- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Wednesday, May 2, 2001
- Date: Wed, 2 May 2001
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Wednesday, May 2, 2001
INCIDENTS
01-179 - Buffalo NR (AR) - Search in Progress
Six-year-old H.Z. became separated from her grandparents while
hiking on a Forest Service trail near the park on the morning of April
29th. After searching for her for two hours with no results, the
grandparents notified the county sheriff's office. The sheriff called
the park and numerous other agencies for assistance. A large ICS
operation was established; by late Monday, 200 searchers were on scene.
Helicopters, dogs and horses are also being utilized. Search areas
include some sections of the park. The girl is the daughter of a state
prosecuting attorney and the search has attracted extensive media
coverage. Park personnel are in various overhead positions. The area is
extremely rugged, with numerous bluffs and steep slopes. Park staff with
technical rock climbing skills are being used extensively. The search
continues. [Bob Howard, Acting CR, BUFF, 4/30]
01-180 - Whiskeytown NRA (CA) - HazMat Spill
During the early morning hours of Sunday, April 29th, park dispatch was
advised of a green substance floating on the waters of the upper section
of Clear Creek, a major tributary of Whiskeytown Lake. Rangers found
what was described as a large floating "blob" of green liquid in the
creek. The spill was originally discovered by a fisherman about two
miles upstream from the park boundary. Personnel form California Fish
and Game, California Department of Forestry, Shasta County Sheriff's
Office, BOR and a host of other local, state and federal agencies were
involved in response and investigation. By the time the substance
reached the park, it was undetectable to the naked eye. California Fish
and Game took water samples for analysis. Results are still pending.
[Larry Carr, CR, WHIS, 4/30]
01-181 - Big Bend NP (TX) - Falling Fatality
C.M., 23, fell to her death while climbing on the south peak
of the Mule Ears on Saturday, April 28th. C.M. was on a camping trip
with her boyfriend at the time. As her boyfriend was hiking out for
help, he encountered four visitors; they all returned to the scene, but
found that C.M. had expired. Another visitor hiked out and contacted
rangers, who reached the area with a park medic about four-and-a-half
hours after the accident. Due to extremely hazardous exposures and bad
rock, a safe carryout of the body was not possible. A Forest Service
helicopter from Gila NF flew to the area the following evening and
recovered the body. C.M. was a French national who was pursuing a
graduate degree at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. The park is working
with the French consulate in Houston to assist the family with
arrangements. [Mark Spier, Acting CR, BIBE, 4/30]
[Additional reports pending]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Fire Plan
The Department of the Interior Office of Wildland Fire Coordination is
recruiting for three term- appointment positions. They are: natural
resource specialist, GS-401-12/13/14; management analyst (budget
coordinator), GS-0343-12/13/14 or GS-401-12/13/14; and administrative
assistant (staff assistant), GS-301-7/8/9. These National Fire Plan
jobs are NTE one year and are located in Washington, DC. The full
announcements are posted on USAJobs.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is advertising for an interdisciplinary
fire position at NIFC. Only one selection will be made from the three
following occupational series: deputy, fire operations, GS-401-12/13,
BIA/FC-01-05; supervisory range management specialist (deputy, fire
operations), GS-454-12/13, BIA/FC-01-06; or supervisory forester
(deputy, fire operations), GS-460-12/13, BIA/FC-01-07. This permanent
full-time position is located at NIFC in Boise, Idaho. The announcements
close on May 18th. See USAJobs for the details.
Fire Programs
The Federal Fire and Aviation Safety Team (FFAST) is launching an
interagency safety program today called "Six Minutes for Safety." The
program will feature a new safety topic each day, with optional talking
points and discussion information. It will be available in a calendar
format through the NIFC web site
(http://www.nifc.gov/sixminutes/index_j.asp). The goal is to provide a
daily, six-minute-long, interactive briefing, focusing on topics that
historically get firefighters into trouble. Research has shown that a
combination of high-risk situations and low-frequency occurrences
amplifies the potential for mistakes, accidents, litigation, and
individual or agency liability. On a given day, all fire organizations
will discuss and review the same six-minute topic. FFAST strongly
encourages all fire program personnel to become involved in "Six Minutes
for Safety."
Park Fires
New River Gorge NR (WV) - A fire was spotted around 2 p.m. on
Monday afternoon in a relatively inaccessible area on the rim of the
gorge. Fuels consist of hardwood leaf litter and a dense layer of
rhododendron over seven feet tall. Park firefighters attained tentative
containment by 9 p.m. The Prescott hotshot crew has been assigned to the
fire. Control was expected by 6 p.m. yesterday.
Park Fire Danger
Very High N/A High Joshua Tree, Great Smokies, Hawaii
Volcanoes
[Debee Schwarz, NPS Fire Information, WASO; Paul Broyles and Mike
Warren, NPS FMPC, 5/1; NPS Situation Summary Report, 5/1]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
2002 Olympics Update - If you are interested in following the NPS
involvement in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake Center and are a
DOI employee, you can log on to a web page on the Intermountain Region
web site. The address is http://im.den.nps.gov/den_olyDR.cfm. It is
accessible only from DOI computers. A general briefing and a torch relay
briefing have been posted. Additional information - briefings,
recruiting information, Olympic new, IMT reports, etc. - will be
posted frequently. This is your primary source for NPS Olympics
information. [Larry Frederick, IO, IMT]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Office of Human Resources, WASO (DC) - The office is seeking an
individual to serve on a 90 to 120-day detail in the medical standards
program manager position, beginning around May 7th or as soon thereafter
as possible. Individuals who are not at either the GS-13 or GS-14 grade
levels will be given a temporary promotion. Experience in performing and
managing law enforcement is desirable, given the current program focus
on medical qualification standards for LE positions. The office will pay
travel, per diem and salary. The person selected will serve as the NPS
medical standards program manger, with primary responsibility for policy
development, provision of guidance, and program administration. He/she
will also have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to
employees, parks and the medical standards program, as several
improvements are pending. Interested individuals should send a one-page
resume detailing work history, educational background and any special
qualifications to Ed Clark, acting medical standards program manager,
via email at medical_standards_program_manager@nps.gov. Fore more
information on this detail, call Ed Clark at 202-208-5229 or Dennis
Burnett at 202-208-7675. [Ed Clark, RAD/WASO]
ADDITIONAL SECTIONS
Regular sections not appearing today (due either to lack of submissions
or time constraints in preparing this edition) but are available at all
times:
o Natural/Cultural Resource Management - Significant
developments in these fields.
o Interpretation/Visitor Services - Significant developments in
these fields.
o Memoranda - Memoranda from WASO to the field on all
operational matters.
o Interchange - Requests or offers from any park or office for
materials, information or any other operational needs.
o Hot Links - Web addresses for NPS-related sites.
o Film at 11 - Reports on current or upcoming print or
electronic media stories on the
NPS.
* * * * *
Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by
park, office and/or regional cc:Mail hub coordinators. Please address
requests pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your servicing
hub coordinator. The Morning Report is also available on the web at
http://www.nps.gov/morningreport
Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.