On May 25th, a 25-year-old man was arrested and brought before a federal magistrate in Honolulu, Hawaii stemming from the theft of a purse. The purse, containing credit cards, identification and other personal items, was taken from a rental vehicle parked at the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on November 27th, 2011. A federal grand jury indicted the man on May 16th, charging him with unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, fraudulent use of an access device, and aggravated identity fraud, all felonies. Stolen credit cards were used at a gas station and on the internet for fraudulent purchases. Law enforcement rangers and a special agent from the Investigative Services Branch conducted the investigation and were assisted by the United States Secret Service along with the Honolulu Police Department. The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii is prosecuting the case.
[Submitted by Neil P. Akana, DOI/NPS Investigative Services Branch]

National Fire Activity – Preparedness Level 2

NIFC is at PL 2. Initial attack was light yesterday. Gusty winds are expected over the Great Basin and the northern Plains; the northern Rockies and the Four Corners region could see scattered showers.

Fire Weather Forecast

A cold front will stretch from eastern Montana to southern Nevada. Cold air will remain behind this front with gusty winds over the Great Basin. Scattered showers with snow at higher elevations will develop over the northern Rockies. Warm conditions will persist in the Southwest and some moisture will produce a few thunderstorms over the Four Corners region. Gusty winds will develop over the northern Plains ahead of the front. High pressure will settle in over the East, with showers and thunderstorms developing along a stalled front through the Gulf Coast states. In Alaska, warm temperatures will continue with showers and isolated thunderstorms developing across the Interior.

To see a NOAA map of today’s critical fire weather areas, click on this link:
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/fire_wx/fwdy1.html

Fire Summary (Five Day Trend)

National Resource Commitments (Five Day Trend)

NPS Fire Summaries

Park	State	Fire	Type	Acres	Percent Contain	Est. Full Contain
Kobuk Valley National Park	AK	Kitlik River Fire ref#171	Wildfire	20 acres		October 1, 2012
	Latest Narrative: From June 5 through June 6 Alaska received 4000+ lightning strikes. On June 5, a lightning ignited wildfire was detected in Kobuk Valley NP. The fire is surrounded by snow.
Noatak National Preserve	AK	Noatak Grand Canyon ref#157	Wildfire	200 acres		October 1, 2012
	Latest Narrative: From June 5 through June 6 Alaska received 4000+ lightning strikes. A local aircraft spotted the wildfire on June 5 in Noatak National Preserve. It is burning adjacent to the 1994 OTZ NE85 Fire.
Yukon - Charley Rivers National Preserve	AK	Marie Creek	Wildfire			September 30, 2012
	Latest Narrative: Park Service plane reported the fire to be approximately 2-3 acres in the afternoon of June 5th. Early evening the fire was flown by AFS and was reported to be 5 acres, 100% active with one area of torching and the rest smoldering in Black Spruce and Tundra on a wide arctic mesa. The fire is in limited option and was placed in monitor status.

For additional information on all fires, check the following web sites:

• Archived fire news – http://www.nps.gov/applications/fire/public/pub_firenews.cfm?orderby=DateToShow&archive=true
• Map of fire locations – http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/lg_fire2.php
• Details on all current major fires – http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf
• Fire news and fire year in perspective – http://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm
• InsideNPS Fire and Aviation – http://inside.nps.gov/fire
• InsideNPS Structural Fire – http://inside.nps.gov/fire/structuralfire

NPS Fire and Aviation - http://www.nps.gov/fire

Security awareness training is essential for the safe and secure operation of the Nation Park Service. Individuals must be aware of the potential threats and vulnerabilities they face, and understand how to implement appropriate countermeasures. The more individuals understand about the nature of security threats, the more these individuals are empowered to act to protect themselves, their families, and contribute to the security of their communities.

