INCIDENTS

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East Coast Areas
Eastern Areas Prepare for Super Hurricane Isabel

Parks along the East Coast are beginning preparations for the probable arrival of Hurricane Isabel, now being labeled by some as a "supercane" (see below).

Hurricane plans are being put into effect at sites along the coast and inland in anticipation of very high winds, waves as high as 20 feet, storm surge, and torrential rains. Details on preparations for and reaction to the storm will be posted daily on InsideNPS and the Morning Report.

The following assessment of the storm was prepared by Weather Channel meteorologist Buzz Bernard and is posted on their web page:

"(According to Bernard), Hurricane Isabel would be called a supertyphoon in the western Pacific. Thus, this exceptionally powerful Atlantic hurricane--with an exceptionally large eye--certainly earns the designation 'supercane.'

"Isabel, an extremely dangerous category 5 storm, continues to churn relentlessly in the direction of the continental U. S. It's beginning to look more and more like Isabel will strike the Eastern Seaboard, probably someplace north of South Carolina, before the week is out.

"Although Isabel may no longer be a category 5 at landfall, it's likely to still be a major hurricane with winds in excess of 100 mph. Not only that, but a building high pressure ridge north of Isabel may well tighten the pressure gradient on the northern and eastern sides of the storm, thus producing a large area of potentially damaging winds.

"The first signs of Isabel's approach will be building surf along the East Coast, mainly from the Carolinas northward. By Wednesday, wave heights may top 20 feet along the Mid-Atlantic Coast and as far north as the southern shores of Long Island."

For detailed information on the hurricane, go to the National Hurricane Center web site (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/), the Weather Channel web site (http://www.weather. com/newscenter/tropical/), or the Atlantic Tropical Weather Center site (http://www.atwc.org/).

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (WA)
Death of Maintenance Employee

Maintenance worker Matthew R. Engelhardt, 46, died of an apparent cardiac arrest on Tuesday, September 9th. Engelhardt was found unconscious near the Fort Spokane group campsites around 2 p.m. Rangers and EMS personnel responded and found CPR already in progress. An AED was used, and basic life support was provided until ALS arrived via helicopter. All efforts to revive him proved fruitless. An estimated 15 minutes elapsed between the time he was last seen until he was discovered by coworkers.
[Submitted by Chris Rugel, Acting Chief Ranger]

Manzanar National Historic Site (CA)
Serious Employee Injury

Ranger Kim Dreyfuss Linse was struck by an automobile on Friday, September 12th, while walking from the interpretive office to the park headquarters two blocks away. The driver of the vehicle, heading north on U.S. 395, reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, crossed the oncoming lane of traffic, and struck Linse from behind. The California Highway Patrol and the Independence Volunteer Fire Department responded. Linse was transported to Southern Inyo Hospital in Lone Pine, then flown to Washoe Medical Center in Reno, Nevada. She suffered a concussion, a broken neck vertebrae, scrapes and bruises, but is expected to recover fully. Get well wishes may be sent to Kim in care of the park at P.O. Box 426, Independence, CA 93526.
[Submitted by Alisa Lynch, PIO]

Cape Hatteras National Seashore (NC)
Suicide from Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

A 26-year-old Pennsylvania man apparently jumped to his death from the balcony of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse on the afternoon of September 8th. This is the first suicide to have occurred at the lighthouse. One lighthouse staff member and two visitors on the balcony witnessed the fall. Witness accounts indicate that the man intentionally leaped from the balcony. No motive has been established. The man was vacationing on the Outer Banks with is wife at the time. The pair were married on Saturday, September 6th, and had arrived at the Outer Banks on the evening prior to his death.
[Submitted by Jon Anglin, Acting Chief Ranger]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

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Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire Report - Monday, September 15, 2003

Preparedness Level 4

The preparedness level has gone down one step. Preparedness Level 5 drops to Preparedness Level 4 when there are no resource shortages or competition for resources. Fifty rested crews are available for new fires. No red flag conditions are forecast for the next 24 hours and favorable weather conditions are forecast for the next three to five day period.

