NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
INCIDENTS
Gulf Coast Parks
Update On Oil Spill Operations
All NPS units along the Gulf Coast remain open and are conducting normal park operations. They have yet to receive the types and concentrations of oil that are impacting the coastline of Louisiana. Jean Lafitte has yet to receive oil due to its location, buffered from the Gulf by miles of marsh and waterways. Gulf Islands continues to receive small and varied amounts of tar balls and oiled debris on its beaches.
Jean Lafitte NHP&P - Park staff are working with the Gulf Islands IMT, the JIC in Houma, Louisiana, and state and parish officials to plan for any necessary defensive actions.
Gulf Islands NS - Reports of oil in the form of sheen and tar balls at Petit Bois Island were investigated by a SCAT team. Response to their report was delayed as a result of inclement weather. Due to preplanning and prepositioning of resources, the park is prepared for the dynamic situation expected to unfold at Petit Bois in the coming days.
South Florida Parks (Big Cypress, Biscayne, DeSoto, Dry Tortugas, Everglades) - Natural and cultural resource assessments are complete at Everglades and Biscayne. Personnel continue to conduct daily surveys at Dry Tortugas. Beach monitoring is expected to continue. A communications center can be contacted at 305-224-4215, or via email at HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/mailtSouthFloridaNPS@gmail.com__" SouthFloridaNPS@gmail.com .
For more information on the NPS, DOI and national oil spill responses and for a link to the BP online oil spill safety training needed by all incident staff, please see the following:
NPS Oil Spill Response - HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm" http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm
DOI Oil Spill Response - HYPERLINK "http://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/index.cfm" http://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/index.cfm
National Oil Spill Response - HYPERLINK "http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com" http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com
Oil Spill Safety Training - HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Conferences&id=1957" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Conferences&id=1957
[Mindi Rambo, Gulf Islands National Seashore Oil Spill Response]
Yellowstone NP
Search Underway For Missing Oklahoma Man
A search is underway for an Oklahoma man missing in the park since Monday. During a routine patrol early on Monday morning, rangers found a 2010 Red Cadillac STS sedan with Oklahoma license plates parked at the Hellroaring Trailhead, west of Tower Junction. The vehicle, which had obviously been parked overnight, was not associated with an overnight backcountry permit. A check showed that P.K., 25, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, had rented the vehicle several days earlier. Limited personal belongings were discovered in the car. A preliminary search and questioning of hikers, backpackers, and area businesses was conducted, but didn't turn up any information on P.K.'s whereabouts. Dog teams were added to the search effort yesterday afternoon. P.K. is described as being 6 foot 1 inch tall, weighing 185 pounds, and having brown hair and hazel eyes. Rangers believe that he may have been in the area for up to two weeks, and may not have been using his own name in any contact with individuals or businesses. Anyone with information regarding P.K. is asked to call Yellowstone National Park at 307-344-7381. [Al Nash, Public Affairs Officer]
Yosemite NP
Boiler Firebox Explodes At Historic Wawona Hotel
Park dispatch received a smoke alarm activation signal from the Wawona Hotel Annex late on the morning of May 26th. Engine 2 from Wawona was paged and arrived on scene shortly thereafter. Upon arrival, the incident commander found that the fire alarm was sounding with no smoke showing. The IC was approached by hotel concession staff, who informed him that there had been an explosion in the Annex boiler room and that the guest rooms had not been completely evacuated at that time. An initial size-up investigation confirmed smoke present in the basement and damage to the boiler and chimney, but that no flame was visible. The IC requested additional resources for possible fire extension while the engine company began a building search to confirm complete evacuation, advanced hose lines and began a search for fire extension. An additional page was made for NPS resources, including Valley Engine 3, El Portal Engine 1, the chief fire officer, the fire marshal, and Ambulance 4 from Wawona. Mutual aid response was initiated with Mariposa County Engine 33 from the neighboring community of Fish Camp and Sierra Paramedic 12 Ambulance was dispatched from Bass Lake. After completing a thorough search of the building, the IC cancelled responding fire and EMS resources, remaining on scene for fire watch. Investigation by the chief officer and fire marshal confirmed that an explosion had occurred. The explosion in the fuel-oil-fired boiler occurred after a burner flameout. Fuel oil vapor had built up in the combustion chamber and when exposed to a hot surface rapidly vaporized and ignited. The force of the firebox explosion had broken three bolts off the boiler door, causing the 100+ pound door to completely separate from the furnace and land several feet away - where a hotel employee had walked just seconds before. The force of the explosion also lifted the approximately 40 pound chimney cap over 50 feet into the air, landing on a pedestrian walkway. No injuries were reported. The loss of the boiler has impacted the operation of the Wawona Hotel and consequently the visitor experience. [Don Coffman, Park Fire Marshal]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS:
Visitor and Resource Protection - On Monday, May 24th, two NPS ranger/agent special event and tactical teams and one United States Park Police team began their deployments to the Bureau of Indian Affairs as part of Operation Alliance - a program directed by Secretary Salazar that responds to emergency service needs on tribal lands administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Office of Public Affairs - To celebrate the coming of summer, the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees at all parks on June 5th and 6th.
Bryce Canyon NP - Bryce Canyon National Park celebrated the first annual Utah Prairie Dog Day on Friday, April 30th. Over 200 park visitors and local area students participated in the day's activities. Photo.
Harpers Ferry Center - The Publications Office at Harpers Ferry Center has created a wall-sized poster of the map of the NPS system found in the current NPS map and guide unigrid brochure. It is now being offered for sale by GPO. Photo.
NPS Alumni - Phil Stewart, former NPS assistant director for land acquisition and concessions, passed away on May 28th at the West Virginia Veterans Administration Medical Center.
To see these and other stories posted on InsideNPS (or NPS Digest, its public version), click on one or the other of the following links (please note that not all stories in the former appear in the latter):
NPS employees: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index
Non-NPS employees: HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/
NPS serious incident submission standards can be found at the following web site: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/notify" http://inside.nps.gov/notify
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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).
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