RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

Attention: Directorate
           Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
           Ranger Activities Division Information Network

Day/Date:  Tuesday, December 29, 1992

Release:   0800 EDT

INCIDENTS

92-642 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Winter Storm 

Further reports have been received regarding the impacts of the storm which
struck the Atlantic coast on December 10th and 11th:

* Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island (New York) - Park personnel are continuing
cleanup of storm damage and refining damage estimates.  The figure has
increased significantly from the initial estimate and is currently placed at
$105,000.  Power to some locations of the park continues to be intermittent
due to water damage.  Damage was inflicted on masonry, utilities,
structures, landscape and fencing at the two sites.

* Gateway (New York/New Jersey) - Many employees' homes and property were
seriously damaged by the storm.  The park has accordingly decided to donate
funds which were initially raised for Hurricane Andrew victims to a relief
fund established for park victims of the northeaster.  Anyone wishing to
make a contribution may send a check payable to PADC (the Police Association
of the District of Columbia) with the notation "Storm Relief Fund" and send
it to PADC, 1441 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003.  

[Scott Pfeninger, STLI, Kevin Buckley, GATE, 12/18]

92-662 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Fraud

The investigation of a park employee for false and fraudulent claims of
time, attendance and per diem records culminated on December 16th with a
pre-trial agreement in which the individual will be on probation for a
period of one year, during which time restitution will be made to the
government.  If the debt is not repaid or the individual participates in any
criminal activity during that time, the U.S. Attorney's Office will proceed
with criminal charges on all counts.  The investigation of the employee
began last March.  Rangers subsequently found that, during the period from
August, 1991, to March 15, 1992, the individual was AWOL from his duty
station for at least 15 days, had falsified time and attendance records for
those days, and had also falsified per diem reports for at least 21 days
during this same period of time.  The monetary loss to the government
totaled $2,165.32.  On March 12th, investigating rangers anticipated that
the suspect would be AWOL from his duty station in the park to go home to
Florida for the weekend.  They followed him as far as Wytheville, Virginia,
and observed him continuing south on Interstate 77.  The next day, rangers
from Fort Caroline conducted a plain clothes surveillance of the suspect's
residence in Jacksonville and spotted his vehicle there.  The vehicle was
the same one which New River rangers had followed into Virginia the previous
day.  The individual has since been fired.  [Rick Brown, DR, NERI, 12/28]

92-663 - Big Cypress (Florida) - Drowning

On the morning of December 24th, a visitor found J.M.F., 58,
under the surface of a lake near 50 Mile Bend campground.  Other campers
began CPR, and responding rangers and EMS personnel employed ALS measures in
an unsuccessful attempt to revive him.  The medical examiner has determined
that the cause of death was drowning, which was in turn caused by a heart
attack.  J.M.F. was a resident of Quebec, Canada.  [Madeline Yordan, DR,
BICY, 12/28]

92-664 - Saguaro (Arizona) - Firearms; Resource Damage

During Christmas weekend, rangers seized eight firearms and issued $1,950 in
fines in two incidents involving target shooting near the north boundary of
the Tucson Mountain District.  Two saguaros, two ironwood trees and several
other native plants were damaged by weapons fire.  [Bryan Swift, CR, SAGU,
12/28]

92-665 - Fort McHenry (Maryland) - MVA with Property Damage

J.F.H. of Baltimore was arrested by park rangers and charged
with operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, failure to remain
at the scene of an accident, and other charges stemming from a December 21st
incident in which J.F.H. drove her vehicle through the park's wrought iron
main gate.  J.F.H. refused a breathalizer test and will forfeit her license
pending disposition of the case.  Damage to park property will exceed
$5,000.  [Luis Krug, FOMC, 12/22]

92-666 - Golden Gate (California) - Suicide

Park Police officers were notified on December 23rd that a woman had found a
suicide note from her father and had subsequently located his car at Ocean
Beach.  They conducted a foot search of the area and found his body on the
beach.  He apparently died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  His identity
has not yet been released.  [Sgt. Harold Gefrich, SFFO/USPP, 12/24]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: Brady on AL (12/28-12/31).

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Most staff on AL (12/28-12/31).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Most staff on AL (12/28-12/31).

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