So the end of the internship is almost here, only a couple of days left till we leave for leadership camp. I’m pretty pumped for leadership camp and all of the activities were going to be doing. These past 10 weeks have gone by really fast, but I’m really glad I was able to experience working for the NPS as a ProRanger. For the last 5 weeks I’ve spent my time with the law enforcement division and its been a lot of fun. During my time with the LE division I’ve learned a lot and done a lot of different things. I started off with a lot of ride-alongs so I could see what all the LE Rangers do while on duty. I was able to see a lot of traffic stops for violations ranging from speeding, driving with undo care, and even was able to see a DUI, which I thought was an awesome experience.
While with the LE division I was also able to do some trail patrols with a few different Rangers which allowed me to really see what all Catoctin has to offer. There are some really awesome views in the park like Chimney Rock, Wolf Rock, and Thurmont Vista. Going on trail patrol is very important in our park because we have to make sure that there are no illegal activities going on within the park. Going on trail patrol also allows you to go out and see parts of the park which you may never see while patrolling in your vehicle. At Catoctin we do occasionally get people camping in unauthorized spots, or participating in illegal activities such as hunting or using drugs, so we must make sure that we patrol the woods to prevent these illegal activities from occurring to the best of our abilities.
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| Chimney Rock |
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| Standing out on Cimney Rock |
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| Basement Ruins of an old house |
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| Young Fox |
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| Old Barn for Regan's Horses |
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| Old mile marker on side of road |
Also while with Law Enforcement I was able to spend time with one of our rangers who is a armorist, and we were able to go over all the guns which the Rangers carry. This was really cool because I’ve shot guns before at shooting ranges, but I’ve never taken them apart to clean them and see how they actually work. It was really interesting how all of the parts of the gun work together so that the bullet can be fired. Knowing how to take your gun apart to clean it and maintenance it is very important, especially for anybody in the law enforcement field. Without having a clean firearm, it may not work properly and this can be exteremly dangerous while on duty. You never want to have a firearm fail on you while responding to a call, or the situation could quickly turn for the worst, so having the knowledge to take apart your gun and keep it clean is very important.
Also while with the Law Enforcement division I was able to learn all about Tasers from my supervisor Barry Aldridge, who is a Master Taser instructor. Learning all about Tasers and how they work was really interesting. Barry was able to explain to me how the Tasers work on the body to help subdue individuals. Watching a few videos on Tasers in use showed to me that a Taser is NOT something you want to be shot by, and showed just how efficiently they can get situations under control before they escalate too much. Many people will become compliant very quickly when the threat of a Taser appears, and they have very good reason to.
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Three different Sig handguns before maintenance
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| After taking Sig apart |
This summer has been a lot of fun and has been a great experience for me. I’ve really enjoyed my time here at Catoctin Mountain Park, and have been able to boost my resume from the different programs and activities which have been available to me through the ProRanger program. For anyone who is seeking a law enforcement career in the future and likes being outdoors, I would definitely recommend that you check out the ProRanger program. A big thanks to everyone for a great summer here at Catoctin, especially my supervisor Barry Aldridge, Chief Coast, Regional Chief Ranger Will Reynolds, and Mr. Sweet. See everybody Sunday for leadership camp!
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