Initial attack was light everywhere yesterday except for northern California, where it was moderate. Only 76 new fires were reported.

In central and northern California, wind flow will be more onshore today with higher relative humidity. However, warm temperatures along with little chance of precipitation are in the forecast. Over the rest of the west, high pressure will lead to warm conditions with only very light showers across northern Idaho and northwest Montana.

Fire Danger

Day	9/8	9/9	9/10	9/11	9/12	9/15
Arizona	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
California	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Hawaii	VX	--	VX	VX	VX	VX
Idaho	VX	VX	VX	--	VX	--
Montana	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Nevada	VX	VX	VX	--	--	VX
New Mexico	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
North Dakota	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	--
Oklahoma	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Oregon	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
South Dakota	VX	VX	VX	--	--	--
Texas	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Utah	VX	VX	VX	VX	--	VX
Washington	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	--
Wyoming	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX

VX = Very high to extreme danger

Fire Weather Watches and Warnings

No watches or warnings have been posted for today.

National Resource Commitments

Day	9/4	9/8	9/9	9/10	9/11	9/12	9/15
Crews	327	568	535	480	439	362	241
Engines	668	1,153	990	781	745	594	315
Helicopters	148	221	205	167	163	153	96
Air Tankers	3	3	2	0	0	0	1
Overhead	3,827	4,663	4,334	4,039	3,521	3,502	2,740

National Team Commitments

Teams are listed alphabetically by type. New team commitments or changes in teams (as of this report) are indicated in bold face.

State	Type Team	Team IC	Fire/Location	Acres	Percent Contain	Est Full Contain
MT	ACT	Williams-Rhodes	Flathead NF/Glacier NP Fires	---	---	---
MT	ACT	Greenhoe	B&B Complex	---	---	---
MT	T1	Bennett	Blackfoot Lake Complex Flathead NF	29,836	38	9/30
MT	T1	Frye	Myrtle Creek Fire Idaho Panhandle NF	3,600	90	9/15
WA	T1	Hart	Needle Complex Okanogan/Wenatchee NF	21,300	65	UNK
MT	T1	Lohrey	Fish Creek Complex Lolo NF	39,956	75	9/28
OR	T1 T2	Martin Gardner	B&B Complex Deschutes NF	90,824	86	9/19
CA	T1	Vail	Grindstone Complex Mendocino NF	7,262	30	UNK
MT	T2	Larsen	Mineral/Primm Fire State Lands	25,202	78	9/20
WA	T2	Reed	Maple Fire Okanogan/Wenatchee NF	1,633	70	10/1
MT	T2	Sandman	Wedge Canyon Fire Flathead NF	53,315	87	9/15
MT	T2	Sandman	Robert Fire Flathead NF	57,570	65	10/1
MT	T2	Sandman	Trapper Creek Complex Glacier NP	70,406	30	10/1
CA	T2	Szepanik	Loma Fire Shasta-Trinity NF	285	NR	UNK
WA	ST	Jennings	Isabel Fire Okanogan/Wenatchee NF	480	NR	UNK
MT	FUM	Rath	Little Salmon Creek Wildland Fire Complex	41,732	N/A	N/A

PARK FIRE SITUATION

Glacier NP

Fire activity has been minimal since the arrival of cool, wet weather. Crews are securing lines, rehabilitating cold lines and returning equipment. Several closures and restrictions of roads, trails, and facilities, including the Camas Road, continue to be in effect within Glacier National Park.

Mt. Rainier NP

The park received over three-quarters of an inch of precipitation over the weekend and reports little activity on any fire. The Redstone Fire (317 acres) continues to spread gradually to the north and east. Mop-up continues on the Panther Fire, contained at 56 acres. The helicopter used for aerial reconnaissance will be released after this weekend. The Northern Loop Trail remains closed between Windy Gap on the west and Van Horn Flats on the east.

North Cascades NP

Over an inch of precipitation fell on the park over the weekend, diminishing fire activity.

