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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Wednesday, March 1, 2007 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Indiana Dunes NL Tenant Life Saved Through Timely Intervention During recent severely cold weather, the resident of a home inside the park occupied under a reservation of use permit called the dispatch center and asked for assistance. The man, who lives by himself, said that he had neither food nor water at his residence. Rangers helped him obtain groceries and the services of a plumber. It was also apparent that the man was experiencing some mental and physical health issues. Out of concern for his condition, ranger Kelsey Cassidy and other rangers periodically dropped by the house to check on him. On February 19th, it was apparent that his physical condition had declined to the point where he was no longer able to take care of himself. That and the sanitary condition of his house mandated an intervention. Rangers asked Porter County Adult Protective Services to evaluate the situation and determine the best course of action. The county was able to obtain an ‘endangered adult' order and sheriff's officers took him to a hospital. The evaluating physician determined that the man's condition was so severe that he would not have survived through the next day. [Mike Bremer, Chief Ranger] Indiana Dunes NL Attempted Suicide, Life Saved On the afternoon of February 25th, rangers received a notice to be on the lookout for a missing woman from the nearby town of Portage. The woman had called her husband from an unidentified parking lot and threatened suicide. To emphasize her threat, she used her cellular phone camera to photograph slash marks on her wrist and sent them to her husband. Rangers began checking parking lots within the park. Within minutes of receiving the call, ranger Bill Tadych spotted the woman as she was driving out of the Mount Baldy parking lot and pulled her over. He found a seven-inch-long steak knife and numerous bottles of prescription medicine - including sleeping pills - inside the car. The woman was taken into protective custody and admitted to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation. It was later determined that she had indeed intended to end her life. [Mike Bremer, Chief Ranger] OTHER NEWS Other news from today's edition of InsideNPS, the National Park Service's home page: Servicewide - Forecasters warned Tuesday that a La Nina weather pattern -- the nasty flip side of El Nino -- is brewing, bringing with it the threat of more hurricanes for the Atlantic. Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services - The nominees for the 2007 Servicewide Harry Yount Award have been announced. The Yount Award is one of the highest recognitions a ranger can receive. Canyon de Chelly NM - Chinle Wash, once choked with tamarisk and Russian olive, has been restored to a widening ribbon of water following removal of those two aggressive, invasive species. Zion NP - The park will be re-announcing an opening for a WS-5716-10 engineering equipment operator supervisor in about a week. To link to InsideNPS, click on HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/ * * * * * Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA. --- ### --- |