Ex-ranger on how Trump’s mass government firings are affecting the National Park Service

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• Amna Nawaz:

  At the direction of President Trump, Elon Musk and his team are firing workers across the federal government at a breakneck pace. This week, some 6,000 employees are expecting termination notices at the IRS, along with more than 5,000 across the Department of Health and Human Services.

  Already, more than 200 have been fired from FEMA, around 400 from the Federal Aviation Administration, and more than 1,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

  Our White House correspondent, Laura Barron-Lopez, spoke with one former federal worker who was among those recently let go.

• Laura Barron-Lopez:

  The Trump administration has fired more than 20,000 federal workers and contractors. The effort to dramatically cut the federal work force led by Elon Musk's team has been chaotic and sweeping, and in some instances the administration has scrambled to reverse the firings.

  The terminations are ongoing, and they include 1,000 National Parks employees, employees like former Park Ranger Lydia Jones, who worked at Badlands National Park in South Dakota. She joins me now.

  Lydia, thank you so much for talking to us. You were fired on Valentine's Day. What went through your mind when you got the news?

• Lydia Jones, Former National Park Ranger:

  I was heartbroken when I initially got the news. It was definitely unexpected.

  It was something that I was planning on potentially making a lifelong career, so it was quite the surprise.

• Laura Barron-Lopez:

  You were one of three EMTs at your park, at Badlands National Park, which stretches over 244,000 acres. You welcome more than one million visitors a year.

  What did your job require, and why did you become an EMT?

• Lydia Jones:

  My official main job was as an interpretive park ranger. A lot of my duties were related to visitor services, working in the visitor center, providing visitors with information and directions, doing educational programs, guided hikes, things like that.

  But I was also one of the three EMTs in the park and was a member of our search-and-rescue team and responded to emergencies throughout the park. And that was something that I chose kind of on my own to pursue, because being in such a rural area with a lack of first responders and an increase in visitation and increase in incidents, I thought that there was a need for more EMTs in the park.

• Laura Barron-Lopez:

  Do you think that your firing could make the park less safe?

• Lydia Jones:

  All these large-scale terminations definitely will have a direct safety impact on National Parks around the country, including Badlands National Park.

  We're talking about very rural areas that are typically very far away from major hospitals or trauma centers. And a lot of times, the park staff there are going to be the first people to be on scene to provide sometimes lifesaving care to these patients and these visitors. So I absolutely think that this will have an impact, yes.

• Laura Barron-Lopez:

  Lydia, you have talked about some of the sacrifices that you have to make to become a park ranger. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?

• Lydia Jones:

  When you first start out, you have to work as what's called a seasonal employee. I generally worked in Badlands National Park every summer season for six months, and then I would apply and go to — I went to two other National Parks during the winter seasons.

  So you're kind of constantly moving around. You're typically away from family, friends, loved ones, and it can be quite hard. But a lot of people, including myself, are willing to make those sacrifices, with the hopes of getting a permanent position, and mostly because we truly care about our jobs and truly believe in providing that service to the American people.

• Laura Barron-Lopez:

  Do you plan on joining any of the lawsuits in the hopes of getting your job back? And, if not, what's next for you?

• Lydia Jones:

  I'm still kind of debating how to proceed with all of that. I would absolutely love to go back to my job. I would go back in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity to.

  But, if not, I will pursue other options. I do plan on joining the local volunteer fire department at this time, so I can still provide service as an EMT to the local area and community. Even though I may not be in the Park Service anymore for right now, I still believe in service and I still want to make that a part of my life.

• Laura Barron-Lopez:

  Lydia Jones, thank you so much for your time.

• Lydia Jones:

  Thank you.

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