- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, August 20, 2002
- Date: Tues, 20 Aug 2002
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2002
INCIDENTS
[NOTE: Every summer, incident reports get backed up because the volume
coming in exceeds the amount of time available for preparation of the
Morning Report. All but one or two of those that have been pending
appear in this issue - including one sent in by Kris Eggle on August
5th, just four days before his tragic death. The report only resurfaced
this weekend. It appears below and is followed by another, similar
report from the park's chief ranger.]
02-371 - Baltimore-Washington Parkway (MD) - Follow-up: Park Police
Officer Killed
Additional information has been obtained regarding the Hakim A. Farthing
Foundation. If you would like to make a donation to the foundation,
please send your contribution to Commerce Bank - Clementon Office, c/o
Pat Metelski, 1235 Blackwood Clementon Road, Clementon, NJ 08021. The
phone number for the bank is 856-627-3700. The account number is
7855215971; the account manager is Pat Metelski. [Debbie Stewart, USPP]
02-391 - Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP's (CA) - Major Search in Progress
On the afternoon of August 16th, E.S., 25, an off-duty
seasonal Forest Service employee working on a frog research team in
Dusty Basin, departed his base camp for a solo climb of Mt. Winchell.
E.S. left a hand-written note in camp regarding the climb, which was
found by a co-worker. The co-worker contacted E.S. by two-way radio
while he was climbing toward the summit. E.S. told her that he'd call
when he reached the top; when she tried to reach him an hour to an hour
and a half later, though, she was unable to raise him. E.S. was
reported overdue on the morning of the 17th. A major search is now in
progress. Involved are personnel from Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP's,
Yosemite NP, and the Inyo NF, the California Highway Patrol Air
Operations, YOSAR dog teams, and the Inyo County Sheriff's Office
Mountain Rescue Team. DR Kinsey Shilling is incident commander. [Bob
Wilson, LES, SEKI[
02-392 - Great Smoky Mountains NP (TN/NC) - Serious Employee Injury
Park firefighter Carly Pearson took a fall and injured her back while
fighting a fire in the Tiller Complex in Oregon on Saturday, August
17th. She was taken to the Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford,
Oregon, where she will remain for a week or more before returning to
Tennessee. She will have surgery on her back today. The surgery is
expected to last about eight hours; the objective is to stabilize/repair
crushed vertebrae in her lower back. Her parents and fiancée, Southeast
Region wildland-urban interface specialist Clint Cross, are with her.
Flowers and cards can be sent to her at Rogue Valley Medical Center,
2825 East Barnett Road, Medford, OR 80204. [Mark Taylor, GRSM; Ken
Garvin, SERO]
02-393 - Organ Pipe Cactus NM (AZ) - Drug Interdiction
On August 3rd, rangers discovered evidence that narcotics backpackers
had entered the U.S. on foot in a remote area of the park. Two rangers
tracked the backpackers approximately seven miles before the group split
into two sections. Rangers tracked part of the group for another two
miles and arrested four suspected scouts with the assistance of Arizona
National Guard and U.S. Customs helicopters. The next morning, rangers
resumed tracking the other part of the group. With assistance again
provided by the Arizona National Guard helicopter, they were able to
apprehend three backpackers and seize their two-way radio and the
contraband they were carrying - about 493 pounds of marijuana. The case
and evidence were transferred to Customs. [Kris Eggle, Park Ranger,
ORPI]
02-394 - Organ Pipe Cactus NM (AZ) - Drug Interdiction; Illegal
Immigrants
During the month of July, rangers were involved in a number of drug
smuggling incidents:
* Saturday, July 6th - Rangers and Customs offers seized 192 pounds
of marijuana in the park's backcountry. Six backpackers were arrested.
* Sunday, July 7th - Rangers stopped a vehicle at the Border Patrol
checkpoint on the park's north boundary for registration violations.
There was reason to believe that it also contained contraband; after
obtaining consent to search it, rangers found two parrots hidden in
tennis shores that had been smuggled through the port of entry. The case
was turned over to the Fish and Wildlife Service for investigation of
Lacey Act violations.
