ProRanger Philadelphia was established in 2009 as an academic and technical skills training and internship program that was cooperatively administered by the National Park Service and Temple University. In July 2022, NPS began hiring permanent law enforcement rangers through the Law Enforcement Hiring Initiative (known informally as “direct to FLETC”). No additional students will be accepted into the program.
Seems like just last week we were pulling up to the park to move-in and begin the journey of this summer. It has been an awesome summer for us here at VaFo and this past week, Week 10, was one of the best we had here. The week began with a project for John Waterman. We had to make sure each patrol vehicle had the proper items in their EMS bags, replace expired items, and then created cards, laminated them, and began attaching them to the countless pockets and pouches that make up the EMS bags. This way the Rangers would know what is supposed to be in there and can quickly find an item in a time of need instead of shuffling through cluster. It was a good learning experience to get familiar with all the items that should be within an EMS bag.
As Wednesday rolled around we spent the day with Natural Resources. In the morning we worked with YCC, a program for high schoolers, and did mile a minute weed pulling. It does feel like we are helping the forest at VaFo because we fill up over 20 bags each time with the weeds! Afterwards we got to try out cray-fishing to help stop the invasive species of the rusty cray-fish from taking over Valley Creek. Eric had no luck but Lexus caught a few! We also found another tipee in the words on a foot patrol with Ranger oh that has to be taken down.
Ready for cray-fishing
tipee
Aftermath of Mile-a-Minute weeding
Ballistic Vest
Ballistic Vest
illegally parked/suspicious vehicle
Friday we were put on the night shift as we got set up with ride-alongs for the entire shift. Eric went with Ranger Bungard and Lexus with Ranger Blasco. We listened to everything the Rangers told us throughout the night because they were flooding us with information that is important to know for Law Enforcement. We were giving ballistic vests to wear as a safety precaution because you never know what is going to happen out there. While doing patrols with Ranger Blasco, Lexus got to learn about using the radar to check drivers' speeds as Ranger Blasco's vehicle was outfitted with the radar. The radar or physical observation of the Ranger is not enough to pull someone over. Ranger Blasco told Lexus that a Ranger should guess an upcoming vehicle's speed and if it is +/- 5 MPH of what shows up on the radar then it is fine to pull that vehicle over. This is to ensure accuracy of the radar and as a double-effort to show that the individual was in fact speeding. It was hard at first to guess the cars' speeds but after a little time Lexus began to guess within the 5 MPH range. Ranger Bungard spoke to Eric about the need for reasonable suspicion or probable cause to be able to pull someone over. Reasonable suspicion has less of a burden of proof than probable cause but probable cause is needed to arrest or issue a citation and while detaining in a traffic stop on a reasonable suspicion basis you need to think about if another Ranger with the same training as you and in the same situation would or could they act in the same manner. This is called objectively reasonable that both Rangers spoke to us about. This is also used in situations when force is needed. Was it objectively reasonable, would another officer like I stated before, use the same type of force in the situation you were in? Ranger Bungard also spoke about how duty sidearms always have a round in the chamber with a full mag and at least two extra mags on the belt while the large guns, shotgun and rifle, have a loaded mag but no round in the chamber. The information both Rangers provided us during the ride-along was awesome to learn about. These things we will learn about in the academy but it always good to get ahead start on things and doing ride-alongs helped us learn the in and outs of a Rangers driving patrol and how/when you're allowed to pull someone over. (this is very, very important to know about and be able to distinguish reasonable suspicion and probable cause). At the end of the night we helped close the park then had a quick turn around shift as we had to open the park in the morning. It was good to get a feel of working quick turn around shifts. See everyone at camp in a couple of days and we threw in a couple more photos from the field-trainee's scenarios.
Welcome back to the blog! Week 9 flew by especially knowing that our
internship is ending in a few weeks. We began the week going on the
canoe and doing a boat patrol. Again, there were few people out on the
river that day but we did stop onto Catfish Island this time. On the
island we found a few beer cans and an illegal fire pit. On the island
there was also another tee-pee that we had to take down. The next day
was a usual day in which we just did out foot and bike patrol.