A seven-mile section of the Big Beaver trail from its beginning at Ross Lake, extending northwest to the Boundary near the mouth of McMillan Creek remains closed because of fire activity. Smoke from fires burning in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie NF continues to impact the park at times. All roads in the park complex remain open for visitor use.

Sequoia/Kings Canyon NPs

The park's WFU fires are now being managed in cooperation with the Sequoia National Forest as the Kaweah-Kern Complex (1,907 acres). They are experiencing above average temperatures and expect increased activity. The Giant Fire (169 acres) is burning to the north and is being monitoring daily because of high visitation. The two trail closures remain in effect near the Giant Fire. The West Kern Fire is 450 acres burning in a very remote area at about 8,000 ft. elevation northwest of the Kern Canyon Ranger Station. It made a run into Coyote Creek and continues to be monitored by air. The Williams Fire is approximately 1,004 acres and was active with isolating torching in lodgepole.

Yosemite NP

The weather has been warm and dry, with highs in the low 90s in Yosemite Valley. Fire activity has increased on the Kibbie Complex. Fires in the complex have burned approximately 2,051acres (385 acres are bare rock), with most activity on the South-SOK Fire. Crews are locating containment lines should air quality impacts occur. An agreement is still in place to share this fire across agency boundaries. The trail between the Kibbie Lake Junction and Styx Pass along the Kibbie Ridge, and the trail between Lake Eleanor and Kibbie Lake are closed because of fire activity in the area. The park is also managing a number of WFU fires.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

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Servicewide Training
Weekly Listing of Operations Training Opportunities

Operations Training Calendar

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 and revised 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.

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September

September 22 — September 26: Crisis Management Program, FLETC, Glynco, GA. The objective of this program is to teach participants how to develop contingency plans for emergency or crisis situations utilizing the ICS model. Students will participate in numerous contingency planning exercises. Applicants must be senior enforcement officers, investigators or supervisors with contingency planning responsibilities. For further information, contact Wiley Golden at 912-267-2246. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC]

October

October 20 — October 31: Physical Security Training (PSTP-401), FLETC, Glynco, GA. For a copy of the announcement, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. The announcement closes on September 18th. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC]

October 20 — October 31: Physical Fitness Coordinator Training (PFCTP-401), FLETC, Glynco, GA. For a copy of the announcement, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. The announcement closes on September 18th. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC]

October 21 — October 30: Police Bicycle Training (PBTP-401), FLETC, Glynco, GA. For a copy of the announcement, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. The announcement closes on September 18th. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC]

November

November 3 — November 6: Annual LE Refresher Training for Supervisors, Asheville, NC. The chief rangers of Shenandoah, Great Smokies and Blue Ridge, working with the NPS office at FLETC, are offering a refresher program designed to assist first and second line supervisors in providing leadership in law enforcement. A total of 28 creditable hours will be offered. For a copy of the announcement, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. The announcement closes on October 1st. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC]

November 4 — November 13: Criminal Investigator Training (CITP-405X), FLETC, Glynco, GA. For a copy of the announcement, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. The announcement closes on September 23rd. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC]

November 19 — March 23: Basic LE Training (NPRI-402), FLETC, Glynco, GA. For a copy of the announcement, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. The announcement closes on October 16th. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

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Law Enforcement and Emergency Services
Heather Miller Hired As Ethics and Security Program Specialist

The division recently hired Heather Miller as its ethics and security program specialist (background investigation adjudicator). This is a newly-created position within the division, established to reduce the time it takes to conduct background investigations. Miller will be working primarily on background investigations for NPS commissioned employees. She will work closely with Joan Banks and OPM in the adjudication process. Heather Miller began her career with the NPS in 1993 as an intern while attending Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. After graduation in 1994, she accepted an administrative position with the National Capital Region. Heather transferred to Channel Islands National Park in 1996, where over the next five years she worked in a variety of administrative positions in several divisions (interpretation, resource management and personnel). In 2001, Heather and her husband Adam returned to Washington when she accepted the program analyst position in the Medical Standards Program Office. She recently became the proud mother of her son, Jakob. [Dennis Burnett, DLE&ES]

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.