NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, May 14, 2002


                           NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, May 14, 2002

                              *** NOTICE ***

Flags are to be flown at half-staff on Wednesday, May 15th, in
commemoration of Peace Officers Memorial Day, pursuant to Public Law
103-322. Flags will return to full staff on Thursday. See "Operational
Notes" below.

INCIDENTS

02-170 - Saguaro NP (AZ) - Assist; Officer in Trouble

While patrolling in the Tucson Mountain District on the evening of May
10th, rangers Carin Harvey and Brian Rutledge heard a "Code 999" call
(officer in trouble) on the Pima County Sheriff's Department radio. County
park police officer John Hale, a former Saguaro seasonal ranger, then came
on the air and broadcast a "Code 952" - an accident with injuries involving
a patrol vehicle - at Gates Pass Road adjacent to the park. Rutledge and
Harvey were first on scene at the two vehicle accident and provided EMS
until paramedics arrived. Hale was flown to University Medical Center in
Tucson, where he received more than 40 stitches to his forehead. He also
suffered a broken ankle, bruised ribs and serious knee damage. The driver
of the other vehicle  suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to
the hospital. Marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found in the other
vehicle, so county officers placed the vehicle's passenger under arrest and
obtained a search warrant for blood and urine tests. Both occupants of the
vehicle tested positive for marijuana and are being charged with aggravated
assault with a deadly weapon (a class two felony), felony criminal damage
(over $20,000), felony endangerment, and DUI narcotics. [Patrick Hattaway,
Acting CR, SAGU, 5/13]

02-171 - Big Bend NP (TX) - Fleeing Felon

On the afternoon of May 2nd, four mounted Mexican state judicial police
agents looking for stolen cattle along the southern bank of the Rio Grande
discovered five acres of marijuana being tended by four men who had set up
a camp and were irrigating the plants with water from the river. A gun
battle ensued; one of the growers was shot in the leg and subsequently bled
to death. The other three escaped, one reportedly across the river into the
park. A .30-.30 rifle was found in the growers' camp. The marijuana patch
was about 20 miles east of the Castolon area and directly south of two
backcountry campsites on the river within the park. Rangers were not
involved in the incident, nor did they find any sign of the fleeing felon.
The Mexican officers did not pursue him across the Rio Grande. [Mark Spier,
LES, BIBE, 5/10

02-172 - San Juan NHS (PR) - Drug Overdose Fatality

The body of a 40- to 45-year-old man was found in the park on May 13th.
There was no evidence of a traumatic death. The coroner subsequently ruled
that the man had died of a drug overdose. His body was found about 300 feet
from La Perla, a high crime and drug use area of the city. Ranger Edwin
Correa lead the investigation. [Edwin Correa, SPR, PR, 5/13]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation

Preparedness Level 2

Initial attack was light again on Sunday. Major fires currently reported
include:

•     Bouquet Fire, Angeles NF (3,890 acres, 60% contained, 812 FF/OH) - A
Type 2 team (Walker) is managing the fire, which is
      burning in heavy brush about five miles north of Saugus, California.
Hot and dry conditions continue to cause extreme fire
      behavior. Numerous cabins in Bouquet Canyon remain evacuated, and the
Rowher Flats ORV area is threatened.

•     Blackjack Bay Complex, Okefenokee NWR (62,200 acres, 0% contained,
183 FF/OH) - Zimmerman's fire use management team
      is operating under a unified command with Georgia and Florida
forestry. Spot fires on the Blackjack 02 fire have been
      suppressed at less than an acre. About two-and-a-half miles of
defensive line have been burned out and held. Smoke is affecting
      several populated areas near the fire.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, California,
Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

National Resource Commitments

                  Sun   Mon   Tue   Wed   Thu   Fri   Sat   Sun
Date              5/5   5/6   5/7   5/8   5/9   5/10  5/11  5/12

Crews             58    68    40    93    51    26    43    33
Engines           83    140   105   125   115   50    124   56
Helicopters       17    21    21    25    15    9     32    22
Air Tankers       0     0     0     0     0     0     0     2
Overhead          399   484   391   727   503   314   418   286
Type 1 IMT        1     2     2     2     2     1     --    --
Type 2 IMT        1     1     1     --    --    --    1     1
Fire Use IMT            1     2     1     1     1     1     1     1

Park Fire Situation

No activity reported.

Park Fire Danger

Extreme - Lake Mead NRA, Everglades NP
Very High - N/A
High - Hawaii Volcanoes NP

[NPS Situation Summary Report, 5/13; NICC Incident Management Situation
Report, 5/13]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

National Peace Officers Week - The annual week commemorating peace officers
began on May 10th. Ceremonies in the District of Columbia will honor 230
officers who died in the line of duty over the past year, including those
72 officers who lost their lives in the September 11th attacks.  September
11th marked the largest loss of law enforcement personnel in a single day.
More than 20,000 police officers, family members and others are expected to
participate in numerous events that will culminate Wednesday in the
National Peace Officers' Memorial Day Service at the Capitol. This service
will pay tribute to all those who have fallen while wearing a badge.
[Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Ranger Activities Division, WASO (DC) - The division is advertising for a
GS-0301-12/13 uniform program manager. The announcement (NPS WASO-02-052)
can be found on USA Jobs on closes on June 6th. Major duties include the
following:

•     Oversees all aspects of the NPS uniform program, and serves as
consultant and advisor to the NPS on uniform issues.
•     Develops NPS uniform policies in consultation with other program
specialists.
•     Oversees a complex, multi-million dollar contract, including
formulation of contracts, contract amendments, and oversight of
      day-to-day contractor operations.
•     Works with other land management agencies who are on the NPS uniform
contract on oversight of the contract and development       of uniform
components.
•     Provides technical advice and operational assistance to regional and
park staffs who administers the program.

This is a challenging position which affords the incumbent with an
outstanding opportunity to deal with complex business operations, employees
from across the agency (up to 17,000 in uniform annually), other federal
agencies, the Department of Interior, OMB and other entities. For further
information on the position, contact current program manager Randy Coffman
at RAD (202-208-6380) or past uniform program manager Bill Halainen
(570-588-2430). [Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO]

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.

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

* Various: DOI APPROVING-OFFICIAL MODULE FOR SMARTPAY CHARGE CARD. In
addition to the mandatory training for eligibility to use the SmartPay
charge card for travel and purchase activities, the SmartPay charge card
intranet training module has been expanded to include a link to the DOI
approving official module - required for employees who are designated as
supervisors for FPPS. Contact: http://www.nps.gov/training, or Jan Gauthier
at 304-535-6402. [Joyce Howe, STMA]

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 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]

* July 1 - 28: MANAGING INTERPRETIVE MEDIA PROJECTS, Oakland, CA. Closes on
May 30th. The seminar will enable parks to effectively manage the planning,
design, fabrication and installation of media projects, either on their own
or in collaboration with the Harpers Ferry Center or a support office.
Contact: Deanne Adams, PWRO, 510-817-1340. [Deanne Adams, PWRO]

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)

                               *  *  *  *  *

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation
and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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