NPS Morning Report - Monday, September 24, 2001



                        NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, September 24, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-509 - Servicewide - Follow-up: Terrorist Attacks

The National Park Service continues to provide support to its parks 
and employees, gather information on the status of field areas for 
DOI, and deal with security issues throughout the country, including 
the brokering of numerous requests for operational support. The 
Service's Type 1 incident management team (Skip Brooks, IC) continues 
its operations from the South Interior Building; a regional Type 2 
team from Southeast Region (Bob Panko, IC) is overseeing the NPS 
expanded dispatch operation at Shenandoah NP. 

There have been no significant changes in the status of parks as 
previously reported. Normal operations, including planned special 
events, have resumed. The latter included several weekend events:

o       New River Gorge NR (WV) - The World Rafting Championship 
        occurred over the weekend. There were 180 competitors; about 
        250 spectators watched from the shoreline. A regional special 
        events team provided additional assistance. There were no 
        incidents.

o       George Washington Memorial Parkway (VA) - The annual D.C. bike 
        rally was held on the parkway on Sunday.

o       Lincoln Memorial (DC) - The monument was the site yesterday 
        for a concert, a memorial service and a candlelight vigil.

[EICC/Type 2 IMT, SHEN, 9/23; NPS Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/24]

01-521 - Harpers Ferry NHP (WV) - Rescue

Early on September 10th, the park received a report of two people who 
were overdue from an exploration of John Brown's Cave, an extensive 
system of caves long closed to public access for safety reasons. The 
cave is in the park, but the entrance is on CSX Railroad property 
directly adjacent to heavily-used railroad tracks. Rangers found the 
explorers' vehicle parked outside the park near the cave entrance. Its 
contents indicated that the pair were probably in the cave. The 
rangers also found that the metal gate blocking the entrance had been 
defeated. Seven local cave rescuers, including ranger Fred Viers of 
George Washington Memorial Parkway, conducted a search of the cave. 
CSX special agents held train traffic to a minimum during the 
operation. Ranger David Mayeski accompanied the team into the cave. 
Ranger Heather Irwin's investigation revealed that the 36-year-old man 
and his eight-year-old son had left home the previous morning, 
intending to return the same day. The father had a history of 
depression and alcohol and drug use and had recently been released 
from a drug rehab center. A pending divorce and child custody hearing 
made child abduction a possibility. After a two-hour search, the 
father and son were found 2,000 feet into the cave; they were wet, 
tired, and hungry, but otherwise healthy despite over 24 hours in 
50-degree temperatures. Local media interest was high. The father was 
cited for being in a closed area and cost recovery is being pursued. 
Ranger Todd Roeder was IC.  [Larry Johnson, CR, HAFE]

01-522 - Yellowstone NP (WY) - MVA with Fatality

A visitor died of injuries sustained in an accident near milepost 28 
on Highway 191 on the evening of Saturday, September 22nd. The woman 
was driving her RV north on the highway when it drifted into the 
southbound lane and collided head-one with a tractor-trailer. Park 
staff and local LE and emergency services organizations responded 
immediately. The woman driving the RV, who was that vehicle's sole 
occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene; the driver of the 
tractor-trailer and his passenger were treated at the scene and taken 
to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital for additional treatment. The passenger 
was treated and released, but the driver was admitted with facial 
trauma. The road was closed to all traffic following the accident. It 
was completely reopened by 2 a.m. and remains open to the public. 
Cleanup of diesel fuel from the tractor-trailer is underway. [Public 
Affairs, YELL, 9/23]

                   [Additional reports pending...]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation - Preparedness Level 2

Three national Type 1 teams continue to support FEMA operations in 
Washington and New York. No changes from previous status reports 
appear in today's NICC summary.

Initial attack was light nationally on Sunday. Two more large fires 
were contained. 

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, 
California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Washington 
and Wyoming.

NICC has not issued any fire watches or warnings for today.

