Rocky Mountain National Park (CO)
Winter Storm Closure
A major snowstorm that hit Colorado yesterday led to closure of all
visitor services in the park. Many roads were reportedly impassible due
to heavy snow. As of 9 a.m., 17 inches had accumulated at the Beaver
Meadows VC; by 9:30 a.m., almost four feet of snow had fallen in the
Sprague Lake parking lot (elevation 8,710 feet). Travel is not
recommended within the park. The forecast yesterday morning for the east
side of the park called for 8 to 15 inches of snow during the day, 10 to
20 inches of snow during the night, and another 4 to 8 inches today.
[Submitted by Kyle Patterson, PIO]
Valley Forge National Historical Park (PA)
Rally in Support of Troops
On March 16th, a heavily-promoted rally to support American troops
poised to enter Iraq was held on land next to the park. The event drew
between 10,000 and 12,000 people. The rally site did not have parking,
and the official parking site was five miles away on the opposite side
of the park. Shuttle buses were provided, but most people came to the
park because the event was promoted as being at Valley Forge. As roads
became overwhelmed with traffic, people started parking anywhere they
could within the park and walking to the rally. Several hundred people
were still walking towards the event an hour after it was officially
over. Other than traffic problems, there were few incidents. A small
anti-war counter demonstration took place on park grounds. A 40 caliber
semi-automatic with serial numbers ground off it was found in the grass
near the ranger station.
[Submitted by Doug Germeraad, Assistant
Chief Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Interagency Fire Center
NIFC Situation Report - Tuesday, March 18, 2003
Preparedness Level 2
Initial attack was light on Monday, with 149 new fires reported. There was one new large fire in Oklahoma; another large fire in that state was contained.
Resource commitments to the Columbia Response and Newcastle Incidents remain the same as previously reported. Please note that support operations for the efforts to contain the exotic Newcastle disease are in support of APHIS under a unified command and are occurring only in Arizona, California and Nevada.
Fire Danger
| State |
3/17 |
| Arizona |
VH |
VH — Very high
EX — Extreme
National Resource Commitments
| Day |
3/9 |
3/10 |
3/11 |
3/12 |
3/13 |
3/16 |
3/17 |
| Crews |
160 |
173 |
139 |
181 |
181 |
161 |
176 |
| Engines |
2 |
13 |
22 |
50 |
52 |
9 |
24 |
| Helicopters |
36 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
| Air Tankers |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Overhead |
2,601 |
2,758 |
2,620 |
2,747 |
2,728 |
2,605 |
2,665 |
National Team Commitments
| State |
Type Team |
Team IC |
Incident/Fire |
Acres |
Percent Contain |
Est Full Contain |
| TX |
T1 |
Lohrey |
Columbia Response |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| TX |
T1 |
Oltrogge |
" |
" |
" |
" |
| TX |
T1 |
McCombs |
" |
" |
" |
" |
| TX |
T1 |
Ferguson |
" |
" |
" |
" |
| TX |
T2 |
Hildreth |
" |
" |
" |
" |
| NV |
T1 |
Corley |
Newcastle Incident |
" |
" |
" |
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Servicewide News
Changes to NPS Operations Due to Increased Security
To meet the public demand for information regarding heightened security efforts in national parks, this fact sheet is being made available to the press and news media. The NPS will provide general information only, and not provide detailed information that might compromise security measures.
Background
- Our national parks are public landscapes that heal our spirit and provide solace in difficult times. These special places, which are uniquely American, also afford us an opportunity to reflect on our history, heritage and culture.
- As this nation fights a war against international terrorism, the national parks will keep the welcome mat out for our visitors, working around the clock at times to ensure their safety.
- We, along with the rest of the country, are more vigilant to threats of terrorism and are using everything at our disposal to make our sites safe and secure for our visiting public.
- We encourage our visitors to be aware of their surroundings and to report anything suspicious to park rangers, U.S. Park Police or to employees at the nearest visitor center.
Security Changes
In general, the 280 million visitors to the 388 units of the National Park System will actually see few changes because of increased security levels.
International Borders
We have increased our vigilance in parks that share an international border, for example Big Bend National Park on the border with Mexico, and Glacier National Park on the border with Canada.
Monuments and Memorials
We have increased security patrols at monuments and memorials, especially in Washington, D.C.
Visitor screening is taking place at some sites, and is modeled after typical airport security: magnetometers, hand wands, and bag searches. Visitor access to these sites is limited to one entrance point, thereby making security easier. Visitors typically stand in line for access to these sites, so our increased security has not resulted in additional delays.
Visitor screening is being conducted at the following locations:
- Washington Monument, Washington, DC
- The White House, Washington, DC
- Liberty Bell Pavilion & Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA
- Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (St. Louis Arch), St. Louis, MO
- Statue of Liberty & Liberty Island, NY
The Statue of Liberty is currently closed to the public. Tour boats go to Liberty Island and also provide access to visit the Ellis Island Immigration Center and Museum. We are testing our security systems and hope to reopen the Statue in the near future. The trip to Liberty Island, with the New York City skyline as a backdrop, provides an enriching and patriotic visit.
