02-608
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Auto Accident Rescue, Life Saved
02-608 - Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - Auto Accident Rescue, Life Saved
J.F.W., 42, of Harriman, Tennessee, was heading south on
Route 441 toward Cherokee on the afternoon of November 18 when he lost
control of his vehicle on the snow- and ice-covered road. The vehicle
plunged 20 feet over a vertical wall, continued down a steep slope for
another 30 feet, then came to rest upside down in the West Prong of the
Pigeon River. J.F.W. suffered serious injuries in the accident. Although
he was able to free himself from the vehicle, he was unable to pull
himself out of the river. The air temperature at the time was below
freezing and the water temperature was about 45 degrees. Ranger Steve
Kloster, a park medic, was first on scene and was able to pull J.F.W. the
rest of the way out of the river and begin medical treatment. By the
time Kloster arrived, J.F.W. had been in the water for 35 to 40 minutes.
Kloster found that J.F.W. was extremely hypothermic and had suffered
fractured ribs, a fractured clavicle, and a six-inch laceration to his
head. J.F.W. was stabilized at the scene; rangers, with the assistance of
Gatlinburg FD personnel, then conducted a technical vertical litter
raise up the embankment and vertical wall to the roadway. J.F.W. was taken
to the University of Tennessee Medical Center by helicopter and admitted
to the neurological intensive care unit in critical condition. The
treatment provided at the scene undoubtedly saved J.F.W.'s life, even
though rangers were hampered by the fact that he spoke only
Chinese.
[Submitted by Rick Brown, District Ranger]
02-609
Independence National Historical Park (PA)
Protest Demonstration
A small group of protestors gathered in the 600 block of Market
Street just north of the new Liberty Bell Center around 7:30 a.m. on
November 25. They gathered to protest what they perceived as
discriminatory hiring practices regarding minority workers and
minority-owned subcontractors. The group blocked traffic on Market
Street in all directions between Fifth and Seventh Streets from 8 a.m.
until noon. This same group has stopped traffic during the morning rush
hour commute in at least three other areas of the city, and has also
been actively demonstrating around the construction site for the
National Constitution Center. Prior to the protest, several members of
this group attempted to shut down the work site by entering the
construction area. They were immediately removed by rangers. City police
and rangers were on-scene during the entire demonstration. No incidents
or arrests were reported.
[Submitted by Ian Crane, District
Ranger]
02-610
Amistad National Recreation Area (TX)
Drug Seizure
An interagency drug interdiction operation conducted on November 21
led to the seizure of 284 pounds of processed marijuana and a vehicle
and the arrest of one man. The drugs were smuggled from Mexico to the
United Sates through the park. They were brought across the lake,
backpacked to Highway 90, then transferred to a load vehicle. After
making their delivery, the backpackers returned to Mexico. The vehicle
carrying the marijuana was stopped on Highway 163 north of Comstock,
where the arrest and seizures were made.
[Submitted by Bruce
Malloy, Chief Ranger]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Concessions Management Program
Proposed Rule for Commercial Use Authorizations Published
The proposed rule for the new commercial use authorization regulation is available for comment in the Federal Register as of today. You may view today's issue at www.archives.gov/federal_register/the_federal_register/indexes.html. The proposed rule will be open for public comment for 60 days. Comments should be sent to Cindy Orlando in WASO.
[Editor's Note: On Friday, an article appeared on the front page of InsideNPS regarding the issuance of the proposed rule. Although the rule was reportedly going to be issued on Friday, its publication was delayed until today.]
[Submitted by Kym Hall, Regulations Program Manager]
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.