During bike patrol we noticed that one of our bigger flags was flying half staff while others were flying full staff. We called the chief ranger to ask why that one flag was flown half staff and what we should do with that flag or the other flag. He told us that it was only flown half staff the day before and that it shouldn't be like that. So he gave us permission to correct that mistake.
The next day we worked with the adjudicated juveniles from St. Gabriel's Hall. We worked with resource management along with St. Gabriel's Hall to help control the invasive plant species. We went to a section of the park to pull mile-a-minute weeds, cut vines, and remove non-native berry bushes and thistles. The teenagers from St. Gabe's were very happy that they would be working with us because they knew that we were in a law enforcement program. Most of them were interested in the ProRanger program and wanted to know how we got in the program. They were all into the work we were doing and we managed to get a lot done that day. Many of the juveniles were from the city and during our breaks they were able to see some of the wildlife that they are not used to in the city. We saw hawks and a bunch of praying mantis. They asked a lot of questions about the plants and animals and we probably learned just as much as they did that day.
After working with the kids from St. Gabe's, we worked with the new field trainee. We did more role play to see how he reacts in certain situations and his skill level after leaving FLETC. Again, we learned a lot more things about officer safety and handcuffing techniques.
Towards the end of the week, we worked with maintenance and helped them to renovate an older house. Our job for that day was to move all the old windows and put them in the truck to bring back to maintenance. Then our job was to hammer all the nails that were sticking out from the outside of the house because out ultimate goal for that day was to wrap the house in Tyvek paper. On Saturday we were able to visit Independence to see what it was like there. Stephanie Flecha and Rachel Smith gave us a tour of INDE and showed us the things that they do over there. Ranger Ryan talked to us and gave us training about the use of force (how much to use and when to use it). Then Ranger Brian gave us an introduction on the taser (how it is used and its anatomy). The training was very insightful and we're sure that it will give us a step up when going into the academy.
Hello again everyone. Hope all is going well! This was a short week for here at VaFo as we were given off for the Fourth of July which fell in the middle of the work week. It was also very hot out here being at a higher elevation that some places.However, we finally got out onto the Skuylkill River to do some river patrols. To do this, we first had to be given a safety presentation and go over safety instructions with Safety Officer John Waterman and his safety intern. Basically, we were told how to properly get in and out of a canoe without it tipping. One person sits on either the port or starboard side (which ever end that is still partly on shore) while the other person steps into the canoe, or out, and uses 3 points of contact to make sure you stay steady and don't tip the canoe over. Getting in and out is when you are most likely going to tip it. We also were given an overview of life vests, to bring an extra paddle, and how when someone in another canoe slams their paddle onto the water this means they are trying to get your attention and is important to notice that. After going over safety we were able to take the canoe out onto the river. The Skuylkill River separates the North Side of the park from the South Side and about 3 miles of it falls onto park territory. The water is very shallow in most parts to the point where it would be very easy to walk across the river to the other side. Some parts do get very deep but for the most part its shallow enough to see the bottom but the water is also very dirty and fisherman are not allowed to take out any fish they catch. It is a catch and release program. The river was once, years ago, dammed off and had to be filtered with a bunch of pipes because it was extremely contaminated with coal. While on the river we are looking to make sure everyone has a life vest, either worn or on the canoe/kayak/boat. We always bring an extra vest with us in case someone does not have one with them. We also are looking to make sure no one is drinking alcohol on the river, make sure no one is in trouble, and we also get a great view of the North and South side banks where some people like to pitch tents illegally. There is also Cat Fish Island that we canoe to and inspect. Visitors are allowed on the island but without actually being on it, it is very difficult to see what anyone is doing from both sides of the park. A couple kids a few years back were caught camping and having multiple different illicit drugs in their tent so it is always a good idea to get a good look at the island. However, with the extreme heat this week we barely saw anyone on the river save for a couple kayakers.