* Saturday, July 13th - During a traffic stop for equipment
violations, rangers found and seized 39 pounds of marijuana hidden in a
vehicle's gas tank. Customs officers and a canine unit assisted.
* Wednesday, July 24th - Rangers seized five backpacks with 210
pounds of marijuana and arrested one man on BLM land after the smuggler
and his group had passed through the park's backcountry. Customs and
Border Patrol assisted.
* Sunday, July 28th - Rangers seized 11 backpacks containing 530
pounds of marijuana and arrested seven men on the Tohono O'odom
Reservation after they'd crossed through the park's backcountry. Three
other agencies assisted. Two of those arrested had prior histories of
smuggling and had served prison time.
These seizures bring the total amount of marijuana confiscated this year
to 11,246 pounds. Rangers had arrested 75 smugglers through the end of
July. The Border Patrol also stopped and detained 50 undocumented aliens
during July. In one case, a pickup truck was stopped by rangers. The
driver and passenger bailed out with the vehicle still running and in
gear. Ranger Bo Stone jumped in from the passenger side and stopped the
vehicle as it was encountering oncoming traffic. There were seven adults
and a small child in the bed of the truck. [Dale Thompson, CR, ORPI]
02-395 - Rocky Mountain NP (CO) - Multiple Search and Rescue Missions
Park personnel participated in a number of SAR missions in late July:
* Wednesday, July 24th - Rangers received a report of two overdue
19-year old women. The pair had told friends that they were going to
hike the Estes Cone trail, and were reported missing 10 hours after they
were to return to their residence. Hasty teams were deployed along with
two dog teams from Boulder County SAR. The women ended up hiking out to
a nearby residence at 2 a.m. They apparently lost the trail during their
return trip and hiked off-trail in a steep, densely forested area.
Neither was injured. A total of 14 people from the park and Boulder
County SAR were involved in the search. Jim Detterline was IC.
* Thursday, July 25th - Rangers responded to a report of an injured
nine-year-old at Lake of Glass. The boy apparently slid on a snowfield,
struck a rock, and sustained head and back injuries. A hasty team of two
rangers was flown into the area to stabilize, package and provide
initial medical aid to the victim. Due to weather constraints, the
helicopter was unable to return, so a litter team hiked into the area
and evacuated the boy by ground. The litter carryout included one
technical lowering near Timberline Falls and a four-mile hike. The
nine-year-old was transported to Estes Park Medical Center by ambulance.
Kurt Oliver was IC.
* Sunday, July 28th - A 32-year-old Energy, Illinois, man sustained
significant injuries in a fall on Longs Peak. The solo hiker was
attempting to summit the 14,255 foot peak via the Keyhole, a route that
is often non-technical during summer. After passing through the Keyhole
formation near 13,000 feet, the hiker strayed off the normal route and
fell approximately 50 feet while scrambling up steep rock. After
regaining consciousness, he crawled several hundred yards back through
the Keyhole and down to the Agnes Vaille shelter, a historic rock
structure near the base of the north face. Upon receipt of a cell phone
report from passing hikers, rangers responded to the scene via foot. A
Llama helicopter was temporarily released from the nearby Big Elk fire,
flying a medical team of three rangers/medics to nearby Battle Mountain,
about two-and-a-half miles from the scene. High winds precluded landing
any closer. Following this initial flight, it was necessary for incident
personnel to release the helicopter to respond to a smoke report east of
the park. Remaining rescue personnel and equipment responded via foot, a
distance of six miles and a 4,000 foot elevation gain. Rangers
stabilized the victim and carried him by litter to a landing zone in the
Boulderfield. A window of favorable weather and wind conditions allowed
an air ambulance helicopter from Denver to land and transport the
patient to a Fort Collins hospital. The man was admitted with multiple
severe injuries. The incident involved twenty persons from the park and
ten volunteers from Larimer County SAR. Mark Magnuson was IC.
* Monday, July 29th - Rangers responded to a report of an ill hiker
on the Longs Peak trail. The 19-year-old male from Estes Park had become
ill while hiking toward the Keyhole route near Granite Pass. The hiker,
who had a history of asthma, became nauseous with associated vomiting
and generalized weakness. A litter team was deployed to the scene and
evacuated him five miles to the trailhead. He was flown by ambulance to
Estes Park Medical Center. Mark Magnuson was IC.
