NPS Morning Report - Wednesday, October 3, 2001
- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Wednesday, October 3, 2001
- Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 04:48:12 -0400
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Wednesday, October 3, 2001
INCIDENTS
95-761 - Capitol Reef (Utah) - Follow-up: Resource Thefts
In April, 1995, rangers observed and photographed two people digging
and removing minerals from a remote section of the park. A consent
search of their vehicles led to the discovery of more minerals and
detailed notebooks containing GPS coordinates and travel records.
Ranger Bob Kreiling and special agent Pat Buccello coordinated an
extensive, seven-month investigation involving staff from eight
Colorado Plateau cluster parks and the Bureau of Land Management.
Investigators found that the two were members of a group that sells
rocks and minerals commercially, and that the group collects specimens
from throughout the west, some from parks and public lands. Undercover
operations in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming resulted in purchases of
minerals and an offer to provide larger specimens as soon as they
could be secretly taken from Capitol Reef. One of the sales included
shipment of 500 pieces of selenite to Brazil. On November 16, 1995,
NPS rangers, criminal investigators and a special agent served search
warrants on two Salt Lake area homes and found further evidence of
thefts from parks. They discovered large amounts of rocks and
minerals, Native American remains, drug paraphernalia, a large
quantity of unsecured dynamite, and a backhoe. Extensive work over
subsequent years by Kreiling, Buccello and assistant chief ranger Tom
Cox resulted in grand jury indictments and multiple charges against
three men. On September 10th, J.H., 52, and S.A., 52,
both of Bountiful, Utah, signed plea agreements to mineral theft
charges. J.H. was ordered to pay the park $4,000 in restitution,
sentenced to two years' formal probation, and ordered to forfeit a GPS
unit. A.S. was ordered to pay the park $1,000 in restitution and
sentenced to one year of formal probation. Charges against the third
man, J.S., 54, of Kearns, Utah, are pending. [Ken Kehrer, CARE,
9/27]
01-509 - Servicewide - Follow-up: Terrorist Attacks
The national Type 1 incident management team (Eddie Lopez, IC) will be
demobing from the "Operation Secure Parks" incident on Wednesday,
October 3rd. Steve Holder will be filling in for Rick Gale as agency
liaison until approximately October 12th. Dave Price and Debbie Brown
have been assigned to assist Holder, continue compiling information
from the points of contact, and continue distribution of the daily
report on park closures and restrictions. Holder can be contacted at
202-208-3277 (office) or 703-887-8490 (cell); Price and Brown can be
reached at the same office number or 202-365-6594 (Price's cell).
All orders for NPS resources related to continuing security operations
are to be placed through normal ordering procedures.
The team has completed or assisted with several tasks since it was
called out on September 11th:
o Produced a servicewide emergency resource inventory (law
enforcement rangers, EMS personnel, boat operators,
maintenance mechanics, electricians, plumbers, carpenters,
equipment operators and specific types of heavy equipment) for
the 385 units of the national park system. It is currently in
an Excel spreadsheet, but it will be put into a database
compatible with the Maximo software.
o Compiled and distributed a daily report on the status of NPS
units affected by closures or restrictions due to the
terrorist attacks.
o Provided a thorough evaluation, review and update of the NPS
continuity of operations plan.
o Assisted in completing a risk assessment for the South
Interior Building.
o Developed a draft evacuation plan for the AOC facility in
Reston, Virginia.
o Coordinated the critical incident stress management response
for NPS staff in WASO.
The incident was also tasked with compiling a list of NPS law
enforcement personnel available for detail as an interim sky marshals.
This was part of a nationwide call to federal agencies that had law
enforcement staff. Several names were provided to the Department of
the Interior, but it is anticipated that there will be a call for
additional volunteers. Additional information on the sky marshal
details will be provided at a later date. The team wishes to thank all
involved on this incident for their cooperation and patience. [Kris
Fister, IO, IMT, 10/2]
01-535 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Rescue
On the evening of September 24th, park visitors informed Valley
rangers of distress signals being flashed from high up on the
Mescalito route on El Capitan. Rangers in El Capitan Meadow
communicated with a party about 800 feet down from the top of the
route and determined that a climber was injured and in need of a
rescue. That night, a major thunderstorm hit the park. The next day
the weather cleared and a 13-person rescue team was flown to the top
of El Capitan. Rescuers were lowered to the location of the victim, a
24 year-old French climber who had a separated shoulder that was the
result of a 40-foot swinging fall. She was placed in full spinal
immobilization and then raised to the top. Her partners were able to
finish the climb after being re-supplied by the SAR team. Twenty new
lightning fire starts were discovered the day of the rescue and
competed with the SAR effort for helicopter time. [Steve Yu,
Operations Chief, YOSE, 10/1]
01-536 - National Capital Parks East (DC/MD) - Rescue
U.S. Park Police officers responded to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
on September 29th to deal with a person reported to be in distress.
They found that a man had become lodged in the mud up to his chest in
a marshy area of the park. The man was a community service volunteer
who was helping clean up litter. Eagle One, the Park Police
helicopter, flew to the park and a rescue effort was begun. A "Billy
Pugh" net was lowered to him, but he could not free his legs and was
able to get only halfway into the net. The crew of Eagle One -
sergeant Kevin Duckworth, sergeant Crag Davis, and officer Wright -
had to use extreme caution and care to hoist him up, but were
ultimately able to extract and rescue him. The man was uninjured.
[Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 10/1]
01-537 - Roosevelt-Vanderbilt NHS (NY) - Special Event
On Sunday, September 30th, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill
(www.ervk.org) presented it's annual freedom awards to five
recipients. The awards were based variously on achievements in human
rights, AIDS research/public policy, activism for the disabled, and
community leadership. This year's medallists included Dorothy Height,
Dr. Mathilde Krim, Christopher Reeve, and Joan and Jonah Sherman. The
event was attended by over 300 guests and was handled by park staff
with support from Upper Delaware S&RR and Martin Van Buren NHS. In
this time of tragedy, confusion, and recovery many speakers turned to
quotations from Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt from similar times in
our nation's past:
o "This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive
and will prosper." Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1st Inaugural
Address, March 4, 1933
o "Our strength is our unity of purpose. To that high concept
there can be no end save victory." Franklin D. Roosevelt,
January 6, 1941
o "Once again we are in a period of uncertainty, of danger, in
which not only our safety but that of all mankind is
threatened. Once more we need the qualities that inspired the
development of the American way of life. We need imagination
and integrity, courage and a high heart." Eleanor Roosevelt,
"Tomorrow is Now," 1963
o "The American people have faced other grave crises in their
history - with American courage and with American resolution.
They will do no less today." Franklin D. Roosevelt, September
11, 1941
[Bruce Edmonston, CR, ROVA, 10/1]
01-538 - Great Sand Dunes NM&P (CO) - Special Event
On September 8th, the park held a dedication ceremony to celebrate
last fall's passage of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Act. Senators Wayne Allard and Ben Nighthorse Campbell, representative
Scott McGinnis and other dignitaries attended. The event was held in
the dunes parking lot and included special interpretive programs
throughout the day and a local mariachi band. A shuttle bus system was
used to ease congestion. The event was managed under ICS with rangers
Charlie Peterson and Fred Patton from Mesa Verde and superintendent
Maggie Johnston from Capulin Volcano assisting. Cool, cloudy weather
limited attendance to about 250 people. There were no incidents. Chief
ranger Jim Bowman was IC. [Jim Bowman, CR, GRSA, 9/14]
01-539 - Charles Pinckney NHS (SC) - Special Event
The fourth annual Charles Pinckney naturalization ceremony was held on
Monday, September 17th - the 214th birthday of the Constitution. A
federal judge administered the oath of allegiance to 143 new citizens
from 56 countries. The keynote address was given by South Carolina
senator Arthur Ravenel, Jr. The park received assistance from the
Citadel, the town of Mount Pleasant, the American Legion, Wal-Mart,
the Daughters of the American Revolution, INS, and the US Marshals
Service. The event concluded with an emotional rendition of God Bless
America. Charles Pinckney was one of four delegates from South
Carolina to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and is considered a
principal framer in addition to being a signer. He is credited with at
least 26 ideas that appear in the final draft of the document. [Bill
Martin, PIO, CHPI, 9/24]
[Additional reports pending....]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Fire Situation - Preparedness Level 2
Two Type 1 teams are assigned to FEMA to support operations in New
York City:
o Lohrey's team is managing sector logistical distribution
centers and the logistical warehouse at Pier 36. The
facilities are now being operated around the clock.
o Bateman's team is operating in two separate locations - one
group is at the Duane Street Fire Station and is involved in
activities that include documentation and mapping support; the
other group is at the Javits Convention Center and is checking
in personnel and tracking resources at the World Trade Center
site.
Initial attack was light throughout the nation on Monday. Four new
large fires were reported in the northern Rockies.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona,
California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Texas,
Washington and Wyoming.
Park Fire Situation
Glacier NP (MT) - There's no new information on the Moose fire.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 10/2]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Continuing Resolution - The House of Representatives and the Senate
passed a continuing resolution on Tuesday, September 25th. This joint
resolution (H.J. Res. 65) provides for spending at current levels
through the end of October 16th. No new programming may be initiated.
The president has signed the bill. A continuing resolution is an
action in which Congress enacts legislation authorizing agencies to
continue operating when a budget bill is not passed by October 1st .
Continuing resolutions cover a specific time period and several may be
passed until the regular appropriations are enacted. [WASO Budget]
Medical Standards Program Update - Due to the recent sudden move of
many WASO offices, the medical standards program manager and the
program analyst are now in Room 7408 in Ranger Activities. Both can
both be contacted at 202-208-4301(phone) or 202-208-6756 (fax). [Pat
Buccello, RAD/WASO]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Gulf Islands NS (FL/MS) - The park has reopened the announcement for
the GS-0025-11/12 supervisory protection ranger position in the
Mississippi District. The announcement reopened on October 1st and
closes on the 12th. It has been reannounced to increase the pool of
applicants, so previous applicants need not reapply. The vacancy is
open to current career and career-conditional employees within the
Department of Interior and to CTAP eligibles. The announcement number
is GUIS P01-15A. The position is located in Ocean Springs,
Mississippi, which is along the Gulf of Mexico near Biloxi. Among the
attractions are 26 miles of beaches, casino action, excellent fishing
and hunting, culture, history, and arts. Its schools are rated among
the best in the state. The weather is mild. The person selected will
manage the protection operations of the Mississippi District and also
supervises one visitor use assistant. The park manages several
offshore islands in Mississippi which are only accessible by boat, and
protection rangers are duty stationed at two of these islands. You can
view or download a copy of the announcement on USA Jobs at
www.usajobs.opm.gov or obtain a copy by calling the personnel job line
at 850-934-2601 and requesting that a copy be sent to you. [Kitty
Lewis, GUIS]
* * * * *
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Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the
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