Maine Seeks Seasonal Game Wardens

GENERAL INFORMATION: 

These positions are part time positions, from May 9, 2022 to the end of August, as a Deputy Game Warden assigned to specific bodies of water to enforce recreational boating rules and regulations. Deputies will be assigned to the Sebago Lakes Region, Belgrade Lakes Region or Moosehead Lake Region depending on operational need.  It will be expected that these Deputy Game Wardens will work in state issued watercraft, patrolling specific bodies of water. The Deputy’s primary mission will include, educating the boating public, handing out department-sponsored literature, issuing warnings and summonses for boating violations.

JOB DESCRIPTION: 

 This is certified, uniformed, law enforcement work as a member of the Maine Warden Service, Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, under the direct supervision of Warden Service Personnel, protecting inland fish and wildlife resources and the safety of the public.  The Deputy Game Warden’s work includes:

 

• Patrolling assigned lake or lakes. Patrolling is usually done alone in areas where there is a concentration of boats and boating activity. While on patrol, Deputy Wardens will inspect boats for compliance with recreational boating rules and regulations.  Patrol may be conducted on foot or by truck, boat, or canoe.
• Issuing warnings and summonses, primarily on lakes, rivers and other bodies of water where recreational boating is occurring. In addition to enforcing recreational boating safety rules and regulations, Deputy Wardens are empowered to enforce fish and wildlife, recreation, and environmental laws under the direction of certain Warden personnel.

 

To be a successful Deputy Maine Game Warden, an individual must possess knowledge of wildlife, hunting, fishing, trapping, and boat operation; a strong desire to work in law enforcement; self initiative; and a willingness to work out-of-doors in adverse weather conditions, oftentimes without assistance.  In all cases, a Deputy Warden seeks to promote good public relations and compliance with all fish and wildlife regulations.

 

 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:  In order to qualify, you must:

 

•  have a high school diploma or equivalent;
• be at least 21 years old -OR- can be only 20 years old and have completed an associate degree or 60 credit hours of post-secondary education by May 10, 2022;
• have successfully passed the Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s Pre-Employment Physical Fitness Test within a year of submitting application; (see below for scheduling)
• have or be able to obtain a valid Maine Class C motor vehicle operator’s license;
• be willing to locate anywhere within the State of Maine.
• be willing to locate for the summer to Naples or Greenville at a state facility or to Belgrade lakes area with no state housing.

 

Important notes:  YOU MUST ATTACH THE FOLLOWING WITH YOUR DIRECT HIRE APPLICATION:

*     proof of age (copy of birth certificate or driver’s license);

*     a copy of your high school diploma or GED certificate;

*     a letter from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy showing your ALERT examination score;

*     a letter from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy showing your Pre-Employment Physical Fitness Test results (date of test must be within a year of the closing date of this posting).

*     Answers to Supplemental Qualifications form.

 

Note: If you are only age 20, you must attach within the application proof of your Associates Degree or completed 60 credit hours of post-secondary education.

 

FAILURE TO PROVIDE ANY OF THESE MATERIALS WILL RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.

 

TESTING AND EVALUATION PROCESS:

Because of the responsibilities and authority of a Deputy Game Warden, the selection process is extensive and thorough. The following outline summarizes the testing and screening process used to evaluate every applicant for Deputy Game Warden before a hiring decision is made.  The Deputy Game Warden application process has changed from past recruitments and the following application and testing process involves multiple evaluation phases.  You must successfully complete each phase in order to proceed to the next.

 

Current, full time, Maine State Law Enforcement officers, who are Basic Law Enforcement Training Program (BLETP) certified may be exempt from certain components of the application process.

 

THE TESTING PROCESS IS AS FOLLOWS:

 

1.  PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST:  You must take and pass the Pre-Employment Physical Fitness Test. Or have proof of a valid passing score within the past year good thru December 20, 2021. This may be done by calling (207) 287-5305.  The Physical Fitness Test is a Pass/Fail test.  It consists of three events:  Timed Push-Up Test (on minute); Timed Sit-Up Test (one minute); and 1.5 Mile Run.  Testing information and standards for successful completion of the Physical Fitness Test are available by accessing the Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s website at www.maine.gov/dps/mcja (click “Forms”, then Under Law Enforcement Basic Training, click “Physical Fitness Testing Protocol”). This information can also be obtained by calling the number listed above.
2. APPLICATION PERIOD: (Nov 1, 2021 – Dec 20, 2021) Applications will only be accepted during this period.  Applications postmarked after this period will be denied.
3. APPLICATION EVALUATION: (during the application period) Applications are reviewed to ensure that each applicant meets the minimum requirements defined in this Bulletin.  Applicants MUST answer all Supplemental Questions (see below) outlined in this posting and attach them to the Application.  Any applicants who do not meet these requirements are disqualified from further consideration.