All of these incidents occurred while the Big Elk Fire was burning
outside but adjacent to the park. While rescues of this kind and
frequency are not unusual during the summer at the park, they did
stretch park resources. Park staff, assisted by local SAR organizations,
handled all incidents in a safe and skilled manner. [Bob Love, ACR,
ROMO]
02-396 - Boston NHP (MA) - Structural Fire
On August 13th, rangers investigated a report of smoke issuing from Pier
2, a historic structure in the Charlestown Navy Yard. They found that
the structure, which houses a local youth rowing program, was in flames.
The fire consumed the entire building, destroying everything inside. No
one was present in the building at the time of the fire, but a local
officer was treated for smoke inhalation and is expected to make a full
recovery. The fire occurred at high tide, which permitted the Boston FD
fire boat to quickly attack the fire, thereby saving other structures
and the pier itself. The U.S.S. Constitution, which is berthed at Pier
1, was not in jeopardy at any time during the incident. Park staff and
an arson unit from the state fire marshal's office are investigating the
fire, which is suspicious in origin. [Glenn Van Neil, SA, BOST]
02-397 - Hawaii Volcanoes NP (HI) - EMS Response; Life Saved with AED
The first recorded save with an AED (automated external defibrillator)
in an NPS unit on Hawaii occurred on July 21st. A 67-year-old man was
walking on a paved road near the current eruption site when he suffered
a heart attack. An off-duty nurse and physician who were in the area
began CPR within a few moments. About five minutes later, rangers
arrived on scene with a Lifepak 500 and delivered three series of shocks
to the patient. After the third shock, his pulse and breathing returned.
A county ALS ambulance arrived on scene about 40 minutes after the
incident occurred and transported him to the hospital, where he was last
reported to be in stable condition. [Phil Akers, EMS Coordinator, HAVO]
02-398 - Yellowstone NP (WY/MT/ID) - Commercial Vehicle Inspections
The Protection Division conducted commercial vehicle safety inspections
at two areas within the park on July 23rd and 24th. Inspections were
conducted at the Old Faithful developed area and on U.S. Highway 191 on
both days. During the two-day operation, 95 commercial vehicles,
primarily tractor-trailers, were inspected on U.S. 191. Twenty-nine
commercial vehicles were placed out of service for mechanical problems
and four vehicle drivers were placed out of service for driver specific
violations. Rangers issued 29 citations for a range of charges,
including mechanical problems, hazardous materials compliance and
illegal alcohol storage. Just over a third of all commercial vehicles
inspected on U.S. 191 were placed out of service for significant
mechanical and/or driver problems. Seventy commercial vehicles,
primarily buses, were inspected at Old Faithful during the two-day
period. Eight commercial vehicles were placed out of service for
mechanical problems and one vehicle driver was placed out of service.
Seventeen citations were issued for charges that included mechanical
problems, hazardous materials compliance and lack of proof of vehicle
insurance. Thirteen percent of all commercial vehicles inspected at Old
Faithful were placed out of service for significant mechanical and/or
driver problems. The Wyoming Highway Patrol, Montana Highway Patrol and
the Montana Department of Transportation provided certified inspectors
for the operation. On-site assistance was also provided by the park
VIP's, the Department of Transportation, Montana Department of
Livestock, Missouri River Drug Task Force and the Bozeman Police
Department. Due to the high number of safety violations discovered
during the inspections, a random schedule of additional safety
inspections is planned for the future. [Chris Fors, SA, YELL]
02-399 - Yellowstone NP (WY/MT/ID) - Sexual Assault
Rangers and special agents from the Mammoth Subdistrict began
investigating a reported sexual assault on May 4th. A 21-year-old
concession employee reported being sexually assaulted while unconscious
from the effects of alcohol the previous weekend. Witnesses reported
seeing the victim in an incapacitated state with the suspect and being
carried and dragged by the suspect to his dormitory room. During the
subsequent investigation, the suspect admitted having sexual relations
with the female while she was semi-conscious and vomiting profusely from
the effects of alcohol. Steven Bryan Hall, 40, of San Francisco and
Yellowstone was arrested and charged with one count each of 18 USC 2242
(2)(a) and 18 USC 2242 (2)(b), both felony sexual abuse violations. Hall
was detained without bond by the U.S. magistrate-judge and transferred
to the custody of the U.S. marshal. Hall was indicted by a federal grand
jury on May 9th and was to be tried on July 29th. [Chris Fors, SA, YELL]
02-400 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Body Recovery
On Monday, July 29th, the Corps of Engineers and the West Virginia
Division of Natural Resources requested the assistance of rangers with
an NPS rescue boat and a side-scan sonar unit to locate a drowning
victim in Bluestone Lake, which adjoins Bluestone National Scenic River.
