NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, April 30, 2002
- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, April 30, 2002
- Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 05:28:19 -0400
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2002
INCIDENTS
02-134 - Yosemite NP (CA) - EMS/Hazmat Incident
On April 25th, a tour bus transporting students to Yosemite Valley stopped
at Savages Trading Post outside the park and reported that several of the
students were suffering from medical problems. County EMS units responded
and subsequently notified the park that three of the "most critical"
patients had been removed from the bus and were en route to the park
medical clinic by private auto. No further information was provided. Park
EMS staff were subsequently summoned to the Arch Rock entrance station to
deal with medical problems on a bus full of students, but found no bus at
that location. The three "most critical" patients eventually showed up at
the Yosemite Lodge front desk. Two were suffering from breathing
difficulty; the third was okay. Yosemite Valley EMS was summoned and
treated the two students, who had been exposed to an unknown substance. The
location of the bus was not known. Valley fire units were dispatched to
deal with what was now deemed to likely be a hazmat incident. A vague
description of the bus was obtained, and a ranger subsequently found it in
Upper Pines Campground. The substance had already been removed from the bus
by the driver and placed in a baggage compartment. Six other students on
board the bus were complaining of nausea and watering eyes and were
isolated. Firefighters donned breathing apparatus, checked out the bus, and
identified the substance as concentrated holding tank deodorant containing
methyl alcohol and formaldehyde. All six were taken to the clinic, where
they joined the other two victims. Investigators learned what had happened.
A student had entered the restroom aboard the bus and a number of other
students had held the door closed, not allowing him to get out. When he
started suffering from claustrophobia, the students released him, and he
retaliated by throwing the deodorant solution on the others. All the
windows on the bus were closed at the time due to the heavy rain that was
falling, which contributed to the spread and concentration of the fumes.
All eight were released that night. [Aaron Fritzer, IC, YOSE, 4/29]
02-135 - Thomas Stone NHS (VA) - Tornado Damage
A tornado caused extensive damage to the town of LaPlata and environs on
the evening of Sunday, April 28th. An inspection of the site yesterday
morning revealed that the maintenance shop had been leveled, but that the
mansion house and visitor contact station were intact and evidently
sustained no damage. A full damage assessment is underway. [Vidal Martinez,
Superintendent, GEWA, 4/29]
02-136 - Glen Canyon NRA (AZ/UT) - MVA with Fatality
Four-year-old Z.F. was run over by an F-250 four-by-four pickup driven
by her father while sitting on the beach at Bullfrog North Campground on
the evening of April 27th. Ranger Dave Schneider was first on scene and
found that the girl had major traumatic injuries to her head, neck and
chest and was not breathing. Rangers Greg Kouns, Brian Sacia, and Jason
Bowens joined Schneider and performed CPR for 45 minutes; a Classic
Lifeguard helicopter flew in from Page with additional EMS staff. The girl
was subsequently pronounced dead. Witnesses said that she was sleeping in a
low beach chair with a blanket wrapped around her when her father, Walter,
pulled into the campsite and drove over her. Alcohol was a contributing
factor. A joint investigation by the NPS and Garfield County Sheriff's
Office is underway. [Mike Mayer, ACR, GLCA, 4/29]
02-137 - Indiana Dunes NL (IN) - Drug Conviction, Probation Violation
D.B., 22, of Union Mills, Indiana, was issued citations on two
separate occasions in 2000 for possession of marijuana, gift of alcohol to
minors, and contributing to the delinquency of minors. D.B. failed to
pay the fines or appear in court on the two mandatory citations. After
further investigation by the park's special agent, D.B. was indicted and
pled guilty to a charge of misdemeanor possession of marijuana under 21
USC. D.B. was fined $1,000 and placed on supervised probation for two
years. He also paid $250 in fines on two of the prior citations. At the
time of sentencing, the federal magistrate expressed his reluctance to
place D.B. on probation, as he has a prior drug conviction in state
court. The magistrate told D.B.: "There is a bed waiting for you at the
Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago if you violate your probation."
But D.B. nonetheless violated numerous probation conditions, including
several positive drug tests. On April 25th, D.B.'s probation was revoked
and he was sentenced to six months of federal confinement followed by a
year of probation. He was immediately placed in the custody of US marshals
and transported to the federal correctional center in Chicago. [Joni Jones,
ACR, INDU, 4/29]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Fire Situation
Preparedness Level 1
Initial attack was light nationwide on Sunday; no new large fires were
reported. The Snaking Fire in the Pike-San Isabel NF in Colorado has been
fully contained at 2,590 acres. The Type 1 team has transitioned to a Type
3 team.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, New Mexico and
Colorado.
National Resource Status
Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Date 4/23 4/24 4/25 4/26 4/27 4/28
Crews 56 73 41 43 26 26
Engines 148 150 191 137 108 93
Helicopters 16 24 19 17 2 13
Air Tankers 0 0 0 0 0 0
Overhead 351 463 379 378 312 294
Park Fire Situation
Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - The park is currently at Preparedness Level 3 due to
high fire danger. There have been no new major fires, but park crews
assisted the Kaibab NF with initial attack on a one-acre fire on April
28th.
Park Fire Danger
Extreme - N/A
Very High - N/A
High - Everglades NP
[NPS Situation Summary Report, 4/29; NICC Incident Management Situation
Report, 4/29]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Colonial NHP (VA) - Artist Sidney E. King, whose works grace visitor
centers and wayside exhibits in parks from coast to coast, died on April
24th in Milford, Virginia. After being commissioned to complete a series
of paintings for Colonial NHP for the 350th anniversary of the founding of
Jamestown in 1957, King went on to complete over 180 works for the National
Park Service. An obituary from the Richmond-Times Dispatch is available at
http://www.timesdispatch.com/obits/MGBT6BKTI0D.html. [Mike Litterst, COLO]
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TRAINING CALENDAR
This calendar appears every other Monday as an addendum to the Morning
Report. Please note:
• Entries are listed no sooner than FOUR months before a training
course begins, except in cases in which registration dates
close much earlier.