Supplemental Qualification Questions are at the end of this posting.

 

GAME WARDEN EXAM PROCESS: All applicants who meet the minimum requirements will be scheduled to take the following exams. No rescheduling or retesting will be allowed. The Exams will consist of three phases, a multiple-choice written exam along with an oral board examination and written essay.  Failure of any phase of these exams constitutes a failure of the entire hiring process.

 

Written Exam – The questions (multiple-choice) fall within the following categories: Vocabulary, Spelling, Reading Comprehension, and Math; Hunting, Trapping, Fishing, and Equipment; Mammals, Fish, and Birds of Maine; Watercraft, Snowmobiles, and All-Terrain Vehicles; and General Knowledge. All Exams will be scored and the top candidates will be scheduled for the next phase (a designated cut off score will be determined).

 

Oral Board – The Oral Board is administered by a board of three members of the Maine Warden Service. Candidates will be rated in the following categories. Commitment/Independence; Judgment/Logic; Communication Skills; Applied Knowledge; Decision Making/Decisiveness; and Tact and Diplomacy.

 

Written Essay – The Essay will be evaluated using the following criteria: how well the writer develops a position on the question; appropriate use of examples and reason to support their position; organization, coherence, and logical progression of ideas; facility with choice of language and vocabulary; variety of sentence structure; and correct use of grammar, spelling and mechanics. The Essay will be given a numerical score using a 12-point system. A cut off score will be determined as minimum criteria for passing. Candidates will have the option to either type or handwrite their Essay. The Essay will be scored using a nationally recognized, holistic scoring procedure. There is no right or wrong answer.

 

Failure to pass either the Written Exam or Written Essay or Oral Board will constitute a failure for the entire hiring process.

 

FINAL SCREENING PROCESS

After a conditional offer of employment is made, the Maine Warden Service will conduct an extensive background investigation concerning the applicant, including military service, education, motor vehicle record, criminal history record, financial record, work history, and references.  A screening committee will review the results for information that would eliminate the candidate from further consideration.

 

An applicant will automatically be eliminated if he/she:

 

1. Has committed any crime classified in Maine law as a Class A, Class B, or Class C crime (any felony).
2. Has been found guilty of any crime classified in Maine law as a Class D crime (a Class D crime is a misdemeanor with a maximum term of imprisonment of 364 days). A person may make application to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) Board of Trustees for a waiver of this provision. Persons with questions regarding this provision should contact the Office of the Game Warden Colonel at 207-287-2766;
3. Has an extensive record of motor vehicle or fish and wildlife law violations;
4. Has convictions for Murder, Class A, B, C, or D crime, or convictions for any violation of the Maine Criminal Code, Chapters 15, 19, 25, or 45 or a conviction for any equivalent crime in another jurisdiction outside the State of Maine. A person may make application to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) Board of Trustees for a waiver of this provision;
5. Has engaged in any conduct that is penalized in this state as Murder, Class A, B, C, or D crime, or any provision of the Maine Criminal Code, Chapters 15, 19, 25, or 45; or engaged in such conduct in another jurisdiction outside the State of Maine, unless that conduct is not punishable as a crime under the laws of that jurisdiction. A person may make application to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) Board of Trustees for a waiver of this provision;
6. Has convictions for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor during the six year period prior to application to the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program, or have been adjudicated of committing the administrative offense of operating a vehicle under the age of 21 with a greater than a 0.00 blood alcohol content during the six year period prior to application to the Academy Basic Law Enforcement Training Program. A person may make application to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) Board of Trustees for a waiver of this provision;
7. Has been found guilty of conduct specified in subparagraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 in another state of jurisdiction;
8. Has ingested or been injected with or used a hallucinogenic drug;
9. Has illegally sold scheduled drugs or drugs which require a prescription;
10. Has engaged in illegal drug use beyond what is considered as experimentation;
11. Is currently abusing drugs or alcohol;
12. Falsified, misrepresents, or omits any information when interviewed, during the background investigation, polygraph examination, or on the pre-polygraph questionnaire.

