Forest Service LEO

[igumz]

Hi I was wondering if anyone on this site is a LEO for the Forest Service? I just graduated college and December and researching some different positions and Forest Service ones seem amazing. I was wondering how you all like if if you do it? And any suggestions on some less known areas or work that would be good to research would be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance

Travis

[veeklog]

usajobs.opm.com. Great gig if you can get a LEO job with Forest Service.

[igumz]

usajobs.opm.com. Great gig if you can get a LEO job with Forest Service.

Cool Im glad to hear its a great gig! I have an app in with Forest Hill right now but sadly it takes sooooo long to hear back. But the time is good its letting me study for my GRE so I can try and get into a masters program.

[deadcoyote]

I work with two fellas, one is currently a forest service LEO and one is now a city cop who was previously a USFS LEO. The guy who quit says he got tired of transferring around all over the place.

[ankyle62]

Ive been applying to almost every opening they have on usajobs, I think I will have a better chance after I get my degree as it's a government job and you either have to have the experience or the degree to get your foot in the door at the GS-5 level.

[igumz]

Yeah I could see how transferring a lot could drive you crazy fast.

Ive been applying to almost every opening they have on usajobs, I think I will have a better chance after I get my degree as it's a government job and you either have to have the experience or the degree to get your foot in the door at the GS-5 level.

sadly this is more true than you know! Even with my degree I still have had hardly any call backs from USAjobs

[veeklog]

I work with two fellas, one is currently a forest service LEO and one is now a city cop who was previously a USFS LEO. The guy who quit says he got tired of transferring around all over the place.

I think the transfers all around the U.S. is a "little" bit over-blown; they might have detailed him/her a lot, but a straight PCS? It is REALLY expensive for an agency to PCS (Permanent Change of Station) one person, let alone a family, from one part of the country to another. It takes up a lot of an agencies budget, and that is why it has slowed down a lot with many Federal Agencies throughout the country. Many agencies have instituted a swap program, where one agent/LEO changes with another because it doesn't cost the agency anything.

[Lrchops]

Hi I was wondering if anyone on this site is a LEO for the Forest Service? I just graduated college and December and researching some different positions and Forest Service ones seem amazing. I was wondering how you all like if if you do it? And any suggestions on some less known areas or work that would be good to research would be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance

Travis

I was a National Park (LEO) Ranger for 8 years. I loved the job. It was challenging and exciting. I worked in some of the busiest areas of the NPS and USFS. I was cross polinated with Sheriff's Dept as a Deputy Coroner and with the US Marshal as a Deputy Marshal. Did a lot of narcotics enforcement, biker gang detail, investigative work, fire fighting, was a paramedic, and worked out of the helicopter as well.

Kick in the pants for sure. Of course it is the Federal Gov't, and they do not really care much for pro-active enforcers. They like the status quo. If you do nothing other than show up to work, you are a good employee. If you work hard, pro-active, do a great job, they don't care much for that!! Really depends on the flavor of the administration. Many of the administrators in the USFS and NPS are left wing nuts who were forced into law enforcement. So they are plentiful. we were always fighting management for public safety retirement, body armor, and the tools to do the job properly. It was always an uphilll battle. I was lucky that I worked for mostly pro active District Rangers and supervisors!

I left for a few reasons. I had a job offer from a Sheriff's Dept. making $50,000 more a year! I wanted to do more proactive LE Work, and I was young, dumb and full of juice!!!

Now after 17 years with the Sheriff's Dept, I wish I were a Ranger again!!! Maybe when I retire!

[igumz]

I was a National Park (LEO) Ranger for 8 years. I loved the job. It was challenging and exciting. I worked in some of the busiest areas of the NPS and USFS. I was cross polinated with Sheriff's Dept as a Deputy Coroner and with the US Marshal as a Deputy Marshal. Did a lot of narcotics enforcement, biker gang detail, investigative work, fire fighting, was a paramedic, and worked out of the helicopter as well.

Kick in the pants for sure. Of course it is the Federal Gov't, and they do not really care much for pro-active enforcers. They like the status quo. If you do nothing other than show up to work, you are a good employee. If you work hard, pro-active, do a great job, they don't care much for that!! Really depends on the flavor of the administration. Many of the administrators in the USFS and NPS are left wing nuts who were forced into law enforcement. So they are plentiful. we were always fighting management for public safety retirement, body armor, and the tools to do the job properly. It was always an uphilll battle. I was lucky that I worked for mostly pro active District Rangers and supervisors!

