Gateway |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-2024. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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Monday, October 6, 1986 Location: East Parking Lot, N. Channel Bridge A maintenance man reported seeing Mr. G.J.S. sleeping near his Harley Davidson motor cycle around 2 pm. An hour or so later, Park Police received a report via 911 on same man, and investigated with NYPD. G.J.S. was found dead at scene. Marijuana, white powder (apparently cocaine), and a pipe used for smoking the latter was found on his person. Park Police are investigating.
Location: Bay #6, Riis Park, Breezy Point Summary: At approximately 0207 hours, 12/7/86, Officer Carter while patrolling the boardwalk area at Jacob Riis Park, observed a person apparently sleeping on the cement stairs leading to the sand area from the boardwalk at bay #6, by the clock area. He saw the person in his patrol vehicle headlamps and investigated. When the person would not awake, he checked vital signs and determined that the person was apparently dead. He requested assistance and USPP Sergeants McKeough & Lauro responded. Detective Stray also responded and arrived on scene at 0230 hours, having been called when a handgun was discovered a few feet from the victim's body, approximately at the shin level. The body was that of a non-white male, approx 30 years 5'6", short neatly trimmed afro style brown hair, brown eyes, with a moustash and a neatly trimmed full face beard. Body clothed in a green uniform type zipper jacket, heavy winter weight, a green dress shirt, a print necktie, green dress type pants, white sweatsocks and leather strap sandals. The body was on the steps with feet toward the sand, and a blanket partially covered the left side of face and went to waist. A small caliber (22 cal.) revolver was laying next to the body and the body also wore a shoulder holster compatible with the size and type of weapon found. Queens City homicide crime scene detectives and USPP investigators secured and processed the scene. There was no identification whatsoever nor any valuables on the body. There was no suicide note, although the body examination on the scene revealed the following: A small bullet wound in the left chest with little or no bleeding. Bulled passed through the shirt but not the jacket. Powder burn traces (or appearances thereof) were located on the shirt. Body removed to Queens County Morgue. TELECON with USPP detective indicates that further investigation progress leans toward suicide. Notes were subsequently found at residence and positive identification forthcoming. Detective Moran, New York City Police, 100th pct. case agent for NYCPD.
Location: North Beach, Sandy Hook A 1920 vintage unexploded submarine torpedo was found on the beach by an NPS employee. The highly corroded shell was about 45" long and 12" in diameter and contained between 86 and 90 pounds of high explosives. A Department of Defense ordinance disposal unit was on scene at the time of the report, and the area had been secured and closed to the public. Military engineers will attempt to place two charges on the torpedo and blow it up in place, since it is too unstable to move. Follow-up, 1000 am, 2/6: The ordinance team used shape charges in an attempt to blow up the torpedo, but in actuality only blew open the shell casing. It was determined that the explosive materials within were stable enough to transport, and the team removed them from the area.
Location: Quarters #52 B The occupant of quarters 52 B at Sandy Hook, maintenance man Dwight Welch, reported a mattress fire in his apartment. The park fire team responded and had the blaze knocked down by 8 a.m. The second floor and roof of 52 B were destroyed, and there was some roof damage to 52 A (the building is a duplex). Total damage estimated at about $45,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Monmouth County Fire Marshall.
Location: Riis Park, Bay 18 Sometime late on the afternoon of March 23rd, a 65' commercial vessel - the Sunshine II - went aground on Riis Beach. The Coast Guard responded to the scene, but did not advise the park. The Coast Guard was unsuccessful in its attempts to tow the boat to sea; over the night, it was severely damaged by rough seas. The superstructure was lost and a 3' x 20' hole was opened in the hull. There are unconfirmed reports of two to three injuries to people on board. The beaching was discovered early this morning by Park Police officers on patrol. No further information is available at present.
Location: Sandy Hook, North Beach A visitor discovered a 12" ordinance on the beach. Park personnel notified the Ordinance Disposal Unit from Ft. Monmouth. At 5:55pm on 5/13, the unexploded ordinance was detonated in place without incident. Park Service maintenance crews had built an earthen berm around the ordinance before detonation. A meeting scheduled for Monday, 5/18 between the park staff and the Commanding Officer of Ft. Monmouth will discuss coordinating an ordinance sweep of the area.
