NPS Morning Report - Friday, August 3, 2001
- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, August 3, 2001
- Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 08:35:52 -0400
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Friday, August 3, 2001
INCIDENTS
01-410 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - Shooting
On July 21st, R.H. was traveling southbound on the parkway
near milepost 120 when he was shot in the right temple by a pellet
from a pellet gun. Witnesses said that a juvenile had been seen
standing at the wood line and that he ran after the shooting. A
suspect has been identified from a nearby neighborhood. R.H. was
treated and released from Roanoke Memorial Hospital. After being
released, he was taken into custody on five outstanding warrants.
Ranger Steve Buxton is investigation along with Roanoke County PD
officers. [Ed Clark, SPR, Plateau District, BLRI, 7/24]
01-411 - Padre Island NS (TX) - Oil Spill
On the morning of July 21st, floating crude oil and tar balls came
ashore from the Gulf of Mexico along a mile-long stretch of shoreline
in front of the Malaquite Beach VC and campground. About 400 visitors
were on the beach and in the water when the oil came ashore. Park
staff closed the water and shoreline areas but kept the remainder of
the beach open. Coast Guard and Texas General Land Office personnel
determined that the amount of oil posed a potential health hazard to
visitors and employees. Cleanup was begun immediately by Miller
Environmental. The oil was removed using the park's front end loader
and hand crews. The beach was reopened before midnight. [Tom Crowson,
PAIS, 7/23]
01-412 - Mount Rainier NP (WA) - Climbing Fatality
A man attempting to climb Mount Rainier suffered a presumed heart
attack yesterday while ascending the Disappointment Cleaver at
approximately 12,000 feet. L.M., a 51-year-old climber from
London, complained that he needed to rest at approximately 7:30 a.m.
Shortly after stopping, he lost consciousness. Despite extensive
efforts by climbing guides to perform CPR, he did not regain
consciousness. His remains were airlifted off the mountain via
helicopter after rangers reached him. He was accompanied on the guided
climb by his 16-year-old daughter. Mike Gauthier served as IC. [Maria
Gillett, MORA, 8/2]
[Additional reports pending....]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Fire Situation - Preparedness Level 2
Four new large fires were reported on Thursday - two in the South, one
in the northern Rockies and one in the eastern Great Basin. Two others
- one in the Great Basin, the other in the Rockies - were contained.
Initial attack was light nationwide.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona,
California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington and Wyoming.
NICC has issued a RED FLAG WARNING for hot, dry and windy weather and
isolated dry thunderstorms in western and central Wyoming today, and a
FIRE WEATHER WATCH for hot, dry weather and isolated dry thunderstorms
for northeast Wyoming and southwest South Dakota, including the Black
Hills.
The full NICC situation report can be found at
http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf.
National Resource Status (Five Day Trend)
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
Date 7/30 7/31 8/1 8/2 8/3
Crews 247 291 238 235 212
Engines 329 327 315 365 338
Helicopters 79 60 63 64 73
Air Tankers 0 0 4 6 9
Overhead 1,380 1,579 1,425 1,712 1,397
Park Fire Situation
Yellowstone NP (WY) - The Arthur Fire was estimated at around 2,300
acres as of yesterday and remains about one mile west of the park's
east entrance. The road will remain closed until it is safe to reopen
to traffic. Fire activity picked up Wednesday afternoon, with active
burning in heavy fuels, mainly within the perimeter of the fire.
Activity was expected to increase yesterday with a forecast of
temperatures in the 70s, relative humidity around 14 percent, and
winds out of the southwest at 12 mph. Generally hotter and dryer
weather conditions are expected to continue into next week. Dry
thunderstorms are anticipated over the weekend, with the potential for
additional fire starts. As of yesterday, there were 833 people
committed to the fire, including 23 ground crews, 13 helicopters (five
are Type 1), and six fire engines. Hotshot crews were able to attack a
spot close to the road on Wednesday. Numerous bucket drops were done
throughout the day, and structural fire protection continued at the
east entrance and other facilities outside the park. Yesterday, two
fire crews continued structural fire protection on facilities outside
the park, and ground crews strengthened the anchor position and
direct hand line construction with helibucket support on the north
flank, at the head, and on spots in advance of the main fire.
Continued spreading to the east is projected, with spotting at the
head and south and north flanks. The fire is 10 percent contained. For
updated fire information, park visitors can call 307-344-2580. Park
managers remind visitors that all entrances, except for the East
Entrance, remain open, as well as all visitor and park facilities,
including all lodging, food services, general stores, gift shops, and
campgrounds. Park visitors whose travel route takes them through
Cody, Wyoming, can access the park through the northeast entrance. For
a full report on the fire, including topographic and fire perimeter
maps, aerial photos, live camera images from Mount Washburn, and
related data, please go to:
http://www.nps.gov/yell/technical/fire/Fires/Arthur/arthur.htm.
Everglades NP (FL) - On July 31st, a lightning strike fire was
discovered in the Lostman's Bay area. The fire burned approximately 30
acres and had the potential for spreading to 50 to 100 acres. At the
same time, a prescribed fire was started on the coastal prairies.
Burning conditions were favorable and several target area were
ignited, but a tropical wave has since dropped heavy rains on the
park. All fires are accordingly presumed to be out. A recon and
mapping flight will take place as soon as weather permits.
Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - The burnout on the north check line of the
Vista Fire on Wednesday was successful, as fuels had dried out enough
to carry the fire. Just over a thousand acres had burned as of
Wednesday.
