NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

BLACKBERRY EDITION

Wednesday, September 7, 2005

NOTICE

Servicewide

Flags To Remain At Half-Staff Through September 20

Additional guidance has been received from the Federal Protective Service regarding lowering flags to half staff: “The flag of the United States of America is to be flown at half staff until sunset on Tuesday, 13 September 2005, for Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, and continue to be flown at half staff until sunset on Tuesday, 20 September 2005, for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.” [FPS]

INCIDENTS

Hurricane Katrina Recovery

Employee Assistance and Park Cleanup Efforts Continue

The reports below provide updates (current as of yesterday evening) on actions underway in the six parks still dealing with significant issues stemming from the hurricane's passage:

Everglades NP (Eastern IMT, Wissinger)

Dry Tortugas NP (Eastern IMT, Wissinger)

Gulf Islands NS (Eastern IMT, Brown)

Jean Lafitte NHP&P (National IMT, Swed)

New Orleans Jazz NHP (National IMT, Swed)

Natchez Trace Parkway

Those of you seeking documents pertaining to the hurricane from the Washington Office or any of the three incident management teams now in the field (incident action plans, ICS-209s, etc.) should go to: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=1&prg=5&id=3742" http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=1&prg=5&id=3742. Files are listed under the appropriate ‘folders.' We are just now beginning to receive these, so more will likely be available in the future.

Park and IMT Updates

Everglades NP/Dry Tortugas NP

An Eastern IMT (Gordon Wissinger, IC) is at Everglades NP, assisting the park staff with repairs to damage at Flamingo and Dry Tortugas NP.

Ordering of the supplies and materials needed for projects picked up considerably once businesses resumed after the three-day holiday.

All the damaged decking from the fuel dock at Dry Tortugas was removed. The antenna contractor and the park's radio technician, along with the radio equipment and supplies, will be transported on Wednesday by the NPS boat Fort Jefferson to begin working on the tower. Once the tower is replaced, Fort Jefferson will reopen to the public.

At Flamingo, the park's fire and the Job Corps Mingo crews continued to clean debris around the visitor center area and campground and hauled debris to the dump site. The tree service contractor continued with removal of hazardous trees and work continued to do the finishing grounds work in the housing area. It is expected that tomorrow will be the last day for the grounds work in the public use areas around the marina. One of the park's objectives is to have a partial opening to the marina so that the boat ramp can again be available for use.

A four-person crew and a barge operator rode into the Whitewater Bay area to begin assessing damage to the backcountry camping chickee structures in the bay. They also retrieved debris from the Buttonwood canal which leads into the bay. Many of the Whitewater Bay navigational channel day boards were destroyed in the storm. During the trip into the bay, the one day board that the park is responsible for was repaired; the others are the responsibility of the U.S. Coast Guard.

An order for a crane and a diver was placed to remove damaged house boats from the concession marina. A law enforcement ranger will be on hand to make sure that no alligators/crocodiles threaten the diver. This work will begin on Thursday.

The last of the appliances strewn about from the storm have been collected and stockpiled. A hazardous material disposal company will be on site on Wednesday to make an assessment and set a date for removal.

The superintendent has asked the team to assess damages in the Shark Valley area of Everglades and look at some work such as screen replacements, saw work, and minor roof repairs to some of the structures.

The team began purchasing equipment to repair many of the monitoring stations located throughout the park.

Tammy Keller, CISM counselor, met again with concessioner employees today and will be released tomorrow.

As of Tuesday, 121 people were assigned to the incident.

Gulf Islands NS

A second Eastern IMT (Rick Brown, IC) is at Gulf Islands NS working with that park's staff on recovery operations in the Mississippi District.

With the arrival of additional personnel over the past two days, including the Hopi 7 crew from Arizona and a Virginia state crew, the total number of people assigned to the incident reached 56.

With the tremendous number of disaster relief agencies and personnel in the Gulf Coast area and the overall magnitude of the cleanup, supplies to support the incident are difficult to obtain. Park campground showers were mostly unaffected by the storm, but water has not been restored to that area. Food service, showers, and restroom facilities are being sought nationwide, but none are currently available. Personnel are managing well under difficult conditions. The park's Florida District is providing daily supplies of ice, and, beginning yesterday, lunches each day. Power was restored to the maintenance area of Davis Bayou on Monday morning, but phone and internet service remain sporadic or non-existent.

