South Florida Areas
Hurricane Wilma Recovery Update
The National IMT (JD Swed, IC) continues it's assistance with recovery from Hurricane Wilma at the three large south Florida parks by helping the park staffs with the efforts begun before the storm ever hit. There are now 271 people deployed throughout Big Cypress National Preserve, Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park. That figure includes approximately 35 overhead staff. The three parks are beginning to open selected areas to the public while continuing the clean-up process.
Big Cypress NP
The SET continues its 24-hour coverage of the closed areas of the park. Crews continue to work to clear roads, trails and waysides. An electrician has arrived and will be addressing electrical issues throughout the park. Clean-up of the Kirby Storter Roadside Park nears completion with the removal of debris from the wrecked chickee picnic table covers and repair of the boardwalk handrails that were broken by falling trees. The Oasis Visitor Center is open and doing a brisk business as tourists return to the south Florida area. Debris removal and hazard tree mitigation continues throughout the preserve and ORV trails continue to be cleared. The FMSS team estimates it will be finished with Big Cypress by Saturday and will move on to Branch 2 (Everglades).
Biscayne NP
The visitor center parking lot, boardwalks, jetties and sidewalks in the Convoy Point area are almost done. The removal of storm shutters is almost complete as well. The concessioner intends to open on Saturday at the same time the Convoy Point VC opens. Crews will begin the tree removal and clean-up at Boca Chica Key on Friday. Clean-up of campgrounds is ongoing. Phone, electrical and internet service have now been restored to the park.
Everglades NP
The park conducted hydrology and hydrostation assessments yesterday by land, air and sea. The Eastern Panhandle, Duck Key and Long Sound are flooded. At Hole-in-the-Donut, employees and crews are working to salvage native plants in the shade shed and to upright trees that were blown over on the mounds. The air conditioning unit on the roof of the Krome Centre office building in Homestead has been re-positioned on it's proper supports. Further work will be needed to get the A/C unit operational. That will be done in cooperation with the building's owner. Fresh water fish surveying and monitoring has resumed by checking fish traps and damage assessments at the monitoring sites. Mud removal at Flamingo continues using pressure washers and elbow grease. The employee assistance group tarped roofs at two employee homes and cut hazard limbs from trees around the houses.
Dry Tortugas NP
At Dry Tortugas, an HVAC specialist, a carpenter and a plumber have begun work to restore utilities and repair damage. An electrician is working on the photo-voltaic system for the island. An eight-person labor crew is cleaning up and stockpiling debris for removal from the island. Repairs have begun on the causeway to the seaplane landing facility. Needed supplies and material are being ordered and delivered. Communication specialists determined yesterday that the antenna directed at Fort Jefferson has sustained irreparable damage and needs to be replaced. In support of the extra resources now working on Dry Tortugas, catering and lodging is being provided by a contract vessel anchored at Garden Key.
Additional Information
A web site has been established as a repository for official
documents related to hurricane recovery operations: http://inside
.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=15&lv=1. Note: An important addition
has been made under the heading for the National IMT. Employees at
affected parks can find a comprehensive FAQ sheet there that will answer
many of their questions. The specific URL to that document is http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/FAQ%
20Sheet%20-%20Hurricane%20Wilma%2010-30-05.doc
[Submitted by Shauna Dyas, IO, National IMT]
United States Park Police
Homicide Suspect Identified and Arrested
A homicide occurred in Franklin Park on October 1st when one man stabbed another in the chest. Both were known to frequent the area. An officer familiar with crimes and criminals from the area in and around that park was brought in and advised that one of the suspect's names might have been "T." The lieutenant responded that he probably knew "T.'s" true identity through information he'd received from a confidential information source. The lieutenant was put in touch with the USPP Violent Crimes Unit detective assigned to the case and provided her with both the man's true name and personal identifiers. Using this information, the detective was able to compile a photo spread. She showed the photos to witnesses who positively identified the assailant. An arrest warrant was issued. Further investigation was required in order to find the suspect, but he was identified and arrested following a foot chase on October 4th. [Submitted by Major Robert Kass, USPP]
Gateway National Recreation Area
Suicide in Sandy Hook Unit
As a ranger was making park closing announcements in Parking Lot J just before 6 p.m. on November 2nd, he noticed a red 2001 Dodge Ram pickup sitting in a corner of the lot with only its brake lights on. The driver was found to be deceased, his body slumped over in the driver's seat. The ranger had seen this pickup stopped on the side of Atlantic Drive about 45 minutes previously and had motioned the driver to move along. The driver did so. Local detectives, the county medical examiner and firefighters responded — the latter providing additional lights to assist investigators. A Mossberg shotgun, shell casing, shell wadding, several pills and a suicide note were found in the truck. The investigation, including an autopsy, continues. CISM peer support is being provided to employees. [Submitted by Hollis Provins, Chief Ranger, Sandy Hook Unit]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Servicewide
Upcoming Training Calendar
UPCOMING TRAINING
NOTE: Insofar as is possible, new training submissions will now be run as separate, discrete entries when they are received, then will be briefly summarized and posted in this weekly training calendar, which comes out on Fridays. This will provide readers with two opportunities to catch new training postings. Please submit information to Bill Halainen. New listings and revisions are in bold face.