The victim, N.N. of Alexandria, Virginia, drowned while
swimming from a rented boat on July 28th. The drowning occurred in
approximately 30 feet of water. Visibility for divers was almost zero
due to turbulence in the water. Two rangers from New River Gorge NR -
Sandy Shuck and Mike Foster - located N.N.'s body in 27 feet of
water around noon on July 30th by utilizing the sonar unit. [Duncan
Hollar, ACR, NERI]
02-401 - Gulf Islands National Seashore (MS/FL) - Drowning
A 13-year old boy, J.K., drowned by the south beach of West Ship
Island on Saturday, August 10th. The boy and his family were visiting
Ship Island and reside in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. J.K. had been in the
surf outside the designated swim area and did not know how to swim. An
announcement was made on the concession ferry to the island warning
visitors of the surf conditions. The seas were five- to six-feet high in
the Gulf of Mexico at the time. A Coast Guard vessel and helicopter,
state marine enforcement vessels, and Harrison County Sheriff's Office
deputies and their dive team assisted NPS rangers Lance Twombly, Jim
Graves, and Ben Moore in the search. The body had not yet been found
and search efforts were continuing at the time of the report last week.
[CRO, GUIS]
02-402 - Natchez Trace Parkway (MS/AL/TN) - Drug Seizure
On the afternoon of August 10th, Ridgeland ranger Joe Mangino stopped a
vehicle on the parkway near milepost 125 for traffic violations. Mangino
noticed the odor of raw marijuana when he approached the vehicle. A
consent search led to the discovery of a one-pound brick of marijuana
under the driver's seat. The driver, subsequently identified as Victor
Dozier of Canton, Mississippi, initially provided a false name. Further
investigation revealed Dozier's true identity and that he had a warrant
out for his arrest for possession of cocaine while in possession of a
firearm. The Madison County Sheriff's Office served the warrant; state
charges are pending. [Jackie Henman, ACR, NATR]
02-403 - Redwood N&SP (CA) - Apparent Suicide
On August 13th, rangers investigated a rental vehicle that had been left
unattended at the High Bluff overlook for two days and determined that
it was to have been turned back in on July 29th. A search was begun for
the driver; participating were rangers, local SAR personnel and
California Highway Patrol officers. Searchers found the driver's body on
a rock near the ocean about a half mile south of the overlook just after
noon. Evidence indicates that the 50-year-old victim died from a
self-inflicted gunshot wound. [Scott Wanek, CR, REDW]
02-404 - Sleeping Bear Dunes NL (MI) - Drowning
The Benzie County Sheriff's Department received a 911 call reporting a
possible drowning in Lake Michigan at the Esch Road Beach on the
afternoon of August 18th. The sheriff's department in turn notified the
park. The 61-year-old man was first seen in distress about 50 yards
offshore at 1 p.m., but rescuers couldn't reach him due to a strong
undertow. Visitors were able to remove him from the water by using an
inflatable ring about 45 minutes later. CPR was not begun. Park staff
were on scene a few minutes after 2 p.m., but did not attempt
resuscitation. The cause of death has been ruled to have been accidental
drowning. The man, who was evidently alone when the accident occurred,
has been tentatively identified from his driver's license, found on the
beach with other personal items. [Roger Moder, CR, SLBE]
02-405 - Sleeping Bear Dunes NL (MI) - Marijuana Cultivation
Last November, a hunter found what appeared to be a marijuana plantation
off the Old Indian Hiking Trail. Rangers were advised and subsequently
found a dozen five-gallon buckets containing the remains of harvested
marijuana stalks. When the site was checked again this summer, marijuana
was again found to be under cultivation. The park requested assistance
from the Traverse Narcotics Team (TNT), a multi-agency regional
narcotics team. Within two weeks, they'd identified a suspect. On
Friday, August 15th, Gregory Hunt of Frankfort, Michigan, was arrested
as he tended his plants. He'd been growing a total of 26 plants with a
street value of $26,000. The plants were again grown in buckets so that
Hunt could move them around. A small amount of marijuana was found in
Hunt's home. [Roger Moder, CR, SLBE]
[Additional reports pending. . . . .]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Fire Situation
Preparedness Level 5
The preparedness level has gone back up to PL 5 again due to
intensifying fire activity. Preparedness Level 5 goes into effect when
the following conditions are met: Several geographic areas are
experiencing major incidents which have the potential to exhaust all
agency fire resources. A total of 550 crews are committed nationally.