Park Fire Danger
Extreme Hawaii Volcanoes NP, Dinosaur NM
Very High Lake Mead NRA
High Joshua Tree NP
[Marsha Karle, PIO, YELL, 8/2; NPS Situation Summary Report, 8/2; NICC
Incident Management Situation Report, 8/3]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
National Fire Management Program Review - On June 6th, Associate
Director, Park Operations and Education Dick Ring notified the
regional directors of an impending review of national wildland fire,
structural fire, aviation and emergency response programs. Ring said:
"Current and pending retirements and staff reassignments, both at the
Fire Management Program Center and in the Ranger Activities Division
in WASO, continue to influence how and where we accomplish work. In
addition, the National Fire Plan and the 2001 Federal Wildland Fire
Policy; the increasing emphasis by the Service, the Department and the
Congress on structural fire; the increasing use of aviation resources
for a wide variety of missions; and the need to ensure that other
emergency response activities at the national level are closely
aligned with wildland fire, merit considerations and review,
particularly for roles and functions and organizational structures for
these national programs." Ring also noted that this was a follow-up to
a similar review commissioned by former Associate Director Maureen
Finnerty in 1998, and that several members of that review had been
selected to conduct the current one.
The objectives of this review are to:
o identify and solicit opinions from NPS and interagency
constituents and cooperators
o identify strengths and shortfalls in existing programs and
develop alternative solutions
o identify future impacts on programs and staffing and develop
alternative solutions
o formulate role and function statements for WASO and the Fire
Management Program Center, in concert with regional and
support offices
o investigate the feasibility of inter-bureau positions to meet
joint needs in wildland and structural fire, aviation and
all-risk emergency response
o determine alternative organizational approaches and the
associated strengths and weaknesses of each to meet program
objectives
o identify interdisciplinary opportunities to improve
incorporation of wildland fire, structural fire, aviation and
emergency response with other NPS programs
o make recommendations for providing both immediate and
long-term fire and aviation technical and managerial expertise
in WASO
o make recommendations on developing, training and maintaining
expertise to address to successional needs of the wildland and
structural fire, aviation and emergency response programs
o make recommendations for the integration of other NPS
disciplines and functions into the wildland fire, structural
fire and emergency response programs of the Service
o identify program responsibility and appropriate workloads at
different levels of the organization
The review team consists of:
o Bill Wade, superintendent, Shenandoah NP (retired)
o Craig Axtell, chief, Biological Resources Management Division
o Brad Cella, regional fire management officer, Alaska Region
o Deb Liggett, superintendent, Katmai and Lake Clark NPs and
Preserves
o Cicely Muldoon, superintendent, San Juan Island NHP
o Roger Trimble, Bureau of Land Management (retired)
Bill Wade is serving as the chair; Bill Schenk, regional director for
Midwest Region, is serving as an ex officio member on behalf of the
NLC.
The review team has begun the task of interviewing a number of
individuals both from within and outside the NPS. Those interviewed in
the NPS will include a number of regional office leaders,
superintendents, chief rangers and other agency administrators, the
FMPC staff, a number of program managers in natural and cultural
resources and other programs, and a number of regional and park fire
management personnel. Because of the scope of the review, the
timeframe within which it must be completed (by early fall), and the
fact that fire callouts will make it difficult to schedule interviews
with some people, the team will not have the opportunity to schedule
interviews with every person in these categories. The intent will be
to reach a representative sample from each category. If you wish to
contribute what you think might be significant information related to
the objectives of the review to the team, please contact Bill Wade
(jwbillwade@aol.com) or any one of the NPS team members via cc:Mail.
[bill Wade]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Yellowstone NP (WY) - The park is advertising for a GS-9/10
supervisory public safety dispatcher. The announcement is MP01-53 and
can be found on USA Jobs. It closes on August 8th. [Nancy Baum, YELL]
FILM AT 11...
NBC's Dateline show will carry a story this evening at 9 p.m. on the
grounding of the "Golden Venture" at Gateway NRA in 1993. The story
will feature interviews with several US Park Police officers. The ship
carried several hundred Chinese nationals who were being illegally
smuggled into the United States. At 2 a.m. on June 6, 1993, Park
Police officers heard screams coming from waters off Fort Tilden. They
entered 54-degree water and unusually high storm surf conditions to
save people who had jumped off the freighter and were trying to swim
ashore. Subsequent investigation revealed that the ship had been at
sea for several months and contained aliens from the Fukanese province
of China. The investigation further revealed the existence of a
criminal network based in China which preyed on unsuspecting aliens
attempting entry into the U.S.. The horrific conditions aboard the
ship made national news. Rescues and detentions were hampered by
language barriers, weather conditions and the possession of numerous
weapons by the aliens. The incident required the emergency recall of
the entire New York Field Office complement of USPP officers from
their residences. As a result of the efforts of the USPP, USCG, NYPD,
FDNY, and numerous other agencies, 283 aliens were rescued and
detained for INS proceedings. Seven died as a result of the attempted
landing and/or by drowning in the frigid waters. The vessel's crew and
captain were arrested and numerous charges were placed as a result of
the smuggling activity. Numerous USPP officers received valor, merit,
and lifesaving awards for their efforts during the incident. [Lt. John
Lauro, USPP, GATE]
* * * * *
The Morning Report solicits entries from the field and central offices
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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
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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
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Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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