NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
BLACKBERRY EDITION
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
INCIDENTS
Hurricane Katrina Recovery
IMT at Gulf Islands Hosts Employee Gathering, Cookout
Highlights of yesterday's operations at the affected parks:
The Eastern IMT (Wissinger) at Everglades/Dry Tortugas will be demobilized by tomorrow afternoon. Demob operations are underway.
The second Eastern IMT (Brown) at Gulf Islands hosted a gathering and cookout in Davis Bayou for park staff, volunteers and partners. Crews are making significant progress on cleanup operations.
The National IMT (Swed) has compiled stats on the storms terrible impact on employee homes in the parks (details below). The Chalmette VC is a total loss; the Barataria VC will need substantial work.
Information Directory
A web site has been established as a repository for official documents related to hurricane recovery operations: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=15&lv=1" http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=15&lv=1. Now posted there are:
NEW: A copy of the September 2nd Human Resources memo on “absence, leave, overtime pay and hiring flexibilities” (under WASO Documents).
NEW: A copy of the September 9th memo with “guidance on campground waivers for Hurricane Katrina evacuees” (under WASO Documents).
NEW: A high-quality, reproducible map from NIFC showing the location of all teams dispatched from the center (under Interagency Hurricane Response Documents).
NEW: Information from the National Team on employee assistance for NPS employees affected by the hurricane (found under “Employee Information” on the left hand column on the main page).
A subsection entitled “National Response Plan” contains the emergency support functions (ESFs) in the National Response Plan - the document which is guiding the entire federal response (found on the left hand column of the main page).
A guide to controlling infectious diseases in responders (under WASO Documents).
A copy of the NPS National Emergency Response Plan (under WASO Documents).
Guidance on vaccinations and environmental health (under WASO Documents).
Incident management team delegations of authority, ICS 209s and incident action plans received to date (under respective team document folders)
Current reports on total resource commitments made through the National Interagency Fire Center (under Interagency Hurricane Response Documents).
There are also web pages that are now available that provide a good deal of additional information. We will post some of the more significant of these:
Disaster Help - This is a major federal public site on the Katrina recovery which includes a wide variety of important links. HYPERLINK "https://disasterhelp.gov/portal/jhtml/index.jhtml" https://disasterhelp.gov/portal/jhtml/index.jhtml
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.
All incident personnel will be demobilized by close of business on Thursday, September 15th. Four incident personnel will continue working in the park after the IMT leaves but will be transitioned to the park. Two law enforcement rangers will continue to assist on Dry Tortugas and an electrician and plumber will stay on the island to help disconnect three damaged generators. The team is working on its demobilization and transition plan and preparing documentation for the closeout with the park on Friday.
Fifty-one field personnel who are currently working on hurricane recovery efforts or may be deployed in the future have signed up to receive free diphtheria and tetanus shots being organized by the team in Miami and Key West.
A structural fire occurred at the concession lodge at Flamingo when a concessions contractor was welding to install new plumbing equipment in the attic. The fire was suppressed and contained to an area above one of the rooms. The Miami Dade Fire Department assisted the park with suppression. There were no occupants as the lodge is closed resulting from hurricane damages.
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.
Hugs, tears, smiles and stories were the order of the day yesterday. On Tuesday, about 35 park employees, volunteers and cooperators gathered at the Davis Bayou maintenance area for a reunion, employee meeting and cookout hosted by the IMT. The IMT gave an overview of its work, then superintendent Jerry Eubanks spoke thoughtfully to the attentive group. He shared news of storm damage and the many challenges facing them. Afterwards, park volunteers, employees and managers sat down for burgers, hotdogs and more conversation.
The employee assistance group, with both park and IMT resources, has worked day after day to clean up after the water and winds of Katrina. They have dealt with basic safety and shelter issues. They've removed hazard trees, torn out soaked and molding carpeting, and hauled now-ruined possessions from homes. A separate saw crew is working the interface between the park and private property, removing hazard trees and reaching out to park neighbors. Equipment operators have cleared driveways of wreckage, giving people safe access to their damaged homes.