I left for a few reasons. I had a job offer from a Sheriff's Dept. making $50,000 more a year! I wanted to do more proactive LE Work, and I was young, dumb and full of juice!!!

Now after 17 years with the Sheriff's Dept, I wish I were a Ranger again!!! Maybe when I retire!

Thanks for the insight its nice to hear some peoples experiences. I have lived in Mt. Shasta my whole life so I know what you mean by the liberal nuts... As you stated about it being a Fed position that is still my only reservation yet I still have plenty of applications to the government out. Im really starting to consider looking into some private work but holding out some faith in the USFS.

[ankyle62]

I was a National Park (LEO) Ranger for 8 years. I loved the job. It was challenging and exciting. I worked in some of the busiest areas of the NPS and USFS. I was cross polinated with Sheriff's Dept as a Deputy Coroner and with the US Marshal as a Deputy Marshal. Did a lot of narcotics enforcement, biker gang detail, investigative work, fire fighting, was a paramedic, and worked out of the helicopter as well.

Kick in the pants for sure. Of course it is the Federal Gov't, and they do not really care much for pro-active enforcers. They like the status quo. If you do nothing other than show up to work, you are a good employee. If you work hard, pro-active, do a great job, they don't care much for that!! Really depends on the flavor of the administration. Many of the administrators in the USFS and NPS are left wing nuts who were forced into law enforcement. So they are plentiful. we were always fighting management for public safety retirement, body armor, and the tools to do the job properly. It was always an uphilll battle. I was lucky that I worked for mostly pro active District Rangers and supervisors!

I left for a few reasons. I had a job offer from a Sheriff's Dept. making $50,000 more a year! I wanted to do more proactive LE Work, and I was young, dumb and full of juice!!!

Now after 17 years with the Sheriff's Dept, I wish I were a Ranger again!!! Maybe when I retire!

Any tips on getting on with the Dept? I seem to always get referred to the hiring list, but never hear back from it. Is it appropriate to contact the agency office to show interest after being referred?

[Lrchops]

Highly difficult to obtain these positions. You must have at least a BA or BS degree, but they prefer a Masters. Also veterans preference points always help as well. People with prior federal or military service have preference.

Land Management LEO jobs are in many cases tougher to get than state game warden jobs. You really have to know the right people and have a good amount of prior experience in land management and law enforcement.

The best way to get one of these jobs (USFS) is to properly complete the application (use to be an SF 171) with the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities package attached. Then you may have to take a job somewhere undesireable in an area no one wants to live and do that for a couple years while you apply for transfers to better areas. OR you may have to be willing to take a permanent job outside of LEO just to get your federal status and get a foot in the door. Any permanent federal job will give you the status you need to apply for USFS LEO jobs. Like I said, These jobs are reserved for people who are seasoned. They generally will not take a new person.

BLM, USFS, NPS, LEO's are all great positions. You may consider getting hired full time with the Federal Protective Service or with Veterans Administration Police just to get your fed status. Do that for a couple years and then start applying for USFS.

[veeklog]

Pretty true of any fed law enforcement job. The key is to get your foot in the door and after that it easier to move on. i knew a guy that was a 1811 special agent with the forest service and loved it. he got to do everything a city police detective did and more. The only downside was their journeyman grade was a gs-12. I don't know if that changed though

[Lrchops]

GS-12 is not bad! I started with the feds in 85 as a GS-5. In 89 I was a GS-9 step 4. The Criminal Investigators were GS-13's.

ALthough they are good jobs, I personally do not care much for the federal government. The Feds are best at being inefficient. Tons of red tape and docs to get nothing done. I worked with the FBI and DEA on task forces and when they have the money and they are in charge, everything bogs down! Alphabet agencies suck!

[ankyle62]

I will keep plugging away with applications, I have a toolbar link to USAjobs that auto searches law enforcement lol. Im working toward my BS right now, and have 5 years of USMC under my belt.

[Lrchops]

5 yrs USMC is great for veterans preference points. Thank you for serving!