Federal Regulations require all users of Federal Information Technology (IT) systems receive annual information security awareness, privacy and records management training. To fulfill this training requirement, all National Park Service (NPS) personnel, including any employees, contractors, volunteers, and partners with access to any NPS IT resources are required to complete the training entitled "2012 Federal Information Systems Security Awareness + Privacy and Records Management" (FISSA+) no later than August 21, 2012.

The FISSA+ course has been assigned to all NPS federal employees and contractors. The course appears in the "My Learning" area in DOI Learn. In order to take the training online a DOI Learn account is required. Under the current version of DOI Learn all NPS employees are automatically registered into DOI Learn through the payroll and personnel system.

The FY12 course takes approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours to complete. Users who follow proper procedures will be able to exit and return to any sections not completed. Users are required to answer questions within the course. A score of 80 percent or better is needed to qualify for a certificate of completion. You should print and save a copy of your certificate. Bureaus are required to report on training compliance status to the DOI Cyber Security Division. Personnel who have not successfully completed the course by the due date can have their access to the NPS network and any other Federal systems revoked until this requirement is satisfied. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring their staff meets this requirement.

Additional details and instructions are available on the Inside.nps.gov pages below:

FISSA+ guidance: http://inside.nps.gov/FISSA
[Submitted by Jeff Levy, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer] More Information...

National Park Service and United States Forest Service helicopter rappel operations were halted on July 21st, 2009, following the death of a USFS rappeller during a training operation. While USFS helicopter rappel operations were allowed to resume in June of 2010, the NPS remained on a program stand-down in order to critically review the historic program. NPS managers also wanted to determine if the timing was right to develop a new generation of helicopter rappelling procedures and equipment. There was overwhelming affirmation from the park, the region, and the Washington office for the NPS, and specifically Yosemite National Park, to pursue new procedures and equipment unique to fire/rescue operations.

Helicopter rappel is one of several tools used at Yosemite for inserting personnel on initial attack during wildfires and life-safety search and rescue (SAR) incidents. Due to the terrain and topography in Yosemite, park personnel felt strongly that helicopter rappel should remain available. Discussions with regional and national aviation managers began in early 2010; in April of that year, the Yosemite Helicopter Rappel Working Group was established. Over the next two years, the group performed exhaustive testing of equipment and procedures followed by demonstrations, which ultimately lead to the interim NPS Helicopter Operations Plan, a policy signed by NPS Associate Director Steve Shackelton.

The first live rappels from Yosemite Helicopter 551 took place in May 2012. There were 16 graduates of the first helicopter rappel program (both from fire and emergency services personnel). The new NPS helicopter rappel program utilizes commercially available climbing equipment (the Petzl RIG and nylon Kernmantle static rope) as opposed to the legacy program that employs the Sky Genie system manufactured by Descent Control, Inc. By using climbing equipment, the Yosemite Helicopter Rappel Working Group believes that a safer system is in place and allows SAR personnel to use the same rappel equipment during a rescue mission.

Yosemite National Park extends its deep and grateful appreciation for support of this extremely important program, which utilizes the principles of operational leadership. This new program represents an important milestone for the national park system.
[Submitted by Kevin Killian, Deputy Chief Ranger, and Kelly Martin, Chief, Fire and Aviation]

Shenandoah National Park is seeking candidates interested in a lateral reassignment to a senior visitor use assistant position located at Luray, Virginia.

Applications will be accepted from employees of the National Park Service with career or career conditional status in the competitive service. Relocation expenses will be paid.

The park will be filling three positions. These positions work in campgrounds, entrance stations and fee booths. Positions will be filled at several locations within the park.

Major Duties include:

• Collecting appropriate fees at park entrance stations following appropriate guidelines for the handling and accounting for government funds.
• Use electronic cash register, performing opening and closing functions, issuing entrance receipts and various passes, and verifying validity of entrance passes.
• Completes shift reports using journal tapes and prepares remits and bank deposits.
• Provides information and general assistance to visitors regarding park facilities, resources and the surrounding area.

