NPS Morning Report - Monday, July 23, 2001
- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, July 23, 2001
- Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 10:55:34 -0400
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Monday, July 23, 2001
INCIDENTS
01-348 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Follow-up: Flash Flooding
On July 8th, severe rains caused flash flooding throughout southern
West Virginia. Due to the impacts on the park, the Eastern IMT headed
by Bob Panko (Everglades NP) has been assigned to assist with recovery
operations. Here's today's update on developments:
o The resource assessment team (RAT) completed compliance
disturbance assessments on the Cunard Road, clearing the way
for widening of the road to bypass unstable sections caused by
the flooding. The IMT is working with Federal Highway
Administration officials to get the funding and contracting
process underway.
o The RAT also completed an investigation of the large slide
near Elverton. The report was encouraging for public safety,
but not so for historic structures located below the slide.
While the slide is creeping toward the structures and will
likely affect them at some point, it does not pose any real
danger to river rafters and other recreational users - even if
significant rainfall occurs. The team recommends that the
threatened structures be documented. It is important to note
that not all slides have been assessed, and some may still be
quite hazardous. The RAT plans to provide a report to park
management by July 30th.
o The Shenandoah trail crew completed work on the Glade Creek
trail, which has been reopened. The New River trails crew will
work on the Thurmond-Minden trail today. The Shenandoah crew
will clear the Kaymoor trail. The roads crew will repair roads
associated with the Glade Creek, Grandview Sandbar, and
McCreery public use areas. The cleanup of the Thayer
facilities was completed on Saturday.
For more information on IMT operations and pictures of the area, see
the park's web site at http://www.nps.gov/neri/flood2001.htm. [Kent
Cave, IO, New River Gorge Flood Incident, 7/22]
01-380 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Rescue
During the above-noted flood, rangers were engaged in a number of
rescue operations in communities along the river. After clearing
several sections of Route 25 and checking on several other flooded
areas on the 8th, rangers Bryan Hunter, David Finch and Audie
Critchley headed upstream to Todd Beach to check on reports of
stranded campers. They discovered two cars parked in an area next to
the railroad tracks, both severely damaged from rock and mud slides.
Five people and a dog were evacuated from the beach and taken to
Thurmond. The rangers then headed up to Thayer and evacuated 17 people
from that area. They also helped people move their belongings out of
harm's way from the rapidly rising creek and went door-to-door to
every house in Thayer Bottom, advising residents that they needed to
evacuate. Over the next two days, the rangers evacuated another 30
people from Thayer. [Incident report, NERI, 7/16]
01-381 - Navajo NM (AZ) - Rescue
On July 8th, day hikers advised rangers Mitch Werner and Stephen Cook
that a 65-year-old Texas man was suffering from classic heart attack
symptoms. Cook and Werner headed to his location in what was later
described as the most intense monsoonal storm the park had seen in
decades. Lightning was seen striking the ground in the area while the
two rangers provided basic life support and transported him to an
ambulance. The man was taken to Kayenta, then flown to a heart center
in Albuquerque. The victim had no prior history of cardiac problems
and was not under the care of any physicians. The rangers' quick
response in adverse weather conditions was determined to be
contributing factors in saving his life. [Brenton White, EMS/SAR
Coordinator, NAVA, 7/12]
01-382 - Golden Gate NRA (CA) - Assault
The park received a report of an assault in Sutro Heights Park - part
of Golden Gate NRA - on the afternoon of July 8th. Ocean Beach
lifeguards Sean Scallon and Jason Arrow found the victim in an area of
dense brush and tree limbs. The man, who was suffering from severe
head injuries, including multiple skull fractures, had spent nearly 12
hours hidden from view. Scallon, Arrow and ranger Mark Warmerdam
provided initial care to the man, whose condition alternated from near
coma to extremely combative. San Francisco paramedics ultimately took
him to a hospital in San Francisco, where he was in a coma at the time
of the report. Park Police officers and other rangers searched the
area while the injured man was being treated on scene. Rangers Eric
LaSalle and Jeff Caulfield found the suspected assailant hiding in
some bushes. He surrendered peacefully and spontaneously admitted his
guilt. He was arrested by rangers. The large stick used in the assault
was found nearby. USPP investigators are conducting the investigation.