Park Fire Situation

Glacier NP (MT) - The Moose fire has burned 69,890 acres and is 45% 
contained; no estimate has been given for full containment. Management 
of the fire will transition from Swope's Type 2 team to Stanich's Type 
2 team. A burnout was conducted yesterday on the southwest corner of 
the fire. Resource commitment: 641 firefighters and overhead; 23 
engines; six helicopters.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/24]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Ambulances in NPS Areas - WASO Ranger Activities is soliciting 
comments from the field on ambulance specifications, safety concerns, 
contracts, and any ideas for improvements. They will be collected, 
collated and forwarded to GSA. This request includes all ambulances 
used in NPS areas - leased or owned, GSA or non-GSA. GSA will be 
soliciting contractors next February and welcomes your ideas and 
comments. Please contact Randy Coffman in Ranger Activities via phone 
or email with your comments. [Randy Coffman, RAD/WASO]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Washington Office (DC) - The announcement for the legislative affairs 
specialist (Bevinetto Fellow) is currently out on USA Jobs as 
NPSWASO-01-087. It closes on October 4th. This position is highly 
recommended for anyone interested in learning about the legislative 
process, with great exposure to workings on Capitol Hill. Please 
submit an application package to your regional office unless you are 
apply from WASO. If you have any questions, please contact the Office 
of Legislative and Congressional Affairs at 202-208-5656. [Elaine 
Hackett. OLCA/WASO]

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MEETING AND EVENTS 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 an event, 
        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 ore revised entries. 

**********************************************************************

September 29: NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY. An annual event in which 
volunteers undertake projects to improve the nation's public lands. 
Contact: National Environmental Education and Training, 202-833-2933. 
[Sheila Lee, NCRC/WASO]

October 3 - 6: NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION ANNUAL 
CONGRESS AND EXPOSITION, Denver, CO. For more information, check 
http://www.activeparks.org. [Sheila Lee, NCRC/WASO]

October 8 - 10: "YELLOWSTONE LAKE: HOTBED OF CHAOS OR RESERVOIR OF 
RESILIENCE," SIXTH BIENNIAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON THE GREATER 
YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM, Mammoth Hotel, Yellowstone NP, WY. The 
conference will focus on a central feature of the greater Yellowstone 
ecosystem's landscape, Yellowstone Lake, where submerged hot springs 
and spires emerge atop the Yellowstone caldera and rare plants and 
evidence of prehistoric peoples erode at the mercy of wind, waves, and 
modern footsteps. The conference is interdisciplinary in nature and 
includes presentations on geology, wildlife, human history, 
archeology, and recreational use around the lake. The conference is 
open to all interested individuals. To register contact AmFac 
Reservations Department - Attn: Tami, P.O. Box 165, Yellowstone 
National Park, WY 82190, or call 307-344-5518 or email to 
tami@travelyellowstone.com. Information, including a preliminary 
agenda, is also available at the conference's website at 
www.nps.gov/yell/technical/conference.htm. [Roger Anderson, YELL]

October 10 - 12: NATIONAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (NLC) MEETING.

October 15: NINTH ANNUAL LINCOLN SYMPOSIUM, Ford's Theatre NHS, 
Washington, DC. The topic of this year's symposium will be the 
conspirators. The program will feature an in-depth look at those 
people who aided and abetted the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The 
symposium is free and open to the public. No advanced reservation is 
required. Seating is available on a first-come-first-serve basis. For 
more information, call the park at 202-426-6924. [Donna Birchard, NCR]

October 29 - November 2: ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL PARK RANGERS 
RENDEZVOUS XXV, Snow King Resort, Jackson Hole, WY. Twenty-fifth 
anniversary Rendezvous, held at the site of the first Rendezvous back 
in 1977. The single/double rate is $85 plus tax. Condos (studio to  
four bedrooms) are available if you want to share accommodations.  
Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-522-KING (mention the group 
name: National Park Rangers). The block will expire three weeks prior 
to the  start of the RR, so reservations should be made early. Check 
the website at www.snowking.com. For details on the program, check 
ANPR's web site at http://www.anpr.org/agenda.htm. 

November 4 - 5: NATIONAL INTERPRETERS WORKSHOP, Des Moines, IA. For 
more information, contact Brook McDonald at brookmcd@ais.net. [Sheila 
Lee, NCRC/WASO]

November 5 - 6: SECOND ANNUAL DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ERGONOMICS 
CONFERENCE, Westfield Marriott, Chantilly, VA. All interested parties 
in the federal, state, local and private sector are invited. 
Conference information can be found at: 
http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/ergowg/conference/. [Tom Cherry, 
FLETC]

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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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