Department of the Interior
Flags To Be Lowered To Half
Staff on Sunday
By direction of GSA and in accord with House
Joint Resolution 42 (PL 107-51) establishing National Firefightes
Memorial Day, all federal offices are to fly their flags at half staff
from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, October 6, 2002.[Submitted by Office
of the Secretary, Department of the Inteior ]
INCIDENTS
02-489
Gulf Islands National Seashore (FL,MS)
Follow-up on Tropical Storm Isidore
The repair bill for the damage inflicted by Tropical Storm Isidore
last week has been tallied at about $5.2 million. In the Florida
District, it will likely cost $1 million to remove 25,000 cubic yards of
sand from the Fort Pickens Road and pump water from the campground.
Repairs to sections of roadway throughout the Florida District will cost
$1.3 million to repair, and the replacement of utility lines and
reconstruction of piers on Horn and West Ship Island in the Mississippi
District could cost almost $1 million. Park staff spent last weekend
gathering fallen debris, cutting hazardous trees, and removing sand
where possible in order to reopen sections of the 150-mile-wide park.
All mainland areas and the Perdido Key Area have reopened, but the Santa
Rosa and Fort Pickens areas in the Florida District and the developed
corridor on West Ship Island in the Mississippi District remain closed
to visitors. A health concern has arisen about the substantial amount of
standing water in and around the park, which provides optimum conditions
for mosquitoes and the spread of West Nile virus.
[Submitted
by Gail Bishop, Public Information Officer]
02-509
Yosemite National Park (CA)
Search Underway for Missing Hiker
A search is underway for 66-year-old W.R., whose car was
found at the White Wolf trailhead on September 30. W.R. likely took
a day hike from White Wolf on or about September 20. Rangers have
determined that he is a fast and strong hiker and that he's in excellent
physical shape. An active search is underway, including issuance of
posters with his photo throughout the area. Efforts are being made to
contact anyone who hiked in the White Wolf area at any time between
September 19 and September 30. Reports should be called in to the parks
communication center at 209-379-1992.
[Submitted by Public
Affairs Office]
02-510
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (AZ,UT)
Drowning; Monoxide Poisoning
The park received a marine band radio report of a missing person in
the Knowles Canyon area on the afternoon of September 28. Halls Crossing
subdistrict ranger Steve Luckesen, Bullfrog ranger Dave Schneider and a
Utah state park ranger responded. They found that K.K. of
Lakewood, Colorado, had disappeared in 40 feet of water while attempting
to clear a tangled rope from the propeller of a private house boat.
K.K. surfaced several times in the compartment under the stern deck
before disappearing. The boat's generator was not running at the time,
but had been shut off only a minute or two before K.K. started diving.
Park divers Pat Horning, Chad Nelson, Rick Moore, Julie Yucker and Eric
Smith made over 80 dives in very rough terrain with zero visibility over
a three-and-a-half day period without finding any sign of K.K.. The
houseboat had been moved before park staff arrived, adding to the
difficulty of the search. K.K.'s body surfaced late on the afternoon
of October 1. Initial lab reports show an extremely high level of carbon
monoxide in his blood. Steve Luckesen was IC.
02-511
Gateway National Recreation Area
Body of Drowning Victim Found
On the morning of September 28, a visitor walking his dog along the
beach at Great Kills Park in the Staten Island District discovered a
man's body on the shore. He had evidently been in the water several
days. There were no obvious signs of trauma on his body. The medical
examiner subsequently identified him as P.S., 21, of Yonkers.
P.S. and a friend had dared one another to swim across the East River
from Brooklyn to Manhattan on September 23. The two got into trouble in
the river's treacherous currents; P.S.'s friend made it to shore, but
he disappeared. The ME has ruled the death an accidental drowning.
[Submitted by Lt. John Marigliano, US Park Police]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Fire Situation
Preparedness Level 2
Initial attack activity was light across the nation on Thursday. Sixty-five new fires were reported. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, California, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon and South Dakota.
