02-592
Big Bend National Park (TX)
Lost Hiker Found and Rescued
On November 6, R.T., 68, of Louisiana hiked to the
3,700-foot summit of Talley Mountain with two companions. The trio
reached the summit around noon. At 3 p.m., R.T. left the other two and
headed down the steep and rocky slope alone. His two companions began
their descent one hour later, but were unable to locate R.T. anywhere
along the return route. By sunset, R.T. had not yet returned to their
vehicle. Nighttime lows were forecast in the 30s and R.T. was wearing
only light clothes and had no food and very little water. Rangers were
contacted and a search was immediately begun. A collaborative search
team of park rangers, park volunteers, park trail crew members, and a
search dog team from Terlingua spent the night searching the summit and
slopes of Talley Mountain. Several times they heard distant calls for
help but were unable to locate R.T. in the rough topography. By
sunrise, approximately 50 people were involved in the search, and a
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter was combing the
mountainous terrain. At 10 a.m., the DPS helicopter crew was able to
locate R.T. in the remote foothills of Talley Mountain. He was picked
up and returned to park headquarters. Other than being cold, tired,
sore, and hungry, R.T. was in good condition. While descending the
mountain, R.T. had become disoriented and headed in the wrong
direction, missing his vehicle and hiking companions. Boquillas DR David
Van Inwagen was IC.
[Submitted by Chief Ranger's Office]
02-593
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (DC,MD,WV)
Murder Victim Found in Park
A jogger running along the canal towpath in the Weverton area on the
morning of November 15 discovered the body of an apparent homicide
victim on a river access trail about 30 feet from the path. The man,
subsequently identified as 43-year-old J.R. of Charlestown,
West Virginia, died from a single gunshot wound to his neck. The
passenger side window of J.R.'s van, found just outside the park, was
shattered. The case has been turned over to the Washington County
Sheriff's Office, with the NPS assisting. Leads are being pursued.
[Submitted by Keith Kelley, District Ranger]
02-594
Canyonlands National Park (UT)
Ranger Intervenes in Attempted Suicide, Saves Life
At 11:30 a.m. on November 16, a visitor with a cellular telephone
notified ranger Paul Downey that there was a distraught visitor at Green
River Overlook in the park's Island in the Sky District. The telephone
connection was very poor and Downey was unable to re-contact the
reporting party for additional information. He searched the Green River
Overlook area and located a woman on a narrow and precarious ledge at
the top of a 500-foot cliff at 3 p.m. She said that she intended
to commit suicide and told Downey, who possessed a radio and satellite
telephone, that she'd jump if anyone else came to the scene to assist
him. ICS was put into effect; rangers, a Grand County technical SAR
team, psychologists, and San Juan County deputies were mobilized and
staged. Downey, who is a critical incident stress debriefer, gained the
woman's trust and was able to negotiate a walk-away solution at 9:05
p.m. The woman was then entered into the behavioral health care system.
DR Steve Swanke was incident commander.
[Submitted by Peter
Fitzmaurice, Chief Ranger]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Fire and Aviation Management
GPS for the Incident Command System
Dates: 04/07/2002 - 04/11/2002
Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California
Please note, this same class is also being offered in Tallahassee, Florida, February 24-28, 2003. Please see full announcement for details.
The use of Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers is one of the most efficient methods for capturing fire perimeter data and other incident features. This information can then be used in a Geographic Information System (GIS) for map updates and analysis. There is currently a shortage of Fire and Incident Command Staff with GPS training. Fire Management and Incident Command Staff involved in field activities should have a sound operational understanding of GPS and the ability to plan and execute a GPS mission.
Training Announcement
[Submitted by Charlie Leonard, cleonard@blm.gov, 208-384-3398] More Information...
Fire and Aviation Management
Survey Regarding Fire Equipment Needs Available On-line
November 1, 2002
Subject: Survey: Fire Equipment Needs
To: All Wildland Firefighters
The Fire Equipment Working Team (FEWT) is formed as a working team of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) of the United States Departments of Agriculture and the Interior and the National Association of State Foresters.
The purpose of FEWT is to coordinate fire equipment and chemical needs, development, and implementation between Federal and State agencies. The working team will define specific areas of equipment and chemical needs and priorities which will have the greatest importance to interagency programs.
To help FEWT serve NWCG we would like to request your assistance in updating our national Fire Equipment Development Needs planning information. We are currently gathering information for our third study and are hoping to reach a broad cross section of wildland firefighters nationally.
This questionnaire is a web based form that you can access at this address: http://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/7632/fedn.htm. Your responses to all questions will be kept completely confidential. This information is being gathered solely to help the FEWT of the NWCG evaluate fire equipment needs and set priorities for equipment development. Thank you for helping us gather information about fire equipment needs for all wildland firefighters.
Sincerely
/s/ Paul Solarz
Paul Solarz
Chair, Fire Equipment Working Team
[Submitted by George Jackson, gjackson@fs.fed.us, 406-329-3967] More Information...
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.