Park Rangers

To contact a park ranger for non-emergencies, please call the following numbers:

330-867-5511 (Weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.)
330-475-0029 (After hours, weekends and holidays)

For emergencies, please call 911.

The mission of the Summit Metro Parks Ranger Department is to provide safety and information to park visitors so they have a safe and enjoyable park experience.  Rangers strive to perform their duties with tact, diplomacy, discretion, and impartiality to protect life, park resources, and maintain good order within the park district.

Summit Metro Parks rangers do much more than prevent forest fires. Our rangers are commissioned peace officers who enforce the park district’s rules, regulations and other applicable laws to protect resources and achieve visitor safety. Rangers also educate and provide information, protect lives and property, administer special-use permits and maintain good order.
 
Rangers patrol each of our 16 parks and all conservation areas – mostly on foot. On average, the department conducts more than 10,000 hours of foot patrols each year. The department uses SUVs for all-purpose patrols, both on- and off-road. Designated rangers also use bicycles to patrol the Bike & Hike, Freedom and Towpath trails during peak-use seasons.
 
For communication purposes, each ranger is issued a radio and all patrol vehicles are equipped with a mobile radio. The Summit Metro Parks Ranger Department is a member of the Summit County-Akron Regional Radio System (SCA8RRS) and the statewide Multi-Agency Radio Communications System (MARCS). This allows for efficient communication with other police, fire and EMS agencies and the Summit County Sheriff's Office, which handles information requests and emergency dispatches.
 
Look for a ranger the next time you visit your favorite Metro Park. Uniforms consist of black pants and tan shirts. Authorized jackets and sweaters are also black, while headgear consists of black campaign-style hats and black ball caps with the ranger insignia.