San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (TX)
Smuggling of Illegal Immigrants
On January 25th, a Cessna 172P landed at Stinson Airport carrying four undocumented immigrants from China and a pilot from Mexico. The flight had originated in Eagle Pass, Texas, and had been electronically monitored from the Air and Marine Command Center in Riverside, California, in coordination with the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office. Federal and local law enforcement agents sealed off the area prior to the plane's landing and arrested all five occupants of the plane without incident. Stinson Airport is approximately 100 yards from Aqueduct Park, which is part of San Antonio Missions. The site was closed to the public at the time of the plane's landing and no park resources were impacted. Despite early concerns, none of the detainees is suspected of having terrorist links, according to investigating officers.[Submitted by Dan Steed, Chief Ranger]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Director/Deputy Directors
Update on Law Enforcement Retirement and Administrative Issues
As many of you are aware, there is considerable discussion throughout the workforce regarding the status of law enforcement retirement, enhanced pay, and position descriptions. These issues are of critical concern to all of us and have become our top priority.
A number of people are dedicated to working on all aspects of these concerns, which may take some time to resolve. We have, however, made progress regarding one of these issues: as a result of a meeting held between NPS and Department of the Interior senior staff yesterday, effective immediately, enhanced pay for NPS seasonal protection rangers will continue, uninterrupted.
A technical work group has been established to develop the administrative support documents to adequately address these matters, including development of new benchmark position descriptions to appropriately address enhanced law enforcement pay and retirement coverage. A team consisting of park, regional, and WASO managers, and representatives from the technical work group, will then review all options and documents, including evaluation of any administrative benefits and other workforce considerations. We will keep you informed and updated as we progress through this effort. We are also working in collaboration with the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs in the preparation of a legislative package to address these issues, as appropriate.
Background: In June 2004, the Department of the Interior's Human Resource Office determined that the NPS seasonal benchmark protection Park Ranger, GS-GS-025-5/7 position descriptions, as reviewed by the Fire/Law Enforcement Retirement Team Office (FLERT) in Boise, did not meet the definitions of primary/rigorous or secondary law enforcement officer positions. (Benchmark position descriptions for the GS-025-5/7/9 permanent protection park rangers are not affected.) This decision did not reach the WASO offices directly responsible for addressing the issue until November of 2004. Since that time, WASO Visitor and Resource Protection and Human Resources managers, in conjunction with regional offices, have been working together to determine how to address the impacts of this Departmental decision. The most immediate issue was the decision that temporary law enforcement PD's did not meet the definitions of a law enforcement officer for retirement purposes, and the individuals occupying these positions were also not eligible to receive the special law enforcement salary rate.
The team will meet with the FLERT staff in the near future to discuss these issues and attempt to find a mutually satisfactory solution that addresses everyone's concerns. Please be assured that we are very sensitive to the implications of all of these issues, and are working to address the Service's mission and needs, while also recognizing the Department's and the Office of Personnel Management's positions on the matter.
[Submitted by : Karen Taylor-Goodrich, Associate Director, Visitor and Resource Protection, and Jim Poole, Acting Associate Director, Administration, Business Practices, and Workforce Development]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Midwest Region
GS-025-12/13 Ranger (Regional Law Enforcement Specialist)
Dates: 01/26/2005 - 02/26/2005
Midwest Region is announcing an opening for a GS-12/13 regional law enforcement specialist through merit promotion procedures. The person selected for this position will be duty stationed in Omaha, Nebraska. She/her will serve as law enforcement specialist for Midwest Region, providing expertise and guidance in the formulation and execution of National Park Service policy, guidelines, philosophy and standards in law enforcement, security, and resource and visitor protection. This position is secondary covered under the law enforcement retirement system. Please go to http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/ for the complete announcement. For more information on this position, please contact regional chief ranger Bill Blake at 402-661-1878.
[Submitted by Bill Blake, Bill_Blake@nps.gov, (402) 661-1878]
Midwest Region
GS-025-9 Protection Ranger
Dates: 01/24/2005 - 02/04/2005
Apostle Islands NL is seeking a GS-025-9 protection ranger interested in a lateral transfer. This is a permanent full-time commissioned position that is approved for primary 6c law enforcement coverage.
The person in this position is supervised by a GS-025-11 protection operations supervisor (district ranger). He/she is expected to work both independently and in support of other permanent GS-9 rangers and one to three seasonal rangers. Required job skills:
- NPS Level I law enforcement commission.
- EMT national registry certification.
- DOI MOCC boating certification.
- SAR experience on large lakes or ocean.
The person selected will:
- Conduct boat, foot, snowmobile, and vehicle patrols and be involved in all types of investigations.
- Navigate and operate motorboats (vessels) 21'-28' feet on Lake Superior.
- Provide emergency medical services (EMS) at the EMT level (national registry).
- Plan and implement search and rescue (SAR) operations in a variety of weather conditions on Lake Superior and island environments.
- Maintain working relations with a wide variety of federal, state, and local agencies, including U.S. Coast Guard, Ashland and Bayfield County Sheriff Departments, Red Cliff and Bad River Bands of Chippewa Indians and Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC).
- Educate, interpret, and inform park visitors about park resources.
- Maintain a red card and be part of the park's wildland fire program.
- Cooperate and work closely with personnel from other divisions.
- Collateral duties may involve park coordination for park security systems, wildland fire, structural fire, EMS, SAR, Bear Management, Fire Arms Instructor, and/or Physical Fitness Coordinator.
This position has required occupancy at Little Sand Bay, approximately 12 miles north of Bayfield, Wisconsin, and may be required to spend up to three nights per week, May-October, at an island duty station. If you are interested in applying for this position, please send application, SF-50, and current employee performance appraisal to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Route 1, Box 4, Bayfield, Wisconsin 54814. If you have questions or need additional information about the position, please contact John Pavkovich, acting protection supervisor (715-779-5998), Greg Zeman, chief of protection (715-779-3398, ext. 201) or Liz Eskola, human resource assistant (715-779-3398, ext 106.)
[Submitted by Liz Eskola, Liz_Eskola@nps.gov, (715) 779-3398, ext 106]
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.