Initial attack was heavy in the eastern Great Basin but light elsewhere.
Five of the 281 newly- reported fires became large fires; another five
large fires were contained.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in the following states:
* Continued from yesterday - Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho,
Kansas, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon,
Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
* Added since last report - Rhode Island.
* Removed since last report - None.
National Resource Commitments
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon
Date 8/12 8/13 8/14 8/15 8/16 8/17 8/18 8/19
Crews 503 481 502 502 478 466 622 520
Engines 754 635 614 703 718 822 971 965
Helicopters 140 135 140 164 146 160 180 179
Air Tankers 7 4 11 10 8 3 3 2
Overhead 3,707 3,762 3,505 3,821 3,514 3,313 4,613 4,465
Area Commands 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Type 1 IMT 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 7
Type 2 IMT 5 5 9 9 11 13 13 10
T1/T2 S/IMT * 0 0 1 1 3 5 6 6
Fire Use IMT 0 0 2 1 3 3 3 3
* Type 1 and Type 2 state incident management teams
# Information not available
National Fire Warnings and Watches
NICC has posted the following for today:
* A RED FLAG WARNING for strong winds and low relative humidity for
western Utah.
* A FIRE WEATHER WATCH for strong winds, low relative humidity and
dry lightning for southwest Wyoming and southwest South Dakota.
Park Fire Situation
Mount Rushmore NM (SD) - The Battle Creek Fire (7,859 acres, 20%
containment) is burning about two miles northeast of the town of
Keystone on the Black Hills NF. The fire has crossed Highway 16 to the
northwest and it is reported that the town of Keystone and the park have
been notified to evacuate. The fire has been active on the northwest and
southeast portions of the fire. Strong winds have been moving the fire
to the northwest. Heavy smoke and haze is present in the area.
Firefighters were pulled off the fire yesterday afternoon due to the
erratic winds.
Shenandoah NP (VA) - The Crimora Mines Fire (approximately two acres)
was reported late yesterday. The fire is burning in the southern area of
the park in steep, rocky terrain. Some torching (one to two foot flame
lengths) has been observed.
Gateway NRA (NJ/NY) - A small fire (less than 1/10 acre) was suppressed
in the Sandy Hook Unit of the park. The fire was located on the bayside
near a parking area.
Big Hole NB (MT) - The Sheep Creek Fire (1,200 acres) is in the vicinity
of the park and 15 miles northwest of Wisdom. The park visitor center
has reopened, but trails remain closed. Highway 43 is open, smoky
conditions exist and traffic is led by a pilot car periodically.
Sunset Crater NM (AZ) - The Fence Fire (75 acres, lightning start),
which is burning on the north side of the park, grew rapidly on Monday
due to erratic winds. Torching was also reported. The fire is burning in
heavy timber and downed logs and is producing noticeable smoke.
Walnut Canyon NM (AZ) - The Soon Fire (lightning start) is burning 200
yards south of Walnut Canyon (south side of the canyon) on Forest
Service lands. A Type II crew is working on hand lines. The fire is
creeping through grass and undergrowth.