Incident personnel made dramatic progress on Monday clearing roads, the campground, and the area around the visitor center that will serve as a base camp for incoming personnel. Despite heat and humidity and the continuing concern over hazardous trees and massive debris fields, there were no injuries reported during the incident on Monday. Local health officials provided free tetanus shots to all who wanted them.

The park's IT specialist will arrive at the incident within the next day or so and provide the expertise needed to network the incident command computer system and establish more phone lines. The park's assistant superintendent will be on hand as well with more details on the addresses of former employees, volunteers, and concessionaires and, along with the incident safety officer, will begin searching for and providing assistance where it is needed.

Incident command staff are working closely with local incident management teams and FEMA representatives and are now able to get the necessary gasoline and diesel fuel for equipment and vehicles. Through FEMA, the incident needs for water, ice, and other necessary supplies will also be provided.

Jean Lafitte NHP&P/New Orleans Jazz NHP

The National IMT (JD Swed, IC) is in Houston, Texas. They are charged with both assisting the employees of the two parks and with overseeing the overall NPS response to the hurricane.

The team's incident command post is currently located in Houston, Texas, with plans being formulated to relocate to Lafayette, Louisiana, as soon as conditions allow. Basic operational objectives provide for safety of all personnel; accounting for and providing assistance to NPS employees and families; and planning for security and assessment of affected NPS sites. The team continues to assess damages and planning for restoration of affected national parks. A total of 82 people are currently committed to the team from three federal agencies and many different states.

Three operational branches have been established for the recovery effort:

The employee assistance branch will continue to determine the urgent needs of affected NPS employees and provide the appropriate immediate assistance. Yesterday, another National Park Service employee and his family were found at the Houston Astrodome evacuation center and were moved to another location.

The resources and facilities branch will continue making plans for safe access into areas and assessing damages daily. Plans for the stabilization of facilities and resources within New Orleans Jazz and Jean Lafitte National Historic Parks will continue.

The law enforcement branch continues to evaluate requests for assistance and determine the safest routes to sites. Teams will be providing enforcement/security for all personnel throughout the recovery and evacuation processes. Conditions remain rough, with flooding, lack of power, spotty communications and unsafe conditions in many areas.

The National IMT is also coordinating closely with incident commanders Gordon Wissinger at Dry Tortugas/Everglades in Florida and Rick Brown at Gulf Islands in Mississippi.

Immediate employee assistance is gearing up to provide services. The magnitude of Katrina has affected all of the parks' employees, families and residences throughout the entire hurricane operational area. With unreliable phone service, please be patient and persistent. The National Park Service Employee Assistance Center has been established at Prairie Acadian Cultural Center, 250 West Park Avenue, Eunice, LA (337-457-8499 or 8490).

Natchez Trace Parkway

The entire 444-mile length of the parkway is open from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee. The reopening occurred on Thursday, September 1st, following several days of cleanup. Following the opening of the parkway, the Little Mountain gas station and store at Jeff Busby (Milepost 193) and the Mississippi Craft Center in Ridgeland, Mississippi (Milepost 102) also reopened.

Even though the main motor road is open, five facilities on the parkway remain closed. These facilities include:

Turpin Creek picnic area (Milepost 12.1)

Mount Locust historical site (Milepost 15.5)

Coles Creek picnic area and restroom facility (Milepost 17.5)

Rocky Springs campground and picnic area. (Milepost 54.8)

Jeff Busby campground and picnic area. (Milepost 193.1)

Needed repairs and cleanup may take some time due to ongoing efforts throughout the entire region. The park does not have an estimated date when the facilities will reopen, but it may take several months to restore the facilities to pre-Katrina condition.

Employee Relief Fund

A relief fund has been established to assist National Park Service and cooperating association employees who have experienced catastrophic loss or damage from Hurricane Katrina.

Many NPS and cooperating association employees in Gulf Islands NS, Jean LaFitte NHP and New Orleans Jazz NHP have had severe damage to their homes and several have lost their homes. Others have lost all of their personal belongings, including automobiles. Many evacuated with limited belongings and are just trying to find temporary housing, food, etc. Out of pocket expenses can be tremendous for families trying to stay together and recover from such a catastrophic disaster.