Ranger Hannah teaching us the setup
We also helped open the park on Saturday morning and were given the opprotunity to put up the sign trailer, the electronic sign that will give messages or warnings. Ranger Eric Hannah showed us how to properly set it up and scroll through the 40 different messages. We put it on an extreme heat warning, drink plenty of water message and this message locks after 5 minutes so no one can come up and mess with it. For now on we will be able to transport the trailer and set it up in various places throughout the park because the Rangers would like to get it out more often than they do. We also helped out the visitor center on Friday and Saturday due to the heat but we also did multiple driving patrols throughout the day to check not only on visitors but also on our staff. We gave out water to our staff members stationed outside at Mullenburg's Brigade and Washington Headquarters and to visitors walking, running, or bicycling through the park to help prevent any heat exhaustion. Whenever we drive by any roadkill we clean it up to keep the park looking good and clean to visitors. This week we are heading to Natural Resources to work with juveniles from St. Gabe's and we will be getting a couple night shifts and ride-alongs in the upcoming weeks. We'll see everyone soon at Leadership Camp, hope everyone is ready!
Hey everyone! Week 6 started off great. As mentioned in the previous blog, we drove to Maryland on Friday and started working at Fort McHenry on Saturday, Week 6 began Sunday which would be our last day working at Fort McHenry for the Bicentennial of the War of 1812. Saturday we were placed at the Star Fort again. This day was different from the other day because there were more families there. Our job was to keep the visitors behind the safety line. If people were to cross the safety line, they'd be in danger of falling off the thirty foot high walls of the fort. Compared to the day before our job to keep the visitors behind the line was more difficult because there were a lot more children who like to play along the line. Towards then end if the day, Lexus Ocampo and Jay Copper had the opportunity to fold the flag.
Lexus and Jay folding the American Fla
Monday was a travel day and that is when we drove back to Valley Forge. The weather while at Fort McHenry was surprising nice, but the weather during the rest of the week was really hot. To get out of the heat we worked at the front desk of the visitor's center. Working at the visitor's center is very fun because we are able to much more contact with visitors than we normally do while we do our patrols. At the visitor's center we are able to help many people navigate through the park and make plans on how to best utilize the time they have at the park.
Inspecting carvings on the tree while on patrol
Eric speaking to a visitor
Lexus and an interpretive ranger helping a family
Week 7 was another hot week. For two days we worked at the Visitor's Center again. On one day, when the weather was bearable we went to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site to patrol some of the trails there so that we can familiarize ourselves with the park but also because there are no law enforcement rangers there. The next day we had a few indoor projects like radio inventory. That day there was a missing dog that was found in the park. We helped Ranger Bungard look over the dog while he tried to locate its owner. The day afterwards we worked with resource management and their partner, St. Gabriel's Hall. That day was our orientation on the project that we had to do. The project was to work with the kids from St. Gabriel's Hall and to remove and prevent the spread of foreign vegetation. Invasive species like mile-a-minute weed can over come areas and push out native plants.
Lexus with Kate from resource management and a rep from St. Gab
The missing dog taking a break outside the Ranger Station after a walk
Week 5 flew by especially since part of it encompassed our trip to Fort McHenry. During the week we went on two separate hikes with two of the Rangers here. The first day we helped the new safety intern, Heather, with a project dealing with the gas masks. Everyone has to go through an automated test with the gas masks to make sure that they are fit enough to wear one if they ever had to. A machine was attached to the gas mask which described what you should do such as breath in and out heavily or touch your toes. We also had to go around and help clean up some dead gophers that, unfortunately, were run over in the park. The next day on Wednesday we went out with Ranger Quinn to some unauthorized trails to look for any illegal marijuana growing as some rumors were going around that growing was occurring by those trails. After a couple hours of hiking and look we came across nothing. We also hiked the Chapel Trail to look for a tree that had pipes coming out of it that Park Watch stumbled across. This poses a danger for anyone using the trail while on horseback because the pipes stick out and are hard to see if one is not paying close attention. Ranger Quinn also took us to the Montgomery County dispatch and there we got a tour of the dispatch. This is the dispatch VaFo uses and it is state-of-the-art with the latest technology.
