Park ranger
A park ranger, park warden, or forest ranger is a person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks. "Parks" may be broadly defined by some systems in this context, and include protected culturally or historically important built environments, and is not limited to the natural environment. Different countries use different names for the position. "Warden" is the favored term in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Within the United States, the National Park Service refers to the position as a park ranger. The U.S. Forest Service refers to the position as a forest ranger. Other countries use the term "park warden" or "game warden" to describe this occupation. The profession includes a number of disciplines and specializations, and park rangers are often required to be proficient in more than one.
California State Parks Peace Officer
California State Park Peace Officers (S.P.P.O.) are fully sworn California State Police Officers, with two sub-classifications, the Ranger and the Lifeguard. S.P.P.O.s often use the title of State Police Officer during enforcement contact, as many Park Rangers and Lifeguards within municipalities, counties and special districts are not armed Peace Officers, with authority throughout the state, on and off duty, like the California State Park Peace Officers law enforcement officer. State Park Peace Officers perform a wide variety of general law-enforcement activities, including complex criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, and participate in statewide task forces, for gang suspension, narcotics enforcement, auto theft, and fish and wildlife crimes, under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Parks and Recreation in the state parks of California, United States. Duties include general law enforcement, aquatic rescue (by lifeguards and other certified officers), search and rescue, emergency medical response, interpretation of natural, historic and cultural resources, resource protection, park management and proactive enforcement patrol. The current sidearm of the California State Park Peace Officer is the Smith & Wesson M&P, the current patrol rifle is the Colt AR-15 Model LE6920, and the current patrol shotgun is the venerable Remington Model 870 Police Magnum.Both Lifeguards and Rangers work in conjunction to enforce state law and park regulations in the 280 parks under the jurisdiction of the State of California.