NPS Morning Report - Monday, October 15, 2001



                        NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, October 15, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-509 - Valley Forge NHP (PA) - Follow-up: Terrorist Attacks

On the afternoon of Saturday, October 13th, local police asked the 
park for assistance in closing a regional bike trail which bisects the 
northern section of the park due to the reported finding of a "white 
powdery substance" dropped in small piles in scattered locations. 
Rangers closed the popular trail and another park trail that parallels 
the Schuylkill River. They were assisted by local fire, EMS and health 
officials. At the same time, hazmat personnel were collecting samples 
and conducting an initial assessment. They quickly determined that the 
material was not hazardous, so the trails were reopened. Investigators 
found that the powder markings were part of a "fox and hound" game in 
which one person on a bike (the fox) gets a head start and marks his 
trail with small piles of a harmless powder that other players (the 
hounds) follow. The part of the game conducted in the park was done so 
without benefit of a permit. The investigation continues. [Scott 
Kalbach, CR, VAFO, 10/14]

01-554 - National Capital Parks Central (DC) - Follow-up: Memorial     
         Evacuation

Friday's Morning Report contained a report on the evacuation of a 
monument in Washington due to cleaning solution fumes which neglected 
to say WHICH monument was evacuated. It was the Lincoln Memorial. The 
name was inadvertently deleted. [Editor]

01-556 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Assist; Gun Battle with Fatality

S.M., a 26-year-old South Carolina man, was killed in a gun 
battle with a West Virginia state trooper in the park on the evening 
of October 10th. The trooper had stopped the vehicle on Highway 41 
near the community of Prince on the suspicion that the driver was 
operating under the influence. After making the stop, the trooper 
brought S.M. back to his cruiser, placed him in the back seat without 
searching or restraining him, then radioed dispatch for an NCIC check 
on the South Carolina registration. He was in the process of filling 
out a written warning for weaving on the roadway when the dispatcher 
came back over the radio with a "hit" for a stolen vehicle out of 
South Carolina. Hearing the dispatcher's report, S.M. bolted out of 
the back door of the vehicle. As he got out of the cruiser, he drew a 
.38 caliber revolver from a shoulder holster and fired at least one 
round at the trooper (two rounds were expended from this revolver), 
hitting the rear window and the door post. S.M. then ran up to his 
vehicle and demanded his other gun from his girl friend, a 14-year-old 
female runaway.  She handed him a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun.  
S.M. then turned toward the cruiser and started firing at the 
driver's compartment where the trooper had been seated.  Three rounds 
hit the cruiser windshield and in the area of the driver's seat. At 
least four other rounds hit the hood. By this time, however, the 
trooper had gotten out and taken a position at the right rear of his 
cruiser, using the vehicle for cover.  A gun battle developed in the 
roadway, with both parties exchanging gunfire.  S.M. then ran to his 
vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee, and sped away. The trooper continued to fire 
at the fleeing Jeep, hitting and shattering the rear window. Ranger 
Harry Perkowski was on patrol in the area less than a mile away at the 
time. He saw the cruiser's blue lights and proceeded that way to 
investigate, then heard the gunshots. Perkowski arrived on scene 
within one minute of the shots being fired. It appeared that the Jeep 
had stopped along the roadway about 200 yards up the road from the 
shooting site. After calling for assistance, Perkowski and the trooper 
proceeded on foot up the road toward the Jeep. Thinking that S.M. had 
exited from the vehicle and fled into the surrounding woods, they 
proceeded with caution. About 20 minutes after the shooting, they 
reached S.M.'s Jeep and found him in the drivers seat, dead. During 
the shootout, the trooper had fired at least six rounds into the rear 
of the vehicle; five of these had entered S.M.'s seat, with three 
hitting him in the back. The 14-year-old female was uninjured in the 
gunfire and had gotten out when it came to a stop. She went down the 
road to a residence and sought help. The residents brought her back to 
the scene. She was detained by the by the state police for questioning 
but has since been released to a youth shelter. Rangers are assisting 
the state police in the investigation.  The follow-up investigation 
has revealed that S.M. had served in the military, that he had a 
background in Special Forces, and that he was also a member of the 
Aryan Nations and had experience with explosives. [Rick Brown, ACR, 
NERI, 10/11]

                   [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. 

Initial attack was light nationwide on Saturday. Very high to extreme 
fire indices were reported in California and Colorado.

Park Fire Situation

No new fires reported.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 10/14]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

National Ranger Activities Council (NRAC) Update - This is the second 
in a series of regular Morning Report updates to keep the field 
informed on NRAC activities. The NRAC was established in June, 1997, 
to provide WASO with field perspective, assistance and recommendations 
on servicewide issues. The council is charged with maintaining 
effective communications both "vertically" and "laterally," and works 
to promote and enhance the professionalism and integrity of ranger 
programs. There are two representatives for each of the seven regions 
plus WASO liaisons. The NRAC held a conference call on September 10th. 
Excerpts from the notes of that meeting follow:

o       Training - The Ad/Operations has asked Dick Martin, 
        superintendent of Sequoia-Kings Canyon, to put together a 
        curriculum for a 40-hour course for superintendents and 
        managers without a resource protection background. Members of 
        NRAC will be participating in development of the course.

o       Natural Resource Challenge Funding - NRAC members discussed 
        probable FY 2002 funding for a new initiative which "would 
        provide for focused projects to identify resources most at 
        risk as well as sources of risk; training; and related tools 
        for prevention and prosecution of poaching, vandalism, and 
        other resource crimes." This funding request was part of the 
        Natural Resource Challenge. The NRAC discussed criteria for 
        selecting proposals and will be working on a draft for further 
        discussion. They also endorsed 2002 funding for two existing 
        projects - the six-course resource stewardship training 
        curriculum and a Blue Ridge/Great Smokies/Shenandoah biome 
        project - and will be preparing a position paper supporting 
        funding for both of them.

o       Training and Development - NRAC is continuing to compile 
        information on ranger training needs for WASO Employee 
        Development. A meeting on this matter is to be held in 
        October.

o       Revisions to GPRA Natural Resource Goals - NRAC has 
        recommended changes to GPRA natural resource goals. Efforts 
        will be made to incorporate them into upcoming GPRA revisions.

o       IACP Report - A draft implementation strategy and a 
        synchronized timetable for implementation of all the reform 
        actions needed over the next several years has been completed 
        and is now under review.

[Curt Sauer, Chair, NRAC]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Boston NHP (MA) - The park has several positions now open for 
long-term seasonal law enforcement rangers at the GS-5 and GS-7 
levels. Candidates must possess a valid seasonal (type II) law 
enforcement commission. The park will also be recruiting for 
additional type II commission 30-day emergency hires, and may have 
openings for detail assignments for subject-to-furlough LE employees 
at the GS-5, GS-7, or GS-9 levels. Government housing may be 
available. If you're interested, please call Phyllis Coppola at 
617-242-5618 or via cc:Mail [Phyllis Coppola at NP-BOST] or the 
Internet [Phyllis_Coppola@nps.gov). [John Lynch, BOST]

Olympic NP (WA) - The park is recruiting for a GS-1101-7/9 supervisory 
revenue and fee business analyst. The announcement, which closes on 
October 25th, can be found on USA Jobs at 
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/wfjic/jobs/IW8012.HTM. [Loretta Commet, 
OLYM]

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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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