Volunteer
Job Description
FROM: https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a09t000000CB6dbAAD/yellowstone-national-park-traffic-management-volunteer
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ADDRESS: Yellowstone National Park; 2 Officers Row; Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190
DEPT: National Park Service
DATES: 8/1/2021 – 10/1/2021
DESCRIPTION:
The Traffic Management Volunteer is a uniformed representative of the National Park Service working to manage traffic congestion and parking in the Old Faithful area of Yellowstone National Park. The successful candidate will have the ability to assess dynamic traffic situations and make quick and safe decisions while maintaining a positive courteous attitude.
This position functions within the Division of Visitor and Resource Protection in Yellowstone National Park. The Traffic Management Volunteer is a uniformed representative of the National Park Service working to manage traffic congestion and parking in the Old Faithful area, with special emphasis at Midway Geyser Basin. The successful candidate will have the ability to assess dynamic traffic and wildlife situations and make quick and safe decisions while maintaining a positive courteous attitude.
Physical Demands
Managing traffic and parking lot capacity requires standing and walking for multiple hours per day. Working in and around traffic requires constant focus.
Work Environment
The work is performed in areas with little available shade and on asphalt that is very hot. Parking areas around Old Faithful and the Midway Geyser Basin are congested with people and vehicles. Visitors can become frustrated but generally are appreciative of staff trying to help.
Scope and Effect
Work contributes to the preservation of Yellowstone National Park’s natural resources and the enhancement of the visitor experience through communication of accurate information.
Volunteer must be able to learn quickly and work independently as part of a team composed of other volunteers and/or employees.
Work may include:
· Perform duties in a safe manner, using traffic vest when appropriate, using the radio correctly if needed, driving safely, and maintaining a constant awareness of traffic hazards.
· Regulate access to parking areas to minimize occurrences of traffic gridlock.
The knowledge, skills and abilities needed are:
· Knowledge of park policies, procedures, and regulations.
· Ability to work independently with little or no supervision for extended periods of time.
· Ability to access situations and make quick and safe decisions in a dynamic environment.
· Ability to maintain a positive attitude and consistently be courteous and polite to visitors.
· Basic knowledge and understanding of the National Park Service and Yellowstone National Park.
· Ability to learn quickly and retain basic knowledge.
· Skill at oral communication and tactful discussion of controversial subject matter.
The work is primarily outdoors at high elevation. Assigned tasks are done in weather that frequently changes. As is typical in the Northern Rocky Mountains, temperatures routinely dip below freezing in the early morning hours and can rise to very warm in the afternoon. Yellowstone often experiences instability in the afternoons with frequent thunderstorms.
The high elevation of Yellowstone National Park can cause complications for people with underlying respiratory or cardiac conditions. The elevation of Old Faithful is greater than 7000 feet above sea level.