Wupatki NM (AZ) - The human-caused Antelope Fire is estimated at 1,800
acres, with approximately 1,600 acres estimated to be on NPS lands and
the remainder on the Coconino NF. Containment was achieved at 6 p.m. on
Friday and control was expected by yesterday evening. Approximately 300
archeological sites have been exposed.
Yellowstone NP (WY/ID/MT) - The Phlox Fire (estimated at 3,000 acres)
has been active due to strong west winds. A large convection cloud was
visible and smoky conditions have been noted in Jackson and Cody.
Burning is occurring to the east and southeast in unburned heavy timber
along with large dead and downed materials. Weather stations are
installed and two camps are in place with two monitors each. The Broad
Fire (9,140 acres, 95% containment) showed no activity.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP's (CA) - The Slide Fire is still active and
is being managed along with two other fires as wildland fire use fires.
The McNalley Fire (142,815 acres and 87% contained) is on the Sequoia
National Forest.
Yosemite NP (CA) - The Wolf Complex is being managed as a wildland fire
use complex. Smoke from the fire is visible from Tioga Road near Siesta
Lake. Another seven fires are burning but are relatively inactive.
Denali NP (AK) - Some smoke was observed from the interior of the Moose
Lake Fire (117,575 acres - 56,599 acres within park boundaries) and
along some portions of the eastern flank. The John Hansen Lake Fire
(20,080 acres) was not monitored. There are two other fires burning in
the vicinity of the park totaling approximately 154,000 acres.
Noatak NP (AK) - The Cottonwood Bar Fire (10,993 acres) was not
monitored. The fire is not staffed.
Additional Information
For additional information on all fires, check the following web sites:
Map of fire locations - http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/firemap.html
Details on all current major fires - http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf
Fire news and fire year in perspective - http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report; Judy Chetwin, Fire
Information Desk, NIFC]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Entrance Fee Waiver on Founders Day - There will be NO waiver of fees on
August 25th, Founder's Day. Fees were waived on the weekend of June 22nd
and 23rd in support of President Bush's "Healthier U.S." initiative.
This was done in lieu of the annual fee free day in August. [Jane
Anderson, RAD/WASO]
Uniform Program Closeout - The annual closeout of the uniform program
for the current fiscal year is nearly upon us. August 31st is the last
day to order uniform items from Uniform Solutions. The deadline for
submission of orders is 3 p.m. Central Daylight Time on that date. The
month of September is used by the contractor and the National Park
Service to complete and update inventories, reconcile accounts and pay
final bills before the fiscal year ends. Ordering for FY 2003 will begin
in October. [Mark Forbes, Acting Uniform Program Manager]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
FLETC Update - National Park Ranger Integrated Training Program Class
204 (NPRI-204) graduated from the Federal Law Enforcement Training
Center on August 15th. Immediately prior to the graduation ceremonies,
class members, assisted by the member of the NPRI-205 and NPRI-206
classes and sergeant George Davis of the US Park Police Academy staff,
placed wreaths for ranger Kris Eggle and officer Hakim Farthing at
FLETC's law enforcement officers memorial. The wreath ceremony was
attended by a large gathering of center and participating organization
staff who came to honor Kris and Hakim. Training manager Tom Cherry was
the keynote speaker. USPP agency representative captain Kathy Lanata,
and USFWS national refuge system agency representative Jerry Kuykendall
assisted in the presentation of graduation certificates and credentials.
As the third class to receive training under the new six day work-week
program, the rangers established some very high standards for subsequent
classes, with superior individual and group achievements. David Linville
(NATR) and Jason Johnson (LARO) tied for the top driver award with
perfect 300 scores, while five other rangers also received a perfect 300
score. Rangers Keith Gad (EVER) and Richard T. Moore (YELL) both
received the distinguished fitness award (equivalent to the 500 score)
on the PEB, while six other students received fitness awards (equivalent
to scoring above 95%) on the PEB. Keith Gad was also the high firearms
expert with a 296 out of a possible 300 points; he was joined by four
other rangers who qualified as expert shooters. Lucas Johnson (NATR) was
the class scholar with an outstanding 98.40 FLETC academic average. He
was joined by one other ranger who scored above 95% in the FLETC
academic portion. John Bowie (BICY) received the class nomination for
the FLETC Director's Award as the outstanding ranger of the class.
