NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, May 23, 2011

INCIDENTS

Mount Rainier NPS

Rangers Assist In Saving Life

On the afternoon of May 16th, the Greenwater Volunteer Fire Department, which serves an area north of the park, was dispatched to a report of a man down and suffering seizures just off Highway 410 about two miles outside the park's east entrance. Rangers Geoff Walker and Gavin Wilson responded to a mutual aid call and arrived first on scene. According to friends who were with him, the 19-year-old, who had a preexisting heart condition, had stopped on the side of the highway to view an elk and was following it into the forest when he fell face first to the ground and began seizing. One of the friends began CPR while the other went to a nearby resort to call 911. Upon arrival, Wilson and Walker took over CPR. Within minutes Greenwater firefighters, including ranger Jen Rudnick, arrived on scene and an AED was used to restore his pulse. He was then carried to the Greenwater ambulance and transported to nearby Ranger Creek airstrip, where an American Medical Response ALS unit had just arrived. Soon thereafter an Airlift Northwest air ambulance landed. For over two hours, the flight nurses and a Buckley paramedic, assisted by rangers, firefighters, and EMTs, attempted to stabilize the man for the 25-minute flight to Harborview Hospital in Seattle. He required multiple successive shocks, continual CPR, and a high volume of cardiac medications before he was stable enough to fly. The nurses and paramedic remarked that they had never used so many medications before in such a situation, nearly exhausting everything they had with them. Two days later, the man's parents reported that he was breathing on his own and responding to yes or no questions. [R. Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]

Lake Mead NRA

Timely Intervention Saves Would-Be Suicide

On April 21st, supervisory visitor use assistant Victoria Stone noticed a woman in her vehicle in the Lake Mead Marina parking lot who appeared to be unconscious. She notified both park dispatch and two protection rangers on a traffic stop near the marina. Rangers Jeff Glossop and Jesus Robles responded and found prescription pill containers, alcoholic beverages, and a suicide note inside the car. The rangers, assisted by park wildland firefighters, provided medical care. The woman was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Rangers credit Stone for preventing the woman's death. [Ben McKay, District Ranger, Mead District]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/):

Colorado NM - Colorado National Monument celebrated its 100th anniversary on Saturday, May 21st, with 600 people gathered for the occasion in a festive canopy tent adjacent to the visitor center.

Mount Rushmore NM - On May 16th, as part of Peace Officers Memorial Week, rangers attending the Northern Great Plains advanced law enforcement refresher at Mount Rushmore held a memorial service to honor the 38 protection rangers who have fallen in the line of duty. Photo.

Saint Croix NSR - Rangers from St. Croix laid flowers on the graves of two fallen rangers during National Police Week. Each is buried nearby.

Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the NPS.

Northeast Region - Mike Caldwell has been selected as deputy regional director/chief of staff for Northeast Region. Photo.

Chickamauga and Chattanooga NMP - Sam Weddle, management assistant at Chickamauga and Chattanooga, will retire on June 3rd after 36 years of service. Photo.

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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of Communications and 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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