United States Park Police
Cab Driver Arrested After Hitting USPP Cruiser
On the afternoon of Thursday, March 3rd, Park Police officer Chester
Perlinski was driving his marked police cruiser northbound on 15th
Street, NW, adjacent to the Washington Monument when a brown taxicab
traveling southbound crossed over the center line and struck the
driver's side of the cruiser, disabling it. The taxi continued south on
15th Street, where officer Brian Perry and sergeant Dave Tolson
attempted to stop it on foot at the intersection of 15th Street and
Independence Avenue. Both officers had to flee when it became apparent
the taxi was not going to stop and would hit them. The taxi then passed
through the intersection and struck the traffic signal device and the
National Park Service sign at that location. Sergeant Pete Shannon
attempted to stop the taxi and eventually had to block the vehicle from
going any further. Perry and Tolson, fearing for their lives, ordered
the individual out of the vehicle with their guns drawn. The driver
refused to obey commands from the officers. At one point, he started to
reach down below the seat, directly disobeying orders from the officers.
Perry and Tolson advised the other officers on the scene that they were
going hands on with the individual and they simultaneously broke out the
driver's side window and the passenger side window and entered the cab.
Tolson, Shannon and Perry gained control of the driver and placed him in
custody. Preliminary investigation revealed an almost empty bottle of
gin wedged beside the driver's seat. A breath test performed on the
operator revealed a blood alcohol level far above the .08 legal limit.
He was charged with three counts of assault on a police officer, felony
hit and run, driving under the influence/operating while intoxicated,
damage to government property, and no permit. Perlinski, Perry, and
Shannon were treated for their injuries and released.
[Submitted by
Sergeant Scott R. Fear]
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (CA)
Climbing Fatality on Mount Whitney
The body of R.J.F., 37, of Los Angeles, was recovered by park rangers on Wednesday, March 16th. R.J.F. fell to his death while solo climbing Mount Whitney in Sequoia National Park last Sunday. His body was recovered along with his mountaineering gear and other personal property. It's been determined that he fell approximately 1,000 feet from a point near the Notch on the Mountaineer's Route on the north face of the mountain. The elevation at this location is about 14,000 feet above sea level. On Tuesday, the park was notified that R.J.F. was overdue from his climb. An Inyo County deputy was flown to the area that afternoon in a California Highway Patrol helicopter and found his body. Since the incident was within the park, a team of rangers flew to the vicinity of the site on Wednesday morning to investigate and recover his body. The fall appears to have been accidental. According to other climbers who reached the summit on Sunday, the mountain was enveloped in clouds and falling snow, with extremely high winds and poor visibility. [Submitted by Alexandra Picavet, Public Information Officer, and Bob Wilson, Law Enforcement Specialist]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Administration, Business Practices, and Workforce Development
NPS Fundamentals Online Courses Revised
Albright Training Center superintendent Costa Dillon has announced that the Albright Training Center, in partnership with the Eppley Institute at Indiana University, has released a revised version of the three online courses of the NPS Fundamentals training program. The affected courses are: NPS Fundamentals I (Who We Are); III (Taking Charge of Your Future); and IV (A Workplace for Everyone).
Participants currently enrolled in the courses may either complete their work using Version 1 through September 30, 2005, or enroll in Version 2, now availble. NPS Fundamentals is the first ongoing NPS training program to have an integrated distance learning and classroom system. Changes to the curriculum occur on a regular cycle, and are based on new information, improved technology, and instructor and participant feedback.
The changes to the online courses are as a result of the evaluation of past practices, changes in the workplace over the past two years, and refinements to the technology available. Employees will find that each class is designed to be completed in less time than the old version and there is no longer portfolio component. The re-designed courses also incorporate components necessary to meet the requirements for Continuing Education Units (CEU's) and testing that are applicable to the entire NPS Fundamentals program to maintain standards set by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). Employees completing the online courses can opt to receive CEU credit if they so desire.
The three online courses are self-paced and available on-demand. The two classroom courses, Fundamentals II, held at the Albright Training Center, and Fundamentals V, held at the Mather Training Center, are integral components of the program. Employees completing the five-part program receive a diploma that signifies the attainment of the universal competencies required of all National Park Service jobs. While the program is primarily targeted to new employees, experienced employees are accepted into the classroom courses when seats are available. Supervisors may earn 40-hour refresher credit by completing Fundamentals V as a stand-alone course; they are excused from completing the normal pre-requisites (i.e., Fundamentals I-IV). The courses are offered at no charge to permanent employees and to National Park Service partners. The Albright Training Center pays for all travel and per diem for employees to attend the two classroom courses.
Employees interested in enrolling in one or more Fundamentals courses may do so through My Learning Manager (http://mylearning.nps.gov). For further information on Fundamentals I, contact Mark Harner, Mark_Harner@nps.gov, phone: 928—638-7981. For more on Fundamentals III and IV, contact Debbie Cox, debbie_cox@nps.gov, phone: 304-535-6277.
[Submitted by Constantine Dillon, Constantine_Dillon@nps.gov] More Information...
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Fee Management Program
GS-0343-12/13 Program Analyst
Dates: 03/14/2005 - 04/14/2005
The person in this position serves as a program analyst in the office for the Fee Management Program in Washington, D.C. and reports directly to the fee program manager. She/he will serve as the subject matter expert and contracting officer's technical representative (COTR) for the National Park Service for the interagency reservation service. For a more detailed description and qualifications for this position, see the USAJOBS website and vacancy announcement WASO 05-006. For more information, contact either Jane Moore or Jane Anderson at 202-513-7087.
[Submitted by Jane Moore, Jane_Moore@nps.gov, 202.513.7132]
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.