Work is mostly sedentary with occasional outside activities which may require walking and climbing. The incumbent must occasionally work extended shifts. Work is frequently performed under moderate stress. Tour of duty includes rotating shifts evenings, nights, weekends and federal holidays.

Incumbent must pass the required fee collection background investigation (unless already held) prior to appointment.

Shenandoah National Park is located in Virginia, approximately 90 miles southwest of Washington, DC. The park consists of approximately 197,000 acres of land including 80,000 acres of congressionally designated wilderness. It also contains 105 miles of Skyline Drive and 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Annual visitation is around 1.1 million, which has direct and extensive economic impact on the surrounding area (eight counties and nine municipalities). The park's natural, cultural and recreational resources are of vital interest to local and regional businesses, political leaders, conservation and outdoor recreation organizations, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Park housing is not available.

Interested individuals should submit the following:

• OF-612 Optional Application for Federal Employment, or a copy of your resume,
• Copy of your latest SF-50 (non-award that indicates your current title, series, grade and step.
• Copy of your latest performance appraisal.
• At least 3 professional or supervisory references with phone numbers.

Applicants should submit all required application materials by the close of business on June 18th, 2012 to the Virginia Servicing Human Resources Offices: Virginia SHRO, Attn: Cathy Gochenour, VA SHEN 2012 64 MP; 3655 Highway 211 East; Luray, VA 22835. Application materials may also be submitted via email to Cathy_Gochenour@nps.gov (application materials that are submitted via email must be in pdf or word files). Staffing specialist will not be responsible for notifying applicants in the event that files are corrupt or broken.

Contact Cathy Gochenour at (540) 999-3500 x 3474 if you have application questions.
Contact Alta Blietz at (540) 999 - 3500 x 3406 if you have questions about the position.

Denali National Park and Preserve recently dedicated and named its newly constructed Emergency Services and Fire Management facility as the Shaffer Building, in recognition of fallen employee Cale F. Shaffer.

Cale was a seasonal ranger who died in the line of duty on June 19, 2000 while flying to the Kahiltna Basecamp to lead a mountaineering patrol on Mt. McKinley. Cale approached each work day with a strong sense of duty, with enthusiasm, and with tremendous respect for the National Park Service mission. Cale began his NPS career at Grand Canyon National Park and moved north to Denali in the spring of 1999. Hungry for a broad range of park experiences, he worked in the west, east, and south districts of Denali – as a protection ranger, an EMT, and finally as a mountaineering ranger. It is not an exaggeration to say that Cale inspired every co-worker and volunteer around him, as well as his supervisors, to be better rangers and better citizens. His influence and inspiration continues through those former co-workers to every region in the National Park Service.

In naming the Shaffer Building, a move approved by NPS Director Jonathon Jarvis, the Denali management team acknowledges the tremendous importance of the seasonal workforce, while also advancing the principles of NPS Operational Leadership by instilling a greater awareness of the daily risks faced by current and future employees. Most importantly, Denali National Park honors an outstanding and inspirational employee, and aims to affirm with current and future employees the same sense of duty and public service that was exhibited and embodied by Ranger Shaffer.

The 6,657-square-foot Shaffer Building is now home to the park’s Visitor and Resource Protection and Fire Management staff. In addition to ranger and fire management offices, the facility features the NPS Alaska Region Communications Center, two conference rooms with video-conferencing capability, a weight room, and break room. The state-of-the-art Shaffer Building is a candidate for LEED Gold Certification, with sustainable design features such as solar and wind-generated energy systems, natural lighting, energy-efficient fixtures and appliances, a mechanical system using cool domestic water and heat exchangers, low VOC paints and adhesives, and a focus on products made of recycled and regional content throughout the building.

NPS serious incident submission standards can be found at the following web site:

http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custompages.cfm?prg=45&id;=8728&llv;=2&pgid;=3504

All reports should now be submitted via this automated system.