MontCo Dispatch
Illegal Structure before taken down
The next day we went out with Ranger Tim Oh to check out Mt. Misery. There was an illegal structure, a ti-pi, made out of resources from the park that needed to be taken down. Even with three of us it took over an hour to completely take down. No one is sure who built the structure. The following day was a short day with bike patrol in the morning since we had to depart for Fort McHenry. Saturday was our first shift for the detail and we were lucky enough to be stationed inside the Star Fort. Here people paid to get into and our job was to make sure everyone stayed behind a certain line ontop of the Star Fort because if they did not, there was the chance they could fall. Also our job was to make sure no fighting or confrontations occurred because drinking was allowed inside the Star Fort and if anything was to occur we were supposed to contact LE ASAP. Thankfully, the day went quite smoothly and the people visiting were very friendly, always offering us water throughout the day. We got to see the Air Show which was pretty cool. Also, myself (Eric) and fellow ProRanger Jay Copper had the great opportunity to raise the Star-Spangled Banner, the 15-star flag that is an exact replica of the one theflown over the fort in 1814. It was a feeling of great pride to be able to take part in that. The rest of our Fort McHenry trip will be in the next blog as it fell into Week 6. -
Welcome back! This week was a very busy week for us. We started out this week with seasonal training which lasted two days. The training was more like an orientation for seasonal employees who are new to the park. Training started with a trolley tour which gave us a general overview of the history of the park's monuments and buildings. This trolley tour is available to the public and it is usually 90 minutes long. Our tour was more in-depth and lasted almost three hours. One interesting stop was to the library at Maxwell's Quarters. The library is interesting because there are thousands of books, many very old, that are still available to be taken out to be borrowed. Later that day we were taken to the archive room and Donna, who is in charge of the park's archives, showed us cool artifacts that came from the revolutionary war time period. There were old tools, guns, clothing, and utensils. Donna showed us the difference of the quality and style of objects used by wealthy soldiers and poor soldiers.
Maxwell Library
The next day we were introduced to the individuals who were in charge of the many different divisions within Valley Forge. Some of those divisions, for example, were resource management, both historical and natural resources, interpretation division, and the representative from the Friends of Valley Forge which is an organization that runs the Encampment Store in the Visitor's Center. Afterwards we were given a presentation about safety and safe practices while working at Valley Forge by Ranger John Waterman, who is also the park's safety officer. Ranger Waterman gave great presentations on what dangers in the park to look out for, like ticks for example. He then gave us an introduction to the Operational Leadership course. Afterwards, Ranger Waterman let us do an exercise in which we were able to learn how to properly maintain and use a fire extinguisher.
Lexus through lane changes
Thursday was an awesome day. We had driving training administered by John Waterman. It was a course designed to help everyone become safer drivers. We helped set it up with John Waterman before everyone got there. It began with speeding up in between cones then coming to a quick stop then having to reverse straight back through those cones. Next, there was another set of cones that mimicked lane changing which led to a parking spot we had to parallel park in. Finally, another set of cones were set up serpentine style that we had to go forward through then backwards through; this was the best and most difficult part of the course. We took our GSA Fleet through but also got to hang back with LE after Maintenance and Interpretation had left. It become more of a simulation of EVOC training as we sat as passengers for multiple Rangers taking patrol cars through the course. We also got to each take a patrol car through once! (SEE ABOVE VIDEO ON RIGHT) The idea was to go through at a decent speed to get the feel of a patrol car and what it is going to be like driving in certain situations. Ranger Tim Oh and Ranger Quinn rode along with us giving us pointers and tips while we drove the patrol cars. We also sat as their passengers as they went through the course which Ranger Oh seemed like a genuine pro at completing! John Waterman made sure everyone was following safety procedures and did a good job at giving pointers when driving the patrol car that helped us get through the course more effectively. It was great to experience some EVOC training that we will all take part in during the academy and it was awesome actually getting to drive patrol cars. Eric drove the Crown Vic and Lexus drove the newer Expedition. There was also an all employee picnic during lunch that allowed us to meet and talk with all of the park's employees which was pretty cool.
Eric heading towards lane change section
Our finally day of the work week last week was on Friday and we were sent over to Maintenance. We had to clear out all the trash in their boneyard, cut down the grass, then weed wack it. The grass was a couple feet high and covered almost the entirety of all the items they had been storing back there. It was a tough job with the sun constantly beating down on us and crazy allergies but a job we took head on. Stay safe everyone! Until next time!
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