Donated funds will be distributed immediately to provide for basic, daily needs, such as food, water and temporary housing. If additional funds are available, we will provide long-term aid, which will help replace or repair larger items that will not be covered by loans or federal grants. To be eligible, the NPS and cooperating association employees must be currently employed by the NPS or the cooperating association, and must have experienced loss or damage from Hurricane Katrina.

Employees who would like to apply for aid should contact E&AA. E&AA will respond to these requests as they are received. Requests for immediate funds will be processed generally within 24 hours. Those with the greatest need will have priority. An application process has been established for larger long-term requests. Assuming funding is available, an independent committee will review applications and disperse funds.

Your assistance is needed! Please help members of the NPS family by making a donation to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund today! Checks can be made payable to E&AA and sent to: E&AA, Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, 470 Maryland Drive, Suite 1, Fort Washington, PA 19034.

Please direct questions on this fund (applications or donations) to Jack Ryan or Chesley Moroz at 215-283-6900.

[Debbie Santiago, IO, IMT, Houston; Nancy Gray, IO, IMT, EVER; Peter Givens, IO, IMT, GUIS; Jerry Pendleton, PAO, NATR]

Great Smoky Mountains NP

Injured Motorcyclist Extricated from Little River

On the afternoon of August 25th, P.S., 55, was traveling eastbound on Little River Road on his 2005 Harley Davidson when he drove off the roadway into the Little River. P.S. was traveling at about 35 mph at the time with a group of three other motorcyclists. While on a sharp, left-hand curve, he glanced back to see how his wife was doing on her motorcycle, missed the curve, then went off the steep embankment. P.S. and his motorcycle flew about 30 feet through the air, dropped 20 vertical feet, and landed in the river about 30 feet from the road's edge. A passing motorist called 911 on a cell phone. Rangers arrived on scene within 15 minutes and found P.S. still in the river, his leg pinned under the bike and his wife and another companion holding his head out of the water. Ranger/park medic Greg Wozniak, bystanders and a Gatlinburg FD medic moved the motorcycle off P.S.'s leg and began stabilization and emergency treatment of a very severe open tibia/fibula fracture and an open fracture of the finger. P.S. was splinted and immobilized on a long spine board, after which rangers Michael Nash, Scott Kalna, and Rick Brown conducted a vertical litter raise up the 20-foot vertical wall using a “V strap” technique. P.S. was taken by ambulance to Sugarlands Visitor Center, then transferred to a LifeStar Air Ambulance and flown to UT Medical Center. [Rick Brown, Acting Chief Ranger]

Wolf Trap Farm Park

Nineteen Arrested at Concerts

On Thursday, August 25th, Park Police officers arrested 13 people attending a Cheap Trick/Alice Cooper concert at Wolf Trap. Charges ranged from possession of cocaine and marijuana to purchasing alcohol for minors and underage drinking. Both uniformed and plainclothes officers contributed to the arrests. Fairfax County officers assisted with bike and undercover patrols. Virginia ABC agents also arrested two minors for alcohol possession. Two days later, Park Police arrested another six people during a Steve Miller Band concert - five for marijuana possession and the sixth for ticket scalping. One of the arrestees was found to have a pending felony warrant against him and is awaiting extradition to Arkansas. [Lt. Tom Neider, US Park Police]

Kennesaw Mountain NBP

Suicide

A visitor came upon a man slumped over in a parked car near the intersection of Old Highway 41 and Ridenour Road on the morning of Sunday, August 21st. When the visitor checked, he found that there was blood on the man and a handgun on his lap. Cobb County officers were first on scene and determined that the man was dead. He was subsequently identified as an 84-year-old resident of Marietta, Georgia. He had no known illness, but his family reported that he was depressed and tired of living. Rangers and Cobb County officers are investigating. [L.R. Morris, Chief Ranger]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

NIFC is at PL 4. About 30 teams are currently committed to Hurricane Katrina recovery operations.

Individual fire entries for today for the National Park Service can be obtained at HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/fire/news" http://www.nps.gov/fire/news . The full NIFC Incident Management Situation Report for today can be obtained at HYPERLINK "http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf" http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf.

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Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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