[Richard Danielson, Ops Supervisor, GOGA, 7/17]
01-383 - National Capital Parks (MD) - Homicide Arrest and Indictment
On May 2nd, the body of an 18-year-old girl was found on the grounds
of the Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville. She'd been shot
several times. Since the body was found in an area of exclusive
federal jurisdiction and since the US Park Police provide enforcement
to the area under an MOU with the center, the investigation was
coordinated by the Park Police and FBI. Two men were subsequently
arrested - R.M., 21, and C.M., 22. On July 9th, a
federal grand jury indicted them for first degree murder. No decision
has been made on whether the death penalty will be sought in this
case. [Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 7/10]
01-384 - Buffalo NR (AR) - Drug Arrests
On July 9th, the Marion County Sheriff's Department and the Arkansas
Fourteenth Judicial District Drug Task Force executed a search warrant
on the Nathan Brooks residence adjacent to the park. Over 40 pounds of
suspected marijuana, drug paraphernalia, suspected methamphetamine
manufacturing equipment and chemicals, vehicles, and property were
seized. Brooks is suspected of being a major supplier in the area, and
is known to travel to Florida every four to five weeks. He was
intercepted on Rush road near the park at the conclusion of one of
those trips. His arrest resulted from a 19-month-long investigation
conducted by Marion County SO and the National Park Service. National
Park Service involvement came about when confidential informants
working with the NPS supplied information about suspected drug sales
occurring in the Rush area. Additional information was gathered when
Brooks' adopted son became a suspect in the theft of an item from the
Buffalo Point campground. He was later located at his residence on the
Brooks property, where weapons, suspected marijuana, and other drug
related paraphernalia were found. Additional information on vehicle
activity to the Brooks property was gathered over a period of about 15
months. All of the information was put together in a search warrant
affidavit by ranger Jeff West and a Marion County Sheriff's Department
investigator. [Bob Howard, Acting CR, BUFF, 7/10]
[Additional reports pending....]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
One new large fire was reported in Wyoming on Sunday and one large
fire was contained in Nevada. Initial attack was moderate in northern
California, the Northwest and the Southwest, and light elsewhere. Very
high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, California,
Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming.
NICC has posted a FIRE WEATHER WATCH for dry fuels, high winds, and
low relative humidity for parts of southern and central Wyoming.
The full NICC situation report can be found at
http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf.
National Resource Status (Five Day Trend)
Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon
Date 7/19 7/20 7/21 7/22 7/23
Crews 166 153 67 86 86
Engines 263 216 151 89 142
Helicopters 52 56 53 51 51
Air Tankers 0 3 0 0 0
Overhead 951 1,110 476 679 496
Park Fire Situation
Report not available today.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 7/23]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Harpers Ferry Phone Problems - A major railroad accident in Baltimore
on Wednesday severed a number of major MCI-managed telephone lines. As
a result, Harpers Ferry Center has for several days been able to
receive incoming calls on FTS only sporadically. Some HFC data lines
are also out of commission. The problem exists throughout Jefferson
County in West Virginia and therefore probably affects all NPS and
other federal facilities in the Harpers Ferry area. Private data lines
have been affected as well, thus cutting off home access to email and
the Internet. There's no estimate yet on when normal service will be
fully restored. [Gary Cummins, HFC]
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TRAINING CALENDAR
This calendar appears every other Monday as an addendum to the Morning
Report. Please note:
o Entries are listed no sooner than FOUR months before a
training course begins, except in cases in which registration
dates close much earlier.
o Brevity in submissions is required and appreciated.
o Please send along web sites for additional information where
possible.
o Asterisks (*) indicate new entries.
**********************************************************************
August 27 - 31: INLAND SAR COORDINATION, Yorktown, VA. Comprehensive,
graduate-level look at inland SAR theory and its application to
planning land and air searches for missing persons and aircraft.
Taught by USAF National SAR School. Contact: Chuck Anibal,
304-535-6401. [Joyce Howe, STMA]
September 5 - 6: DESIGNING LOW ENERGY BUILDINGS WITH ENERGY 10,
Lakewood, CO. Closes on July 25th. The "Designing Low-Energy Buildings
with Energy-10" software package targets architects and engineers who
are designing and constructing smaller energy efficient buildings
(areas up to 10,000 square feet). It integrates day-lighting and
passive solar design with efficient building envelope and mechanical
system design. The process is intended to model a building's energy
performance quickly and easily with minimal up-front information. The
software shows the results in base case and high efficiency case,
along with graphic representation of the results. All participants
will receive a copy of the design tool package. Contact: Dennis Nagao
via email or at 303-987-6655. [Dennis Nagao, DSC]
September 10 - 14: ARPA TRAINING (XP-ARPTP-108), Gatlinburg, TN.
Closes on August 2nd. Basic ARPA training. Contact: Regional employee
specialists; Learning Place BB; or FLETC for additional information
(on email at WASO FLETC-NPS, or 912-267-2246). [Wiley Golden, FLETC]
September 10 - 14: INLAND SEARCH AND RESCUE COORDINATION, St. Paul,
MN. This is a correction to the previous entry, which had the class
dates as September 17 - 21. Closes on July 18th. Comprehensive,
graduate-level look at inland SAR theory and its application to
planning land and air searches for missing persons and aircraft.
