Page 62 - Ranger Manual 2017_Neat

Chapter
8

Open Space and Mountain Parks

Uniforms, Equipment, & Appearance Standards

Policy

Rangers are highly visible representatives of the Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP)
Department’s emergency service and policing communities, and their professional appearance is
extremely important. The OSMP Department recognizes there are generally accepted community
norms, and it is important that rangers present a professional, conservative appearance. As law
enforcement and emergency service personnel, rangers are clear representatives of authority who
need to be readily recognized by the public. They also need to project a neutral image, thereby,
minimizing public antagonism in everyday contacts, whether or not cooperation or recognition is
needed. Impartiality is essential to their function, and proper personal appearance emphasizes
professional competence and expertise.

Uniform Appearance Standards
All uniforms and uniform components must meet the following minimal standards:
• They must be clean and neat at the beginning of the workday;
• They must not be frayed, and particular attention should be paid to collar points and cuffs;
• They must be free of excessive wear, including worn areas, shiny spots, holes, or missing
buttons;
• They must be clean and free of spots, stains, odors, soil, or any other foreign substance;
• They must not be faded. A uniform item is considered faded when it is noticeably lighter
in color than a comparable new item;
• They must be free from pilling, (i.e., when small balls of material appear on the worn
clothing exterior); and
• All items should be ordered in (or altered to) sizes that prevent excessive tightness or
bagginess.

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