After days of saw, bucket and chipper work, the main park road was clear enough by yesterday for the speed limit to return to 25 mph. Just one week ago, there was a serpentine passage through the downed trees and branches. Two delivery companies brought much anticipated supplies to the ICP today. Three new crews arrived.
Jean Lafitte NHP&P/New Orleans Jazz NHP
The National IMT (JD Swed, IC) is in Thibodaux, Louisiana, and is charged with both assisting the employees of the two parks and with overseeing the overall NPS response to the hurricane. The operation is divided into three branches:
Employee Assistance Branch
The branch determines the urgent needs of affected NPS employees and provides appropriate immediate assistance. All 100 NPS employees affected by the hurricane from Jean Lafitte, New Orleans Jazz, Everglades and Gulf Islands have been contacted either in person or by phone. The branch personally contacted 46 employees, in groups or individually (Jean Lafitte and New Orleans Jazz), and approximately 15 employees and 20 partners or VIPs at Gulf Islands. These employees have been dispersed in Louisiana and Mississippi with several in Texas and others in Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, New York and Tennessee. Some employees are located in different states than their immediate family members.
Thus far, the branch has reunited members of two families who were in two different states, provided transportation, emergency food and clothing purchases for three park families that were displaced to Houston, provided peer support teams for assistance coping with critical incident stress, and distributed employee packets containing information on money available from FEMA, the Employee & Alumni Association and other support service resources to approximately 85 employees. They've also helped 23 employees who had problems accessing money in their banks. The branch has surveyed housing needs at six affected parks; four parks had losses. Homes of 21 employees are a total loss (Gulf Islands - two private and six government; Jean Lafitte - 12 private; New Orleans Jazz - one private). Private homes of 11 employees have had severe damage (five at Gulf Islands, six at Jean Lafitte). Private homes of 18 employees have some damage but can be reoccupied in a reasonable amount of time (eight at Gulf Islands, 10 at Jean Lafitte). The status of 15 homes is undetermined (ten at Jean Lafitte, five at New Orleans Jazz), as they remain inaccessible in flooded districts. The same applies to the homes of 22 volunteers and partners at Gulf Islands. The branch continues to compile information on local and distant housing opportunities and information on details available to displaced employees. Employee assistance centers are located at the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center, 250 West Park Avenue, Eunice, LA and at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux, LA. Please call 337-250-2161 or 2184. Peer support groups are also located at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center and the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette at 337-232-0789.
Resources and Facilities Branch
A preliminary assessment has been completed of facilities at Jean Lafitte and New Orleans Jazz. All facilities sustained some damage; however, the most damage occurred at Chalmette and Barataria, two sites that are a part of Jean Lafitte. At Chalmette, the visitor center had 42 inches of water in it and suffered 80% mold damage on walls, furniture and displays. It is a total loss. At Barataria, the visitor center metal roof has extensive damage and requires a total replacement. The boardwalks are also damaged.
After the incident management team assessment, the park and regional staff jointly determined that cultural resources needed to be temporarily relocated from Chalmette and Barataria. The team planned and executed removal of the resources. At 419 Decatur Street, Jean Lafitte park headquarters, cultural resources were inventoried and a contract was prepared for their removal. Cultural resources were to be removed from 419 Decatur Street yesterday.
Law Enforcement Branch
The branch, which provides security for all personnel throughout the recovery and evacuation process, secured the home of an absent park employee with plywood and plastic. They
provided security for four loads of port-a-potties, generators, and other equipment for Gulf Islands, provided security escorts for four employees returning home for personal effects and critical documents, and provided a security escort for one additional employee to his home - but were stopped by water. Law enforcement rangers helped employees load their possessions, provided over ten security escorts for damage assessments of park facilities, and assisted with assessments. They conducted over-flights of a dozen inaccessible employee homes to assess status and damage, photographed the homes, and will provide DVDs to affected employees. They provided security during two trips for cultural resource crews and removed and delivered critical records for park staff and finally provided roving security for park properties.
Currently 130 employees work on the NPS National Incident Management team.
