Everglades National Park (FL)
Additional Information on Concession Boat Sinking
The Panther I, a park concession tour boat operating out of
the Gulf Coast District, sank in Indian Key Pass around 3 p.m. on
Monday, December 30. Ranger Keith Gad was first on scene. Gad and
several commercial and private vessel owners retrieved and transported
the boat's 33 passengers to the Gulf Coast ranger station, where they
were treated with assistance from Collier County EMS. Injuries have been
reported. An extensive investigation is underway by the park, Coast
Guard and NTSB. Kieffer Gier is IC.
[Submitted by Craig Thatcher,
Acting Chief Ranger]
Appalachian National Scenic Trail (CT,GA,MA,MD,ME,NC,NH,NJ,NY,PA,TN,VA,VT,WV)
Hiker Falls to Death from AT in Maine
On January 2, J.P., 47, of Hampden, Maine, fell to his death
while hiking along an icy section of the Appalachian Trail within Gulf
Hagas, a rugged gorge that is part of and adjacent to the trail. J.P.
was hiking with his 24-year-old daughter when he slid off the trail and
fell 100 feet. His daughter summoned help from a forester in the
isolated area. The Main Warden Service conducted the difficult recovery
operation utilizing military aircraft. The NPS has no personnel in Maine
assigned to the trail and has an agreement with the Maine Warden Service
to fund their search and rescue activities on NPS lands. The wardens
described the roads and trails in the area as being covered with sheets
of ice.
[Submitted by Robert Gray, Park Ranger]
Saguaro National Park (AZ)
Search for Suicide Victim
On December 21, rangers checked out a vehicle that had been parked
all day at the Douglas Springs trailhead. Rangers John Williams and Todd
Seliga went to the address of the registered owner and found that the
49-year-old man had been suffering from long-term medical problems. The
man's family in Illinois was contacted, and permission was obtained to
enter his apartment, where a suicide note was found. In the note, the
man said that he'd attempted suicide with both pharmaceutical and
illegal drugs, but without luck; he therefore planned on shooting
himself. A hasty search was organized and conducted by park staff, local
sheriff's deputies, and DPS officers in a helicopter. The man's body was
found the next afternoon about a half mile from the trailhead and well
off the trail. He'd perished from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The
park is leading the investigation.
[Submitted by John Williams,
Acting District Ranger]
New River Gorge National River (WV)
Suicide from New River Gorge Bridge
Rangers were called out to assist county deputies in the
investigation of an abandoned vehicle on the New River Gorge bridge
around 3:30 a.m. on December 12. They found a computer notebook left on
in the vehicle with a suicide note displayed on the screen. Night vision
equipment from the park and thermal imaging equipment provided by a
local fire department were used to search the area below the bridge. The
latter detected a warm spot in a steep section of the gorge near the
river bank. At daybreak, rescuers were able to see the body of a man
around a tree that was submerged in the river near the bank and directly
above Flea Flicker Rapid. The river was running at 20,000 cfs and about
ten feet above normal levels at the time. Rangers and the Oak Hill
whitewater rescue team maneuvered a rescue boat to a point upstream from
the body and retrieved it before it went through the rapid. A driver's
license found on the man identified him as a 39-year-old resident of
Raleigh, North Carolina.
[Submitted by Gary Hartley, Chief
Ranger]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Servicewide Training
Weekly Listing of Operations Training Opportunities
This calendar appears every Monday as an addendum to the Morning Report and a separate entry for InsideNPS. It is not meant to be replace the Learning Place; rather it is a quick summary of available training with links (as available) to relevant Learning Place pages. Please note:
- New entries are in bold face.
- Submissions for other training courses should conform to the style used here.
- Please include the URL to the web sites where readers can obtain the requisite forms and/or find out additional information about the training course. If a URL is not specifically listed, the announcement can likely be found on the Learning Place, the NPS training page found at http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc.
- Closing dates for applications are underscored.
- Contact names are listed at the end of each entry with parentheses and are given as email addresses.
**********************************************************************************************
January
January 25 - January 27: NREMT-B Level EMT Refresher, Joshua Tree NP, CA. The refresher will meet the requirements for NREMT re-registration. The class will be limited to 25 people. Fax a one page nomination form to Kathy Krisko at 760-367-5546. Include an email address for future correspondence. [Kathy_Krisko@nps.gov]
February
February 11 - February 14. Occupational Safety and Health for NPS Supervisors (OSHA-600), Pensacola, FL. This course is designed to train supervisors to recognize hazardous conditions and unsafe behaviors. Methods on eliminating accidents and maintaining a healthier workforce will also be identified. Closes on January 8. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]
February 18 - February 20: Archeological Law Enforcement, Albuquerque, NM. Sponsored by Intermountain Regional Office. Tuition is $260. To register, contact Martin McAllister (406-728-7195, ari@bigsky.net). Closes on January 17. For information on the course, contact special agent Clyde Yee in IMRO (303-969-2862, clyde_yee@nps.gov).
