summonses for violations; performing search and rescue activities; serving as incident command during search and rescue incidents; and assisting in developing budgets,.  Work is performed under limited supervision.

To be a successful  Baxter Park Enforcement Ranger, an individual must possess considerable knowledge of outdoor recreation, wildlife, hunting, fishing, trapping, and other related outdoor and adventure sports; a strong desire to work in law enforcement; self-initiative and a willingness to work out-of-doors in adverse weather conditions, often without assistance.  In all cases, an Enforcement Ranger seeks to promote good public relations and compliance with all BSP Rules & Regulations and state laws.

PREFERENCES:

Preference will be given to any candidate that currently holds an active, in good standing, Certification of Eligibility for Law Enforcement or any candidate that has passed the Law Enforcement Pre-Service training.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY FOR BAXTER PARK ENFORCEMENT RANGER:

In order to qualify, you must:

High school graduate or equivalent; twenty-one (21) years of age and have a three (3) year combination of education, training, and experience in park operations or directly related experience; and have no criminal or extensive motor vehicle record.

 -OR- at least 20 years of age and completed an Associate’s Degree or 60 credit hours of post-secondary education –AND- one (1) year in park operations or directly related experience; and have no criminal or extensive motor vehicle record.

-AND- One (1) year of supervisory experience.

Important notes:

YOU MUST ATTACH THE FOLLOWING WITH YOUR DIRECT HIRE APPLICATION:

• proof of age (copy of birth certificate or driver’s license);
• a copy of your high school diploma or GED certificate;
• a letter from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy showing your Pre-Employment Physical Fitness Test results (date of test must be within a year of the closing date of this posting).
• Answers to Supplemental Qualifications form.

Note: If you are only age 20, you must attach within the application proof of your associate degree or completed 60 credit hours of post-secondary education.

FAILURE TO PROVIDE ANY OF THESE MATERIALS WILL RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.

TESTING AND EVALUATION PROCESS FOR BAXTER PARK ENFORCEMENT RANGER RECRUITMENT:

Because of the responsibilities and authority of a Baxter Park Enforcement Ranger, the selection process is extensive and thorough.  The following outline summarizes the testing and screening process used to evaluate every applicant for Baxter Park Enforcement Ranger before a hiring decision is made.  The Baxter Park Enforcement Ranger application process has changed from past recruitments and the following application and testing process involves multiple evaluation phases.  You must successfully complete each phase in order to proceed to the next.

Current full time Maine State Law Enforcement Officers who are Basic Law Enforcement Training Program (BLETP) certified may be exempt from certain components of the application process. – However, BLETP certified candidates are required to have completed the MCJA PFT within a year of applying to this posting.

THE BAXTER PARK ENFORCEMENT RANGER TESTING PROCESS IS AS FOLLOWS (all exam dates are tentative):

1. PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST (MCJA):  Applicants must take and pass the Pre-Employment Physical Fitness Test within the past year prior to the opening date of this Posting.  This may be done by calling (207) 877-8020. The Physical Fitness Test is a Pass/Fail test.  It consists of three events: Timed Push-Up Test (one minute); Timed Sit-Up Test (one minute); and 1.5 Mile Run. Testing information and standards for successful completion of the Physical Fitness Test are available by accessing the Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s website at www.maine.gov/dps/mcja (click “Forms”, then Under Law Enforcement Basic Training, click “Physical Fitness Testing Protocol”).  This information can also be obtained by calling the number listed above.
2. BAXTER PARK ENFORCEMENT RANGER APPLICATION PERIOD: (January 7, 2021 – TBD) Applications will only be accepted during this period. Applicants are encouraged to submit their application as soon as they have pulled the required materials together.

APPLICATION EVALUATION:  Applications are reviewed to ensure that each applicant meets the minimum requirements defined in this Bulletin.  Applicants MUST answer all Supplemental Questions (see below) outlined in this posting and attach them to the Application.  Any applicant who does not meet these requirements is disqualified from further consideration. Supplemental Qualification Questions are at the end of this posting.

    3.  BAXTER PARK ENFORCEMENT RANGER HIRING PROCESS: All applicants who meet the minimum requirements will be scheduled to continue in the process.  The process will consist of two phases, an Oral Interview and Written Essay.  Failure of any phase of these Exams constitutes a failure of the entire hiring process.

• Written Essay – The Essay will be evaluated using the following criteria: how well the writer develops a position on the question/prompt; appropriate use of examples and reason to support their position; organization, coherence, and logical progression of ideas; facility with choice of language and vocabulary; variety of sentence structure; and correct use of grammar, spelling and mechanics.

The Essay will be given a numerical score using a 12-point system.  A cut off score will be determined as minimum criteria for passing.  Candidates will have the option to either type or handwrite their Essay.  The Essay will be scored using a nationally recognized, holistic scoring procedure. There is no right or               wrong answer.

• Oral Interview – The Oral Interview is administered by a hiring committee. Candidates will be rated in the following categories. Commitment/Independence; Judgment/Logic; Communication Skills; Applied Knowledge; Decision Making/Decisiveness; and Tact and Diplomacy.  

