Policing the Great Outdoors
In his 28 years in law enforcement, Darren Farmer has done it all.
For 13 years, Farmer served with the Powell County Sheriff’s Office, including four years as sheriff. He also served eight years as a patrol officer with the Stanton Police Department.
For the last seven years, Farmer’s beat has been quite different as he gave up patrolling the streets and roads of Powell County for the great outdoors as a park ranger. His current role has him at Natural Bridge State Resort Park, located in the eastern Kentucky counties of Powell, Wolfe and Lee.
Nature Calls
Serving as a park ranger allows Farmer to pursue two of his passions – law enforcement and the great outdoors.
“My job sometimes requires that I hike in one of the most beautiful places in Kentucky,” Farmer said.
On any given day, Kentucky State Parks can have tens of thousands of people visiting them, many of whom are out-of-state tourists.
Kentucky Park Rangers serve 49 state parks of varying sizes that span the width of Kentucky.
Some parks, like Natural Bridge, feature plenty of opportunity for hiking, while others like Kentucky Dam Village in Marshall County offer lakes for fishing, boating and other water activities.
Many of the duties of a park ranger are not dissimilar to those a law enforcement officer would find in communities throughout the state.
“They’re on a smaller scale,” Farmer explained. “Natural Bridge State Resort Park itself operates like a small city. The park and business managers oversee daily operations. The park operates various departments related to water and sewer, grounds and building upkeep, trails maintenance, restaurant, lodging and housekeeping, campgrounds and even snow removal in the winter.”
One of the most noticeable differences, from a law enforcement perspective, is the beat itself, Farmer said.
“The duties of park ranger often put us on foot in a wooded environment for extended time on a trail system that offers about 17 miles of foot travel compared to about six miles of paved roads,” he said. “Responding to complaints on the trail system or a call for assistance can often encompass an entire shift.”
Law enforcement officers typically know their community and community members. It’s not the same for park rangers. While the population frequently changes as tens of thousands of people visit the many state parks in a given year, their assignment remains constant, and Farmer must know his park well.
“The vast majority of interactions with guests entail directions to their desired destinations,” Farmer said. “GPS guidance systems do not seem to work well in the Natural Bridge area. Directional questions are often followed by questions about other points of interest in the region.”
(Photos submitted)
Unique Challenges
Being a park ranger means coming across incidents that many other law enforcement officers typically do not see.
“The top challenge is to protect the natural resources from damage and vandalism such as carving on rock surfaces and to keep the park safe and friendly to promote a positive and memorable experience for visiting guests,” Farmer explained. “Also, wildlife is abundant in the park. Many of the species are nocturnal, and I view them only in the headlights of my vehicle. Although black bears exist in the area, only a few sightings are reported each year. The sightings generally occur on the longer, less traveled Sand Gap Trail. Snakes are very common in the park. The snakes located in populated areas are caught and released in a more remote spot throughout the park.”
Hiking draws many visitors to Natural Bridge, and with so many hiking trails, rangers receive many calls for assistance.
“After determining which trail and direction of travel, I will hike toward the distressed hiker,” Farmer said. “Upon locating the hiker, I will use my lighting to assist them back to the parking area. However, the most common call received by a hiker is injury-related. The injury most commonly sustained on the trail is ankle, knee or hip related. Other more serious medical emergencies also occur, such as unconsciousness, seizures and heat-related. The ranger’s office will receive approximately 15 to 20 calls for assistance each year. If the hiker is unable to walk off the trail, the Powell County Search and Rescue team is notified to extract the hiker.”
Lost hiker calls have become infrequent as reflective trail markers were placed on the longer, least traveled trails, Farmer explained.
“The markers allow hikers to navigate their way out of the woods even in the dark,” he said. “However, a failing cellphone light will sometimes prompt hikers to call for assistance.”
Nature Knowledge
Because of the nature of the park’s mission, park rangers need know a myriad of subjects, including basic nature facts and the park’s past.
“I have a basic knowledge of wildflowers, trees, invasive species, wildlife, ridgetop elevations and geology such as the natural forces that created the 100 plus arches in the Red River Gorge area (the national park that encompasses Natural Bridge),” Farmer said. “Visitors are also interested in the history of the park. Many of the questions are about law enforcement job duties and how to apply to become a park ranger.”
Farmer said many law enforcement officers love the thrill and excitement often associated with policing. However, being a park ranger usually doesn’t afford that level of excitement, which is just fine with Farmer.
“We don’t see a whole lot of drugs; our biggest thing is alcohol-related calls,” Farmer said. “In the early years of my law enforcement career, I would monitor my handheld radio on my days off. This equated to no days off as I often sprang into action, afraid I was missing something exciting. Although the thrill of the chase faded with my youth, I am always ready and willing to jump back into the excitement when the opportunity presents itself.”
While being a park ranger may not have many high-intensity cases, Farmer doesn’t regret his choice as his current position allow him to come across situations and people he might not have had otherwise.
“Working at Natural Bridge has been a rewarding experience,” he said. “I make new friends each year and often share stories about childhood visits to the park. The positive contacts with visitors far outweigh the negative. It is a great work environment with staff working together as a family.”