National Resource Commitments
| Day |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
Sun |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
| Date |
9/26 |
9/27 |
9/28 |
9/29 |
9/30 |
10/1 |
10/2 |
10/3 |
| Crews |
205 |
229 |
204 |
162 |
130 |
52 |
60 |
18 |
| Engines |
630 |
562 |
458 |
341 |
270 |
156 |
196 |
20 |
| Helicopters |
64 |
57 |
52 |
47 |
37 |
23 |
23 |
10 |
| Air Tankers |
8 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Overhead |
1,172 |
1,270 |
1,318 |
1,222 |
1,189 |
1,097 |
828 |
141 |
National Team Commitments
No incident management teams committed.
Park Fire Situation
No reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Fire and Aviation Management
Technical Fire Management Training
Dates: 12/01/2002 - 02/01/2003
Dates: Announcement opens in December 2002 and closes in February 2003, training dates will be posted soon.
Location: Various NPS locations
OUTREACH FOR TECHNICAL FIRE MANAGEMENT TRAINING
Mark your calendars! The NPS announcement for applications for Technical Fire Management Session 19 will open in December 2002 and close in February 2003.
Technical Fire Management is an intense eighteen month training program designed to provide critical thinking, decision making, and fire management technology skills to our fire management workforce. The target participant is a career or career-conditional NPS employee at the GS-5 to 11 level who intends to pursue a career in fire management. The full benefit of the program can only be realized by those with fire experience. The program is not intended for people with a four-year resource, biological science or fire degree or a significant number of credits in these fields.
This program consists of seven training modules including a final presentation of a paper produced by the student addressing a local issue of concern. National Park Service projects for TFM 17 were "A Cost Effective Analysis of Treatment Options For the Big Nasty Area In Lava Beds National Monument", "A Fuels Treatment Strategy for the Southeast Corner of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Florissant, Colorado", and "Creating Defensible Space for the Crevice Creek Cabin Site: A Mechanical Treatment Strategy". The training modules are as follows: Module I, Math Fundamentals; Module II, Statistics; Module III, Economics; Module IV, Fuels Management; Module V, Fire Ecology; Module VI, Fire and Land Management, and Module VII, Final Reviews.
The program requires a firm commitment from the student, their supervisor, and the home unit. Students will travel to the training location of each module and stay for two weeks. Students will have to dedicate work and personal time to complete assignments and the final project will require weeks of work. The benefits are worth it though. This developmental opportunity provides graduates skill in critical areas that make them more proficient fire managers. Successful completion of all seven modules allows individuals without a college degree, or with a degree in another subject area, to gain 18 of the 24 credit hours needed for the GS-401 Fire Management Specialist series. In addition, students have the option of buying credits from Colorado State University at their own expense.
Funding for tuition and travel is provided by the Fire Management Program Center. The selection process will be via application. Each application is scored at the Fire Management Program Center and final selection is made by NPS Regional Fire Management Officers.
So start honing your math skills and your application then look for the announcement in December! If you have further questions check the Washington Institute's web site at http://www.washingtoninstitute.net/. If you would like to be added to the direct e-mail list for the announcement, contact Chad Fisher, Fire Management Specialist, at Chad_Fisher@nps.gov.
[Submitted by Chad Fisher, chad_fisher@nps.gov]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Big Bend National Park (TX)
GS-6/7/8 Supervisory Telecommunications Operator
The park currently has an opening for a GS-6/7/8 supervisory telecommunications equipment operator. The position is currently advertised on USA Jobs and closes on October 15. The person selected will manage the park communications center and be responsible for all risk communications for law enforcement, SAR, EMS, and fire. Center staff also operate the park's telephone switchboard. The center provides dispatch services to the Border Patrol, Customs and other agencies working in or near the park. The person selected will supervises a minimum of two other telecommunication equipment operators. Shift work is required. Government housing is required and available. This is a potential dual career opportunity, as two protection ranger positions will be announced within the next week. For more information, contact Mark Spier at 915-477-1185.
[Submitted by Mark Spier]
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.