Failure to pass either the Written Essay or Oral Interview will constitute a failure for the entire hiring process.

BAXTER PARK ENFORCEMENT RANGER EMPLOYMENT REGISTER:  Applicants who pass all phases of the application/testing process will be placed on an Employment Register maintained at the Natural Resources Service Center.  This register will be used to fill vacancies throughout the State.

FINAL SCREENING PROCESS

After a conditional offer of employment is made, Baxter Park personnel will conduct an extensive background investigation concerning the applicant, including military service, education, motor vehicle record, criminal history record, financial record, work history, and references.  A screening committee will review the results for information that would eliminate the candidate from further consideration. 

An applicant will automatically be eliminated if they:

1. Have committed any crime classified in Maine law as a Class A, Class B, or Class C crime (any felony);
2. Have been found guilty of any crime classified in Maine law as a Class D crime (a Class D crime is a misdemeanor with a maximum term of imprisonment of 364 days). A person may make application to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) Board of Trustees for a waiver of this provision. Persons with questions regarding this provision should contact the Office of the Baxter Park Chief Ranger at 207-723-9616;
3. Have an extensive record of motor vehicle or fish and wildlife law violations;
4. Have convictions for Murder, Class A, B, C, or D crime, or convictions for any violation of the Maine Criminal Code, Chapters 15, 19, 25, or 45 or a conviction for any equivalent crime in another jurisdiction outside the State of Maine. A person may make application to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) Board of Trustees for a waiver of this provision;
5. Have engaged in any conduct that is penalized in this state as Murder, Class A, B, C, or D crime, or any provision of the Maine Criminal Code, Chapters 15, 19, 25, or 45; or engaged in such conduct in another jurisdiction outside the State of Maine, unless that conduct is not punishable as a crime under the laws of that jurisdiction. A person may make application to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) Board of Trustees for a waiver of this provision;
6. Have convictions for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor during the ten-year period prior to application to the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program, or have been adjudicated of committing the administrative offense of operating a vehicle under the age of 21 with a greater than a 0.00 blood alcohol content during the ten-year period prior to application to the Academy Basic Law Enforcement Training Program. After six years a person may make application to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) Board of Trustees for a waiver of this provision;
7. Have been found guilty of conduct specified in subparagraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 in another state of jurisdiction;
8. Have ingested or been injected with or used a hallucinogenic drug;
9. Have illegally sold scheduled drugs or drugs which require a prescription;
10. Have engaged in illegal drug use beyond what is considered as experimentation;
11. Is currently abusing drugs or alcohol;
12. Falsified, misrepresents, or omits any information when interviewed, during the background investigation, polygraph examination, or on the pre-polygraph questionnaire.

Upon completion of the background investigation, viable candidates will be scheduled for a polygraph & psychological examination.  The results of the background investigation, polygraph & psychological examination will then be reviewed by a screening committee to determine if the candidate is eligible to continue.  This determination will be reached by weighing all the information received.

Approximately one month prior to the start date of the school, the Maine Criminal Justice Academy will again require that every candidate who is attending the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program must successfully pass the Physical Fitness Test.

 New Enforcement Rangers are required to attend and successfully complete the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.  Upon graduation, new Enforcement Rangers will be placed on an additional one (1) year of probation.

NOTE TO CURRENTLY CERTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS:

Current, full time, Maine State Law Enforcement officers, who are Basic Law Enforcement Training Program (BLETP) certified may be exempt from certain components of the application process.

Candidates selected for initial appointment may be exempted from attending the MCJA's basic course at the discretion of the Chief Ranger if both of the following conditions are met:

1. are certified, full-time law enforcement officers in Maine (or are able to obtain a waiver of basic law enforcement training from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) Board of Trustees), and
2. have attained the 50th percentile on each component of the MCJA Pre-Employment Physical Fitness Test within a calendar year of the application period.

All other selected applicants will be required to attend and successfully complete this course of instruction

NOTE:  Each component of the Baxter Park Enforcement Ranger examination process must be completed successfully.  Failure to successfully complete a component (or portion of a component) will result in disqualification from further consideration.

The Bureau of Human Resources reserves the right to use any other selection devices necessary in order to identify those candidates who are most qualified.

The following page contains the Supplemental Questions

that MUST be answered and sent in with your application paperwork.

Maine State Government is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

SUPPLEMENTAL QUALIFICATIONS QUESTION FORM FOR

BAXTER PARK ENFORCEMENT RANGER HIRING PROCESS

These must ALL be answered and submitted with your Direct Hire Application material.

Next to each listed Ability/Experience please check only one box that describes your skill level.

• NO EXPERIENCE = no experience
• EDUCATION = completed coursework, training or classes in this area (must have supporting documentation)
• NOVICE = some training and experience but would need basic level training to become proficient
• COMPETENT/EXPERIENCED = Skilled in this area and fully capable applying this skill in the work place
• EXPERT = In-depth knowledge that is used weekly as appropriate. Capable of acting as technical resource to other staff.

                                                           SKILL LEVELS (check only one box for each Ability/Experience)

Applicant’s name________________________Signature_______________________________Date__________