February 18 - February 21: Instructor Techniques for Non-Lethal Training Ammunition, FLETC, Glynco, GA. Must be experienced firearms instructor, actively engaged in firearms training, and in good physical condition. Announcement: http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/ITNTA.303.doc. Closes on January 8. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]
February 24 - February 28. National Wildfire Investigation Training (XP-NWITP-301), city TBA, Kentucky. Topics include determining fire causes and origins, processing crime scenes, arson laws, and investigative techniques. Closes on January 17. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]
March
March 3 - March 14. Criminal Investigations In An Automated Environment (CIAETP-303), FLETC, Glynco, GA. Training in skills needed for successful computer-related investigations. Closes on January 22. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]
March 3 - March 7: National Wildfire Investigation Training (NWITP-301), FLETC, Glynco, GA. Topics include determining fire causes and origins, processing crime scenes, arson laws, and investigative techniques. Closes on January 15. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]
March 3 - March 7: GIS Technical Specialists Training, Atlanta, GA. Training on use of geographic information systems. For more information, contact Don Washco at 602-906-5535. The announcement is at http://inside.nps.gov/documents/ACF49.pdf. [Don_Washco@tc.blm.gov]
March 17 - March 28: Physical Security Training (PSTP-304), FLETC, Glynco, GA. Physical security systems and procedures. Announcement: http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/PSTP.304.doc. Closes on January 28. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]
March 24 - March 28: National Wildfire Investigation Training (XP-NWITP-301A), Yakima Reservation, WA. Topics include determining fire causes and origins, processing crime scenes, arson laws, and investigative techniques. Announcement: http://www.nps.gov/training/announcement/XP-NWITP-301A.doc. Closes on February 14. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]
April
April 7 - April 11: GIS Technical Specialists Training, Sacramento, CA. Training on use of geographic information systems. For more information, contact Don Washco at 602-906-5535. The announcement is at http://inside.nps.gov/documents/ACF49.pdf. [Don_Washco@tc.blm.gov]
April 8 - April 11: Wireless Telecommunications Systems, BLM National Training Center, Phoenix, AZ. This course provides participants with information on the siting, construction, operation and management of wireless telecommunications sites. The NPS has been allotted five slots in this BLM-Forest Service course, with some concurrent sessions designed specifically for NPS employees. Closes on January 24. For more information and instructions on registering, contact Lee Dickinson, special park uses program manager, at 202-513-7092 or via email. [Lee_Dickinson@nps.gov ]
May
May 5 - May 9: GIS Technical Specialists Training, Salt Lake City, UT. Training on use of geographic information systems. For more information, contact Don Washco at 602-906-5535. The announcement is at http://inside.nps.gov/documents/ACF49.pdf. [Don_Washco@tc.blm.gov]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Cape Cod National Seashore (MA)
GS-0028 Environmental Protection Specialist
The park has issued vacancy announcement # CACO DEU MD 03-02 for an environmental protection specialist. The announcement opens on USA Jobs on Monday, January 6, and closes on January 24. This is a term position, not to exceed two years. The position is classified in the GS-0028 environmental protection specialist series, but the person in the job will have a significant amount of responsibility for both environmental and occupational health and safety programs. Cape Cod National Seashore is designated as both a Park Service pilot park for the development of a comprehensive environmental management system (EMS) and as an pilot park for the NPS-OSHA partnership program. The person in this new position will play a key role in the park's progress and participation in these two initiatives. The job will be filled at either the GS-9 or GS-11 level, depending upon the qualifications of the candidate selected. Contact Mike Murray, deputy superintendent, at 508-349-3785, ext. 201, for additional information. [
Joshua Tree National Park (CA)
GS-5/7/9 Rangers in Two Districts
The park is seeking candidates for permanent GS-9 protection ranger positions in both the Cottonwood and Lost Horse Districts. The positions are currently advertised on USA Jobs under announcement number JOTR-02-30. Although they are advertised at the GS-025-5/7 level, full performance candidates are highly encouraged to apply and may be considered for lateral transfer. Incumbents will be responsible for the full range of frontcountry and backcountry law enforcement and all risk management operations, including EMS and high angle search and rescue. Both positions are required occupancy. Housing will be in the Cottonwood housing area or the Indian Cove housing area. One may be selected to be the park EMS coordinator. Joshua Tree National Park is one of the world's premier climbing areas. Over 18 million people live within three hours of the park. More than 75% of the park is designated wilderness. Rangers have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities, including backcountry patrol, resource management, and proactive frontcountry law enforcement. The park is about 50 miles north east of Palm Springs and about 140 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Shopping, medical facilities and schools are available in surrounding communities. Skiing, California Beaches and Disneyland are within a one to three-hour drive. More information about the park is available at http://www.nps.gov/jotr. For more information on the jobs, please contact Cottonwood DR Jeff Ohlfs at 760-367-5548, or Lost Horse DR Patrick Suddath at 760=367-5547.
[Submitted by Patrick Suddath, District Ranger]
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.