Street Closings
The following streets have been closed for security reasons:
- Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House (closed to vehicles);
- Chestnut Street at Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia (closed to vehicles and pedestrians, but slated to be reopened by the City on April 1, 2003).
Threat Conditions
In March 2002, the President established the Homeland Security Advisory System to disseminate information regarding the risk of terrorist acts. It established a set of graduated "Threat Conditions" that change as threat levels increase. The National Park Service has developed general guidance to individual parks corresponding to each threat condition.
In general, the following is what the public may encounter in units of the National Park System at the different threat conditions:
- Low Condition (Green) - Parks operating at normal
- Guarded Condition (Blue) - Park staff maintains awareness of evolving regional and national situation
- Elevated Condition (Yellow) - Increased patrol coverage
- High Condition (Orange) - Extended patrols initiated, potential curtailment of public use facilities and visiting hours, additional precautions at special events
- Severe Conditions (Red) - Extended patrols and some visitor use facilities and parks may have restricted hours or closures
[Submitted by Office of Communications, WASO]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Fire and Aviation Management
GS-401-9/11 Fire Management Specialist (Training)
Dates: 03/18/2003 - 04/01/2003
TERM APPOINTMENT, TEMPORARY PROMOTION OR DETAIL OPPORTUNITY
Vacancy Notice No.: CCSO-2003-11
Date of Issue: 03/18/2003
Closing Date: 04/01/2003
Full performance level is GS-11.
Area of Consideration: Applications will be accepted from any qualified U.S. citizen.
Length of Appointment: This is a Term position, which is expected to last at least one year but may be extended for up to four years. Term positions have full employment benefits but do not confer civil service status because they are not permanent positions.
Current permanent Federal Employees will also be considered as Temporary Promotion or Detail candidates. Your current supervisor and agency must approve your selection to the position and must ensure that your current position will be available when this assignment is finished.
Location: Fire Management Program Center, Boise, Idaho
Brief Statement of Duties: This position is located in the Fire Management Program Center for the National Park Service at the National Interagency Fire Center. The incumbent serves as a staff specialist and technical authority on a national level for Servicewide fire management activities related to the development and instruction of training courses and materials for firefighters, fire crews, fire overhead and fire management positions. Duties may include:
- Implements the development of training courses;
- Plans, schedules, coordinates and provides leadership to interagency workshops, task forces, committees, and others;
- Provides the leadership, direction and work required to ensure that courses are developed in accordance with national interagency procedures and standards and management objectives;
- Coordinates instructor training programs and trains instructors and faculty members to present fire management and aviation management and safety courses;
- Serves as a training advisor and consultant to NPS Regional Offices, parks and cooperating agencies regarding the development and implementation of fire management and aviation management and related training courses and materials.
Tour of Duty: Full-Time.
Special Note: This position is an approved Secondary/Administrative position covered under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336© (CSRS) and U.S.C. 8412(d) (FERS) when it is filled by an incumbent who previously held a primary firefighter position and is transferred with no break in service to a secondary position. Applicants must submit proof of enhanced retirement coverage (SF-50 or a letter), which verifies your eligibility for secondary coverage.
Condition of Employment: This is a drug-testing designated position. The selectee must submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to entering on duty.
Qualification Requirements:
All applicants must meet the following basic requirements as well as the specialized experience requirements. Basic requirements: Bachelor's degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines OR a combination of education (courses equivalent to a major) and experience. Specialized experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level.
Substitution of Education:
GS-09: A master's degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines may be substituted for the specialized experience.
GS-11: A Ph.D or equivalent degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines may be substituted for the specialized experience.
Method for Evaluating and Ranking Candidates: To receive full credit for your qualifications, provide detailed evidence of experience, training, education, awards, hobbies, self-development achievements and other aspects of your background as they relate to the knowledge, skill, and ability requirements outlined below and show how and when they were used. The experience evidence must include clear, concise examples to show level of accomplishment and degree of responsibility. Applicants are encouraged to address separately the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position. A SEPARATE NARRATIVE ON EACH FACTOR IS NOT MANDATORY BUT GREATLY FACILITATES THE RATING PROCESS. The essential knowledge's, skills, and abilities for this position are:
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
- Knowledge of and experience in fire and aviation management, as practiced in the interagency fire community.
- Knowledge of state-of-the-art adult education concepts and principles.
- Skill in developing adult education courses targeted at interagency fire management personnel.
- Skill in written and oral communications
- Knowledge of the National Interagency Incident Management System (NIIMS) with emphasis on the training and qualification components.
Area Information: No government housing is available. The population is approximately 262,000, including surrounding suburbs. Adequate housing for rental or purchase is available. In additional to grade schools, there are six junior high schools, four high schools and a university within the Boise metropolitan area. Ample church, shopping and recreation facilities are available. The area enjoys mild winters and warm summers. The semi-arid climate and elevation of 2,700 feet are comfortable.
To Apply:
Applications must be mailed to the following address: National Park Service, Columbia Cascades Support Office, 909 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104.
SPECIAL MAIL REQUIREMENTS: ENVELOPES MUST HAVE RETURN ADDRESS AND VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER.
[Submitted by Merrie Johnson, merrie_johnson@nps.gov, 208-387-5224] 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.