From time to time I get questions or receive e-mail inquiries about jobs or volunteer opportunities at the National Park Service-- what jobs are available, how to apply, and so on. If you're considering a full-time position or even a part-time assignment with the National Park Service, it is probably a good idea to find out as much information as you can ahead of time, including the skills required and the day-to-day expectations.
To help provide you with some insight, I thought it might be useful to interview some of the people who work for the National Park Service in various capacities, from office personnel to park rangers. They can explain firsthand what it's like to work for NPS, what they like and dislike about their jobs, and how they cope with daily challenges.
The first interview of the series was with Carol Anthony, a Public Affairs Specialist in the Office of Communications for the National Park Service. The second installment of this series is an interview with Dennis Burnett, who is the Law Enforcement Program Manager for the National Park Service. Dennis has worked for NPS for 27 years in various capacities, starting out as a seasonal ranger and spending 22 years in assignments at various parks that included Point Reyes National Seashore, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, Death Valley National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Petrified Forest National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Isle Royale NP, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, Cape Cod National Seashore and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
Dennis has spent the last five years working at the National Park Service headquarters in Washington, DC, where he has been involved with Regulations and Jurisdiction, Law Enforcement, Emergency Medical Services, SCUBA Diving, Search and Rescue Operations and Policy issues.
My interview with Dennis is quite lengthy and therefore will be published in two separate installments.Part I covers Dennis' background, how he became involved with the National Park Service, and his work with the Law Enforcement Program and Diving Control Board. Part II covers Medical Review and Search & Rescue Operations, aspects of his job the he finds most rewarding, and his advice for others wishing to pursue a career with the National Park Service.
Q. Dennis, how did you originally become interested in working for the National Park Service? I attended college in the San Francisco bay area in the early 1970's and earned a degree in Parks and Recreation Management. During my senior year, an opportunity presented itself to work as an intern at Point Reyes National Seashore. That allowed me to receive 10 units of credit for school (and was required for graduation) while at the same time getting exposure to the National Park Service. After this experience, I was hooked and made the decision to pursue a career with the NPS.
Q. From your background, it is clear that you have been involved in numerous assignments that have taken you from place to place across the country. How is it that you have managed to "settle down" here at the HQ in Washington, DC?
Nearly 22 years ago, I married another protection park ranger while working in Yosemite and we have been juggling two careers ever since. At times, this necessitated living separately. When we were not living in the same house, our shortest commute between households was Boston to Delaware Water Gap, PA; our longest commute was Cape Cod to Grand Canyon.Other commutes included Cape Cod to Boston and Delaware Water Gap to Shenandoah National Park (VA).Ginny Rousseau is the Chief Ranger at Shenandoah and we live in one house half way between Shenandoah and Washington, D.C. Unless we can find a better arrangement, we will be here until kids are out of high school and/or college.
