NPS Visitor and Resource Protection
The Morning Report

Tuesday, December 03, 2002


INCIDENTS


02-616
Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
Two Separate Falling Fatalities

Rangers were notified of an overdue hiker on the Bright Angel Trail on the evening of November 28. An investigator interviewed family members and gathered information while a hasty search of the trail was conducted. Additional hasty teams were deployed early the following morning; they were augmented by a park helicopter that searched the area below Plateau Point and north of Indian Gardens on the Tonto Plateau. A spotter on the helicopter located the body about 600 feet below the point. The victim's description matched that of the missing hiker. As rangers began organizing for a recovery operation, dispatch received several reports of a possible fall from the Bright Angel Trail. Rescuers headed down the trail and reached the victim within a few minutes. The person had fallen about 150 feet and suffered fatal injuries. An expanded ICS operation was put into place, with a division supervisor assigned to each incident. Peer counselors were assigned to the family and friends of each of the victims to help them deal with their respective losses and to assist with logistical needs. Rescuers conducted aerial reconnaissance of each site to determine the safest and most efficient way to access, document and extract the bodies. Separate teams were then deployed to document the accident scenes and remove the bodies. Investigations into the causes of the falls are underway. Ranger KJ Glover served as operations chief for the incident.
[Submitted by Hunter Bailey, Incident Commander]



02-617
Biscayne National Park (FL)
Bomb Threat at Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant

Officials at the nuclear power plant at Turkey Point, located just a half mile from park headquarters and bordering the park, received a phone call advising them of a bomb threat to the facility around 10 p.m. on Thursday evening. The land side of the plant was secured, and the Coast Guard was called for assistance in patrolling the water side of the property. The Coast Guard then called the park for assistance, since they couldn't be on scene for 45 minutes. Rangers Tom Rutledge and John Bittner responded and secured the area until it was determined that there was no longer a threat.
[Submitted by Holly Rife, Chief Ranger ]




PARKS AND PEOPLE


Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (NC)
GS-9 Protection Ranger

Dates: 12/02/2002 - 12/09/2002
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park is seeking candidates interested in a lateral transfer into a permanent GS-9 protection ranger position. The selected ranger will be responsible for daily patrol by automobile and foot. The park is located in Greensboro, N.C. and is the site of one of the Revolutionay War's most hotly contested battles fought March 15, 1781. The position includes a wide variety of traditional ranger duties. The park has numerous resource issues that rangers address on a regular basis, including protection of archeological sites, boundary management and heavy visitation. For further information, please contact chief ranger Steve Ware at 336-288-1776.[Submitted by Steve Ware, stephen_ware @nps.gov, 336-288-1776]



Everglades National Park (FL)
GS-9 Protection Rangers

The park is seeking candidates interested in a lateral transfer into permanent full-time GS-9 protection ranger positions throughout the park. Opportunities for details are also available for subject to furlough protection rangers for the busy winter season (December to April). Rangers are regularly involved with hunting and fishing patrols, protection of numerous endangered species, and protection of other nationally significant natural and cultural resources. Most of the park's 1.5 million plus acres are designated as wilderness. Patrols are conducted by motorboat, airboat, vehicle, all-terrain vehicle and on foot. Five positions are available in four of the six districts within the park. The park offers excellent training opportunities and a wide variety of traditional ranger duties. Three positions are required occupancy. For more information, contact chief ranger Bill Wright at 304-242-7730.
[Submitted by Craig Thatcher, Acting Assistant Chief Ranger]




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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.