November 14 — November 18
Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination, Mesa, AZ. The NWCG has developed certification standards and training for wildland fire investigators. This course is required training for the position of Type 3 wildland fire investigators. The announcement closes on November 9th. For more information, contact Wiley Golden (912-267-2246, Wiley_Golden@nps.gov).
November 28 — December 2
Quarters Management Information System and Rates Training, Denver, CO. The course will provide housing managers a better understanding and working knowledge of the NPS housing program. Specific topics include QMIS inventory requirements, required and non-required occupancy, safety and health issues, need assessments, condition assessments, housing management plans and PMIS projects. For more information, contact Hala Bates, IMRO housing office, at 303-969-2742 or via email.
December 6 — December 16
Firearms Instructor Training Program (FITP-602), FLETC, Glynco, GA. The announcement closes on November 4th. For more information, contact Wiley Golden (912-267-2246, Wiley_Golden@nps.gov).
January 30 — February 3
Archeological Resources Protection Training (CP-ARPTP-601), Port Hueneme, CA. Training in asll aspects of archeological investigation and subsequent prosecution of crimes. Taught by instructors who are nationally-recognized subject-matter experts in the fields of law enforcement, archeology and law. Questions should be directed to Charles Louke (912-280-5188, charles.louke@dhs.gov); for NPS course registration information, contact Wiley Golden (912-267-2246, Wiley_Golden@nps.gov).
Servicewide
Upcoming Events Calendar
UPCOMING EVENTS
NOTE: Insofar as is possible, submissions on upcoming events will now be run as separate, discrete entries when they are received, then will be briefly summarized and posted in this weekly events calendar, which comes out on Fridays. This will provide readers with two opportunities to catch new event postings. Please submit information to Bill Halainen. New listings and revisions are in bold face.
November 11 — November 13
On December 30, 2005, Colonial National Historical Park will mark the 75th anniversary of its creation by an executive order of President Herbert Hoover. In recognition of this milestone, Colonial is planning special events throughout the year, including a reunion of current and former employees of Colonial and its partners. The reunion is open to anyone who has worked at the park, either for the National Park Service or as a cooperating association, partner or concessionaire. This reunion is strictly a social opportunity for the NPS family to come back to Colonial to renew acquaintances, share stories and see the many improvements that are underway as the park prepares for its anniversary events at Yorktown in 2006 and Jamestown in 2007. To receive information on the plans for this reunion, please send your contact information to christine_lucero@nps.gov and put "Reunion" as the Subject. Please share this information with those who do not have access to email. Contact information: Christine Lucero, Colonial NHP, P.O. Box 210, Yorktown, VA 23690 (757-898-2432).
November 18 — November 20
Maritime Heritage Education, National Maritime Center, Norfolk, VA. This conference will be the first of its kind to bring formal and informal educators together to promote the sharing of maritime heritage education partnerships, programs and products. People from all over the country will come together to participate in this exciting conference featuring guest keynote speakers, concurrent sessions, a book room and social gatherings related to the following maritime heritage topics: Lighthouses/lightsaving stations; whaling and fishing heritage; native canoe cultures; shipping and port heritage; shipboard education programs; shipwrecks and other submerged sites. For information on the conference, go to http://www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/mhec ; for info on submitting abstracts (due by August 30th), go to http://www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/mhec
December 4 — December 8
28th Ranger Rendezvous, Association of National Park Rangers, Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, SC. The objective of this annual forum is to exchange ideas that further the preservation and management of the National Park Service and the National Park System. General information, a tentative agenda and registration information can be found at www.anpr.org .
December 31
Deadline for submissions in response to the call for proposals for the 2006 Firewise Communities National Conference, which will be held in Denver, Colorado, next November. The program is seeking proposals for presentations sharing experiences and fostering discussions in several subject areas:
- Firewise communities/USA
- Research
- Planning and mitigation
- Fire and emergency operations
- Communicating the Firewise message
- Using technology
For more information, go to www.firewise.org
February 8 — February 10
Eighteenth Annual Conservation Law Enforcement Conference, Prescott, Arizona. The conference provides 18 hours of AZPOST certified training to local, state and federal conservation law enforcement officers, and features a competition pistol shoot. For further information, visit the conference web site at www.azclea.org .
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found by clicking here. 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 Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.