Taught by USAF National SAR School. Contact: Learning Place BB, or
peggy_sandretzky@fws.gov. [Joyce Howe, STMA]
September 10 - 21: DEFENSIVE TACTICS INSTRUCTOR TRAINING, FLETC,
Glynco, GA. Closes on August 2nd. A "train the trainer" course on
defensive tactics. Contact: Regional employee specialists; Learning
Place BB; or FLETC for additional information (on email at WASO
FLETC-NPS, or 912-267-2246). [Wiley Golden, FLETC]
September 12 - 13: HISTORY OF SCIENCE IN THE AMERICAN WEST, Estes
Park, CO. Closes on August 1st. This seminar will explore the central
role of scientists in Western history as a particularly influential
group of citizens and thinkers about the West and its "uses." Contact:
Tony Knapp via email or at 304-535-6178. [Joyce Howe, STMA]
September 16 - 22: ADVANCED RESOURCE PROTECTION (ARPT-101), FLETC, San
Luis Obispo, CA. Closes on August 1st. Topics include resources
crimes, a legal update, warrant service planning, building clearance,
defensive tactics, and two days of scenarios. Contact: Regional
employee specialists; Learning Place BB; or FLETC for additional
information (on email at WASO FLETC-NPS, or 912-267-2246). [Wiley
Golden, FLETC]
* September 18 - 20: ORAL HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP, Moab, UT.
Closes on September 4th. Canyonlands NP and the Canyonlands Natural
History Association are sponsoring a three-day oral and video history
workshop for community organizations, tribes, and local, state and
federal agencies with cultural and natural resource responsibilities.
The course will teach 1) how and when to create oral history
interviews; 2) types and management of documentary media; 3) protocol
for sharing audio and videotapes with the public and scholars; and 4)
how to obtain informed consent, copyright and privacy permissions and
releases. Contact: Eric Brunnemann at CANY at 435-719-2134 or
eric_brunnemann@nps.gov. [Eric Brunnemann, CANY]
September 24 - 27: RETROFITTING FOR ACCESSIBILITY/DISABILITY AWARENESS
SEMINAR, Gatlinburg, TN. Closes on July 30th, but late nominations
will be accepted as space allows. The course is designed for
maintenance professionals, facility managers, access coordinators and
planners. Contact: National Center on Accessibility at 812-856-4422
(voice) or 812-856-4421 (TTY). [Joyce Howe, STMA]
* October 8 - 12: INLAND SAR COORDINATION, Ogden, UT. Closes on August
13th. Comprehensive, graduate-level look at inland SAR theory and its
application to planning land and air searches for missing persons and
aircraft. Taught by USAF National SAR School. Contact: Learning Place
BB or Peggy_Sandretzky@nps.gov. [Joyce Howe, STMA]
* October 15 - 19: INLAND SAR COORDINATION, Salt Lake City, UT. Closes
on August 13th. Comprehensive, graduate-level look at inland SAR
theory and its application to planning land and air searches for
missing persons and aircraft. Taught by USAF National SAR School.
Contact: Learning Place BB or Peggy_Sandretzky@nps.gov. [Joyce Howe,
STMA]
October 21 - 26: INTERDISCIPLINARY RESOURCE PROTECTION (IDRP-101), San
Luis Obispo, CA. Closes on September 1st. Intensive course designed to
give employees from various disciplines an opportunity to work
together in teams to solve resource crimes. Participants will work in
teams and be rotated through day-long scenarios practicing recognition
of violations, processing of crime scenes, collecting and examining
evidence, conducting interviews, and making damage assessments.
Evening sessions will be held. Contact: Leaning Place BB or FLETC for
additional information (on email at WASO FLETC-NPS, or 912-267-2246).
[Wiley Golden, FLETC]
October 25 - 27: ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES INVESTIGATION (ECITP-201),
Jackson Hole, WY. Closes on August 28th. Focus on key environmental
laws and their criminal and civil enforcement. Environmental crimes
include illegal discharges, dumping, and emission of pollutants.
Contact: Leaning Place BB or FLETC for additional information (on
email at WASO FLETC-NPS, or 912-267-2246). [Wiley Golden, FLETC]
* November 5 - 9: INLAND SAR COORDINATION, Madison, WI. Closes on
August 20th. Comprehensive, graduate-level look at inland SAR theory
and its application to planning land and air searches for missing
persons and aircraft. Taught by USAF National SAR School. Contact:
Learning Place BB or Peggy_Sandretzky@nps.gov. [Joyce Howe, STMA]
* November 6 - 8: INTRODUCTION TO THE NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION
ACT OF 1966, Mather TC, Grand Canyon, AZ. Closes on August 21st.
Course for those who oversee, advise on and/or carry out park Section
106 processes. Contact: Laura Feller via email or at 202-343-9528.
[Joyce Howe, STMA]
* * * * *
The Morning Report solicits entries from the field and central offices
for its daily and weekly sections (below). The general rule is that
submissions, whatever the category, should pertain to operations, be
useful to the field, and have broad significance across the agency.
Additional details on submission criteria are available from the
editor at any time (Bill Halainen at NP-DEWA, or
Bill_Halainen@nps.gov). Ask for either incident reporting criteria
(issued by WASO, June 18, 2000) or general criteria.
Daily and weekly sections are available for news or significant
developments pertaining to:
Field incidents Interpretation and visitor services
Natural resource management Cultural resource management
Operations (WASO only) Memoranda (WASO only)
Requests/offers of assistance Park-related web sites
Parks and employees Media stories on parks
Training, meetings, and events Queries on operational matters
Reports on "lessons learned"
Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed
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address requests pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your
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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.
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