Richard T. Moore was also the class honor graduate, based on his
achieving at least a 95% score in all phases of FLETC training without
remediation. Lucas Johnson also received the NPS Director's Award,
which recognizes the graduating student who achieved the highest overall
average in all integrated training phases without remediating any
practical exercises. Lucas' final overall average was an outstanding
98.867 score. A total of eight rangers scored above the 95% level in the
overall scoring, while 19 out of 20 rangers finished with an average
above 90%. The class average was an amazing 94.136. Congratulations to
NPRI-204 on a job well done. [Don Usher, WASO-FLETC]
Jean Lafitte NHP&P (LA) - The park has a merit promotion opportunity out
for a GS-1640-09 facility management specialist. The position is open to
all federal employees. The duty station is at park headquarters in New
Orleans. Responsibilities include assisting in project planning and
construction management, financial planning, and regulatory oversight
for parkwide facility management programs. Also serves as the FMSS
program manager. The position is on USA Jobs as JELA-02-19 and closes on
September 9th. [Brian Strack, Facility Manager, JELA]
Yosemite NP (CA) - The park is seeking four qualified GS-7/9 protection
rangers interested in immediate lateral transfer to Yosemite's Hetch
Hetchy area. These positions will be located in a challenging and
diverse work environment encompassing extremely rugged wilderness and
complex frontcountry. Three subject-furlough positions will be
responsible for daily law enforcement patrols by vehicle, foot, horse
and boat, and will perform all emergency services, including site
security for the city of San Francisco's dam and water infrastructure,
EMS, search and rescue, and structural and wildland fire protection. The
forth position is permanent-full time and will assist with the
day-to-day operational supervision of the subdistrict in law
enforcement, patrol and emergency services. Candidates should have or be
able to attain experience and skills in wilderness patrol, winter travel
and survival, motorboat operation, EMS (park medic training may be
available), and stock experience (mounted training opportunities may be
available). SAR, fire and ICS experience are a plus, with training
opportunities in these fields available. The candidates must be
energetic, fit, and capable of working in a busy and diverse year-round
multi-faceted protection and emergency services operation. All
candidates must currently hold a level I law enforcement commission or
possess a level II commission and meet all qualifications to attend
FLETC basic training, including current LBI, RM-57 health clearance, and
current (within six months) PEB results. Furloughs are projected to be
two weeks annually through May of 2004. All positions are required
occupant and some extremely attractive housing opportunities are
available. For more information contact Canyon Ranch SDR Greg Lawler at
209-379-1928 or 379-1897, or Mather DR Dave Lattimore at 209-379-1897.
[Dave Lattimore, YOSE]
Santa Monica Mountains NRA (CA) - The park is advertising for a
GS-025-9/11 protection ranger position. The announcement number is
SAMO-02-16 (MP); the closing date is September 4th. For information
about the park or the position, please contact Marina Briones- Dirk,
human resources specialist, at 805-370-2320 or Evan Jones, chief ranger,
at 830-370- 2305. The person selected will be responsible for all law
enforcement activities within the San Vicente District and will report
directly to the chief, Branch of Law Enforcement. She/he provides
overall management for the district operations, including first-line
supervision, direction and coordination of 6c-designated primary law
enforcement park rangers in rigorous positions (three to four permanent
rangers and up to four seasonal park rangers), including the selection,
training, counseling, and evaluation of employees. He/she manages the
district budget and assists in the formulation and review of short- and
long-range planning documents, guidelines and SOP's. Program
responsibilities include law enforcement, resource protection, safety,
emergency medical care, search and rescue, wildland fire suppression and
pre-suppression, backcountry use, special park uses, recreation use
fees, visitor assessments, and impact statements. She/he must be able to
obtain a full authorities NPS commission. [Bryan Sutton, SAMO]
* * * * *
Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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