For more information, NPS employees can visit Inside NPS. The public can access information at HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/" www.nps.gov/morningreport. For further information, contact the NPS National Incident Management Team Information Office at HYPERLINK "mailto:Katrina_info_nps@yahoo.com" Katrina_info_nps@yahoo.com
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. Donated funds will be distributed immediately to provide for basic, daily needs, such as food, water and temporary housing. 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 and Morgan Miller, IO's, IMT, Houston; Nancy Gray, IO, IMT, EVER; Barb Stewart, IO, IMT, GUIS]
Eastern Areas
Coastal Carolina Parks Complete Preparations
Here are today's updates from North Carolina parks in Ophelia's probable path:
Outer Banks Group - Yesterday Dare County declared a state of emergency for the county and issued a mandatory evacuation order for Hatteras Island. The latter went into effect at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. The evacuation order covered the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras. The park has accordingly closed Frisco campground on Hatteras Island, the Oregon Inlet campground on Bodie Island, the visitor centers on both islands, Cape Hatteras lighthouse, the Salvo day use area, facilities on Ocracoke, and the other two parks in the Outer Banks Group - Wright Brothers NM and Fort Raleigh NHS.
Cape Lookout NS - Final preparations for shutdown of park headquarters were completed on Monday. The park is closed and all park operations have been shut down.
Moores Creek NB - The park closed yesterday afternoon at 4 p.m. Park staff were released throughout the day as closure operations proceeded.
Meanwhile, Canaveral NS has returned to normal operations, effective yesterday. The storm's impact was limited to the south district, where sand drifts temporarily blocked the roadway, and a handicapped boardwalk that was damaged by rough surf. Some turtles nests were disturbed and some beach erosion was reported. [Dare County Emergency Management; Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger, CALO; Bruce Rosel, CANA; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR]
Mojave NP
Man Who Threatened Rangers Sentenced to Jail
A Newberry Springs man who admitted to pointing a loaded .30-caliber M-1 carbine at federal law enforcement officers who were investigating possibly unlawful digging in the park was sentenced on September 12th to eight months in federal prison. L.H.S., 62, had previously pleaded guilty to one felony count of assaulting, resisting, intimidating and impeding federal law enforcement officers during the confrontation, which occurred on February 12th. In sentencing L.H.S. and rejecting the defendant's plea for probation, the judge said that the high desert was "not the wild west" and all citizens have a responsibility to respect the law. The judge, who also imposed a $2,000 fine, ordered L.H.S. to begin serving his prison term within 30 days. L.H.S. is the friend of another man who owns a small parcel of private property within Mojave National Preserve. The friend had recently constructed a small cabin on National Park Service land near a desert spring, which was outside of his private property line. In early February, the friend was observed operating a trenching machine at the spring. In addition to being on federal land, the area around the cabin is documented as containing archeological and cultural resources. On February 12th, two uniformed NPS rangers contacted L.H.S. and his friend regarding the trenching activity. While one of the rangers was photographing the trenching activity, L.H.S. removed the M-1 carbine from a vehicle. He placed a magazine in the weapon and chambered a round. He then pointed the weapon at the ranger who was taking pictures and began advancing on him. Despite repeated commands to drop the weapon, L.H.S. continued to advance with his weapon in the ready firing position. The threatened officer was forced to take defensive cover behind one corner of the cabin and draw his service weapon. During the ensuing stand-off, the rangers observed that the eight-year-old child of the private property owner was within the line-of-fire. Fearful for the safety of the child and the other individuals, including L.H.S., the two rangers decided to de-escalate the dangerous situation by slowly withdrawing to their marked patrol vehicle and leaving the area. L.H.S. was arrested in Yermo on February 17th by NPS agents. [United States Attorney's Office, Central District of California]
Organ Pipe Cactus NM
Exposure Death
On the morning of September 2nd, a Border Patrol agent reported that he had found a body about five miles east of the Lukeville Port of Entry and about three-and-a-half miles north of the international boundary - a location within the park. The victim was a man in his mid-20s. The Pima County Sheriff's Department was notified and conducted the on-scene unattended death investigation. The man's identity and nationality are unknown, but he appears to have been a Mexican national. Evidence at the scene, corroborated by the coroner, point to exposure and dehydration as the causes of his death. The area in which the body was located is a route heavily used by illegal aliens and drug smugglers entering the United States. [Fred Patton, Chief Ranger]
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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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