- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Wednesday, September 23, 1992
- Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1992
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Wednesday, September 23, 1992
Release: 0830 EDT
*** NOTICE ***
Flags at all National Park Service areas are to be lowered to half-staff
this morning in tribute to past Director William Penn Mott, Jr., who died on
Monday evening. They are to remain at half staff until the date of
interment. This lowering has been authorized by the Department.
Mr. Mott, who was 82, died of heart failure in Orinda, California, following
a month-long bout with pneumonia. He was the agency's twelfth director, and
held that position from 1985 to 1989. At the time of his death, he was
serving as a special assistant to the regional director in Western Region.
A funeral will be held on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church,
2619 Broadway, Oakland, California. Contributions may be made to the
William Penn Mott, Jr., Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 1394, Ross, CA 94957.
INCIDENTS
92-451 - South Florida Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Andrew
Commercial electricity has been restored to Convoy Point in Biscayne and to
the headquarters area and Pine Island in Everglades. Efforts are continuing
to open the Loop Road in Everglades and to rehabilitate employee quarters.
A major transition is underway in the staffing of the ARM team - 224 people
have been demobed to date, but others have replaced them (90 on September
21st alone). As of yesterday, there were 344 people assigned to the team.
Contributions to the relief effort are still being accepted. Checks may be
sent to Andrew Relief Fund, ENP&MA, Attention: George Minnucci, 446 North
Lane, Conshohocken, PA 19428; they should be made out to ENP&MA with a
notation that the contribution is for the relief fund. [Rick Gale, ARM
team, 9/23]
92-516 - Hawaii Volcanoes (Hawaii) - Aircraft Accident
Around noon on September 21st, a sightseeing helicopter crashed in the Puu
O'o area of the park, injuring pilot J.K., of Keeau, Hawaii, and his
two passengers, P.H. and S.H. of Manchester, Connecticut.
Responding officers treated all three for minor injuries and flew them out
of the area. Rangers assisted in the evacuation. An investigation is
underway, but it appears that the crash was caused by mechanical
difficulties. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, 9/22]
92-517 - Golden Gate (California) - Apparent Falling Fatality
Just before 7 a.m. on September 21st, Park Police dispatch received a report
of a body in the Lands End area of the park, and officers subsequently
discovered the partially-clothed body of E.R., 51, on the El Camino
del Mar trail. E.R. apparently fell down the steep slope above the trail.
Investigators later learned that he was a missing patient from a nearby VA
hospital. [Sam Eddy, SFFO/USPP, 9/22]
92-518 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - EMS Rescue
Park dispatch received a 911 call from the Maswik Lodge at 5:20 a.m. on
September 20th regarding a 63-year-old male who had stopped breathing. CPR
was begun by a family member, and continued by Fred Harvey firefighter
Vernon Wadsworth. Rangers Kathy Korte, Tammy Luplow and Brian Smith arrived
in the park ambulance and began advanced life support. The patient was
successfully defibrillated and his cardiac rhythm, pulse, blood pressure and
respirations were restored. He spontaneously resumed movement while being
taken to the park clinic, and was later transported to a hospital in
Flagstaff, where he remains in stable condition in the intensive care unit.
[Steve Bone, GRCA, 9/22]
92-519 - C&O Canal (D.C./Maryland) - Assault on Maintenance Employee
Park maintenance employee Akiva Gordon was assaulted on September 18th while
working on the towpath in the vicinity of the Alexandria Aqueduct in
Georgetown in the District of Columbia. Two men in their late teens or
early twenties, one of whom was wearing a black t-shirt with "Skinheads
Live" printed on the front, knocked Gordon to the ground, punched him about
the face and chest, removed his belt, wrapped it around his neck, dragged
him along the ground, and beat him on his back with the belt. The two then
fled the area. Although Gordon reported that he did not see any weapon, he
received scratches on his face from some type of implement. Just prior to
the attack, Gordon had come upon spray paint cans, a paint roller, and
freshly painted graffiti saying "DC Skins" at Key Bridge. Gordon was
discharged from a local hospital with no serious injuries. An investigation
is underway. [Steve Pittleman, CHOH, 9/22]
92-520 - C&O Canal (D.C./Maryland) - Armed Robbery
Park visitor R.S. was sitting in his vehicle at Violette's Lock
at 11 p.m. on September 20th when he was approached by two men. One of the
men told R.S. that he had something to show him. R.S. walked over to
the subject's vehicle, at which time one of the two men pulled a hunting
knife from under the front seat of the vehicle and demanded Schantz's money
and vehicle keys. R.S. complied. The two men threw him to the ground,
punched him in the face, then fled in a late 70s model Dodge van. R.S.
reported the incident the next morning to rangers and Park Police. [Tom
Nash, DR, CHOH, 9/22]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire/Incident 9/22 9/23 Status
FL NPS Everglades NP
Biscayne NP Hurr. Andrew - ARMT N/A N/A ---
HI FEMA Honolulu Hurr. Iniki - T1 N/A N/A ---
OR USFS Fremont NF * Onion - T1 - 1,200 NEC
CA CDF Humboldt
Del Norte RU Martin 1,450 1,450 CN 9/23
Butte RU * Maidu - 600 NEC
USFS Los Padres NF * Indians - 400 CND
WY USFS Bridger
Teton NF Cliff - T1 400 300 CN 9/24
BLM Rawlins * Stratton - 500+ CN 9/24
Notes:
* - New fire/incident (this report) T1/T2 - Type 1 or Type 2 team committed
ARMT - All-risk management team CN - Expected date of containment
NEC - No estimate of containment CND - Contained
NR - No report received DM - Demobilizing
3) FIRE ACTIVITY - 73 fires for 604 acres in the past 24 hours.
4) ANALYSIS - Initial attack activity continues. Gusty winds and hot, dry
conditions are causing control problems.
5) PROGNOSIS - The potential exists for continued fire activity due to
extreme fire conditions coupled with warm temperatures and gusty winds.
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 9/23]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Schamp on AL (9/23-9/28); Sisto
at NEPA meeting, Boulder, CO (9/21-9/23) and AL (9/24-9/25); Marriott at
ARPA meeting in Albuquerque, NM (9/23-9/25).
Branch of Fire and Aviation: Hurd on AL (9/21-9/25); Gale and Broyles, ARM
Team, Everglades and Biscayne, FL (indefinite).
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
Branch of F&A (WASO) - FTS 268-5572/5573 or 202-208-5572/5573
Telefax: Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-6756 or 202-208-6756
Branch of F&A (WASO) - FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977
CompuServe: Branch of R&VP - WASO-RANGER
Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO-FIRE-WO
cc:Mail Branch of R&VP - WASO Ranger Activities
Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO Fire and Aviation