 

Upon completion of the background investigation, viable candidates will be scheduled for a polygraph examination. The results of the background investigation and polygraph examination will then be reviewed by a screening committee to determine if the candidate is eligible to continue. This determination will be reached by weighing all the information received.

 

Candidates successfully completing the background investigation and polygraph examination will be scheduled for an interview with the Colonel of the Maine Warden Service.  Final selection will be based on the Colonel’s interview along with the successful completion of a medical and psychological assessment followed by the swim test.

 

GAME WARDEN SWIM TEST: (Test will only be given to final candidates, date to be announced)

Game Wardens must be able to swim. Candidates will be wearing a bathing suit which contains no floatation material such as closed cell foam, etc., and given rubber boots (appropriately sized) to put on with no socks (ear plugs and swimming goggles may be worn).

 

The Swim Test is comprised of 4 parts.  This is a Pass/Fail test.

1. Candidates will jump into the water and remove the boots. When a person makes an unplanned fall into the water, boots become saturated and may serve as an anchor making it almost impossible to swim. Therefore, they need to be removed. Candidates will immediately begin treading water in the vertical position for 15 minutes with their head out of the water.  A horizontal back float is not allowed.
2. Game Wardens spend a good portion of time in boats; it is possible you may capsize some distance from shore. The ability to tread water may allow you to survive long enough to self-rescue or aid others.
3. Without exiting the pool candidates will swim 200 yards continuously. Surface swim any forward stroke or style without stopping, (may be under during turns at each pool side). The monitor will require you to tag each end of the pool as you reach it.  At no time after entering the water may you hang on to the side or touch the bottom of the pool.  200-yard swim must be completed within 10 minutes.
4. Candidates will exit the pool and complete a headfirst surface dive from the side of the pool into the deep end to retrieve one object from the pool bottom. After retrieving the object, swimmers will surface; tread water for 2 minutes while holding the object out of the water with either hand.  After two minutes the swimmer will swim back to bottom of pool to retrieve a second object.  Pool depth not to exceed 12 feet. (To remove risk of ear trauma from pressure)

 

New Deputy Game Wardens are required to attend and successfully complete the Maine Criminal Justice Academy 100-hour Basic Law Enforcement Training course.

 

NOTE TO CURRENTLY CERTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS:

Candidates selected for initial appointment may be exempted from attending the MCJA’S basic course at the discretion of the Colonel of the Maine Warden Service if they:

 

1. are certified, full-time law enforcement officers in Maine (or are able to obtain a waiver of basic law enforcement training from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) Board of Trustees), and
2. Have attained the 50^th percentile on each component of the MCJA Pre-Employment Physical Fitness Test.

 

All other selected applicants will be required to attend and successfully complete this course of instruction – Current, full time, Maine State Law Enforcement officers, who are Basic Law Enforcement Training Program (BLETP) certified may be exempt from certain components of the application process.

 

NOTE:  Each component of the Deputy Game Warden examination process must be completed successfully.  Failure to successfully complete a component (or portion of a component) will result in disqualification from further consideration.

 

The Bureau of Human Resources reserves the right to use any other selection devices necessary in order to identify those candidates who are most qualified.

 

APPLICATION INFORMATION: If you are unable to apply online at the link provided, Direct Hire Application forms can be obtained by contacting the NRSC Human Resources Office at 624-6370 or by accessing the NRSC website at http://www.maine.gov/nrsc/jobs/application.shtml    Value of State’s share of Employee’s Retirement: The bi-weekly dollar values of some State-paid benefits for full-time employees include: $14.60 for dental insurance; 18.55% of employee’s pay towards retirement; and, depending on the employee’s annual pay, at least 85% ($412.23) of health insurance premiums (more information is available here). Participation in the Health Premium Credit Program can increase state-paid health insurance benefits by 5%.    The completed application package shall include: Direct hire application completely filled out Proof of successful completion of PFT from MCJA Supplemental Qualification questions, copy of driver’s license, licensing/registration/certification (if applicable), and copies of birth certificate and post-secondary transcripts, etc. must be sent to:     Maine Warden Service DEPUTY GAME WARDEN APPLICATION 284 STATE STREET AUGUSTA, MAINE 04333