• Brevity in submissions is required and appreciated.
• Please send along web sites for additional information where
possible.
• Asterisks (*) indicate new entries; pound signs (#) indicate revised
entries.
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May - August: NPS FUNDAMENTALS. Courses are scheduled for the period from
May through August. New employees are fully funded to attend NPS
Fundamentals II at Albright Training Center; a session of Fundamentals II
for Experienced Employees is also scheduled to be held in Glacier NP in
August. Experienced employees who completed the Compass II program are
fully funded this fiscal year only for Fundamentals V courses, which are
being held at Mather Training Center. Watch for course announcements on the
Learning Place (http://www.nps.gov/training) under "Training
Announcements," then Universal Competencies."
June 3 - 7: INTRODUCTION TO PARK PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, Mather Training
Center, Harpers Ferry, WV. Closes on May 1st. The course is designed to
provide employees from all disciplines with tools and processes for
analyzing and accomplishing work, and techniques for planning and
organizing work, managing and accounting for funds, and evaluating results.
Contact: Karen Henry at 570-729-8255) or http://www.nps.gov/training .
[Joyce Howe, STMA]
* June 3 - 7: INTRODUCTION TO PARK PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, Big Cypress NP,
Ochopee, FL. Closes on May 1st. The course is designed to provide employees
from all disciplines with tools and processes for analyzing and
accomplishing work, and techniques for planning and organizing work,
managing and accounting for funds, and evaluating results. Contact: LeAnn
Cauthen at 252-473-2111 ext. 140 or http://www.nps.gov/training . [Joyce
Howe, STMA]
June 9 - July 6: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SUMMER INSTITUTE OF HISTORICAL
ETHNOGOGRAPHY, Independence NHP, Philadelphia, PA. An intensive course
designed to teach field methodology in an urban setting. Open to
undergraduate and graduate level students and NPS staff. Participants will
study and practice a variety of field work techniques. The course is of
special interest to NPS employees with responsibility for maintaining park
ethnographic resource inventories. NPS instructors from the archeology and
ethnography program will focus on the management of ethnographic resources
within parks, including the identification of traditionally associated
groups and their practices. Participants will earn six undergraduate or
graduate credits upon successful completion of all requirements. For more
information, go to http://www.summer.umd.edu, send an email to
SPOCatsummer@umail.umd.edu, or call either 301-314-3572 or 1-877-989-SPOC.
For questions about course content, email the institute director, Dr. Tony
Whitehead, at tonylwhitehead@comcast.net or call him at 703-620-0515.
[Doris Fanelli, INDE]
* June 17 - 19: INTERPRETIVE TRAINING INSTITUTE, Appalachian Mountain Club,
Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, Gorham, NH. Closes on May 17th. Cooperative
program which combines the resources and expertise of several agencies
(NPS, FWS, USFS, AMC, NH Fish and Game, Corps of Engineers, NH State Parks)
to provide a unique learning opportunity for natural, cultural and
historical interpreters. Contact: Donna Richardson, Lowell NHP, at
978-970-5020 or at Donna_Richardson@nps.gov. [Donna Richardson, LOWE]
June 24 - 26: FLASHPOINT FOR THE FIXED ASSETS SUBSYSTEM, NCTC,
Shepherdstown, WV. Closes on May 8th. This course is designed for personnel
who are responsible for entering data into the property accountability
system. Contact: Jan Gauthier at 304-535-6215 or
http://www.nps.gov/training . [Joyce Howe, STMA]
July 8 - 12: LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR MANAGERS, FLETC, Glynco, GA. Closes on May
5th. Training on basic law enforcement topics for upper level management
employees with supervisory or oversight responsibility for law enforcement
programs. Contact: Regional employee development officers or the Learning
Place BB for applications; FLETC for further information (912-267-2246,
WASO FLETC-NPS). (Wiley Golden, FLETC)
July 17 - 19: INTRODUCTION TO AUTOMATED NATIONAL CATALOG SYSTEM PLUS
(ANCS+), NCTC, Shepherdstown, WV. Closes on May 6th. The course is designed
for park staff who need training in the use of ANCS+ and focuses on how to
use the system as a collections management tool. Contact: Kathleen Byrne at
304-535-6204, or http://www.nps.gov/training. [Joyce Howe, STMA]
* August 5 - 9: INLAND SAR COORDINATION, Yorktown, VA. Closes on May 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: www.nps.gov/training. [Joyce Howe,
STMA]
* August 12 - 15: OSHA 600, OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH FOR NPS
SUPERVISORS, Harpers Ferry, WV. Closes on June 28th. Contact: Regional
employee development officers or the Learning Place BB for applications;
FLETC for further information (912-267-2246, WASO FLETC-NPS). (Wiley
Golden, FLETC)
* August 12 - November 21: BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR NATIONAL PARK RANGERS
(NPRI-206), FLETC, Glynco, GA. Closes on June 26th. Basic training for
commissioned rangers. Contact: Regional employee development officers or
the Learning Place BB for applications; FLETC for further information
(912-267-2246, WASO FLETC-NPS). (Wiley Golden, FLETC)
August 26 - 28: FLASHPOINT FOR THE FIXED ASSETS SUBSYSTEM, NCTC,
Shepherdstown, WV. Closes on May 8th. This course is designed for personnel
who are responsible for entering data into the property accountability
system. Contact: Jan Gauthier at 304-535-6215 or
http://www.nps.gov/training . [Joyce Howe, STMA]
* * * * *
Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation
and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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