Location: Parking Lot B Ranger Fred Harmon responded to a report of a male and female being threatened by another park visitor in the area known as Parking Lot B. Harmon found a Mr. R.T. to be the individual who was harassing other park visitors. R.T. appeared to be intoxicated. At approximately 5:20 pm, Harmon transported R.T. from the parking lot to the ranger station so that he could "cool down". At approximately 7:15 pm Harmon, along with 7 other rangers returned R.T. to Parking Lot B so his friend could drive him home. R.T. and his friend stated that they were not leaving the park at this time. The rangers then began to handcuff R.T. and take him to the patrol car. Several bystanders (4-5) began to throw beer cans and ice at the rangers. The incident began to attract the attention of 40-50 other individuals who were sitting on the seawall nearby. R.T.'s friend P.B. was handcuffed by two of the rangers for throwing cans. A third person, named R.S., began to interfere with the rangers and was handcuffed. All three were being taken to patrol vehicles for transport when they started to resist the entire procedure and a scuffle ensued. Several rangers were kicked in the groin, and one was bitten. Eventually, R.S., R.T., and P.B. were taken to the ranger station where they were cited for assault and interfering with an agency function. R.T. was also cited for public intoxication and turned over to the local law enforcement agency who returned him to his home. P.B. and R.S. were returned to parking lot B.
Location: Parking Lot B C.M., a seasonal lifeguard, suffered severe injury while riding his bicycle on his days off. He had just passed the entrance station when a vehicle pulled out of Lot B and struck him. The driver of the vehicle was identified as 23-year-old J.A.P. of Oakhurst, NJ. C.M. suffered a broken collar bone & ribs, a concussion, lacerations and lost all of his teeth. He underwent surgery last night. He received 100 stitches to his face and required 300 stitches to reattach his ear. His condition is stable as of today. Investigation of the incident is ongoing.
A structural fire resulted in heavy damage to government quarters. The cause at the time was undetermined. Update: The damage totalled $45,000, and it's uncertain whether the park will attempt to rebuild the structure. Cause was determined to be accidental.
Location: North Shore Jamaica Bay A rowing scull with a single occupant was struck by a 29' power boat. Scull and victim disintegrated upon impact. The operator of the power boat attempted an immediate rescue. He then notified US Coast Guard and USPP. Both agencies responded to the scene. Due to the force of impact, an identification of the victim could not be made. No additional details as to the identification of the power boat operator or what actually occurred are known at this time. An identification of the deceased is pending. USPP/USCG are investigating.
Location: North Shore Jamaica Bay A rowing scull with a single occupant was struck by a 29' power boat. The operator of the power boat is A.D. The 29' Scotty Craft was powered by twin 325 HP inboard engines and has been impounded. The incident occurred entirely within National Park Service jurisdiction. The USPP, assisted by the NYPD 69th Precinct Detective Unit, are conducting the investigation. A dive was scheduled for Monday the 24th to search for evidence. A positive identification of the victim has been made; next of kin have not been located. Note: Gateway is the park in which this incident occurred, not Golden Gate as previously reported.
Location: Fort Tilden While attending an all night beach party in a closed area of the park, S.G., 29, of Brooklyn, NY, went into the water to swim and failed to return. The U.S. Park Police Dive Team conducted an unsuccessful search for him that day. S.G.'s body washed ashore on the 19th. Evidence indicates that alcohol was involved.
Location: Breezy Point Wildlife Refuge District The body of R.E., 53, of Brooklyn, New York was found with a gunshot wound in the head. A suicide note and revolver found at his side indicate that R.E. died of self-inflicted wounds. U.S. Park Police and the New York Police department are investigating.
Location: Staten Island, Great Kills and Miller Field Beaches Staten Island Beach was closed to swimming on July 13th due to the discovery of hazardous medical debris. The debris contained vials of waste blood, syringes, needles and other medical waste. Great Kills and Miller Field Beaches were closed to all activities on July 14th due to the discovery of similar medical debris on both beaches. Park officials plan to observe several tidal cycles before re-opening the beaches.
Location: Jamaica Bay On July 16, at 7:30 pm, New York Police Department Officers discovered the body of 55 year old J.F.H., in the water east of Carnarsi Pier in the Jamaica Bay unit. J.F.H., who was also known as J.F.S. and who had no know address, had apparently been illegally clamming during a period of strong tides. Further investigation revealed that J.F.H. was intoxicated at the time of his death. The New York Police Department did not report the incident to park officials until August 3rd.
A female acrobat, part of a Chinese troupe performing in a circus in New York, sought political asylum in the United States at Floyd Bennett Field yesterday. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), State Department and Council General were notified, and she was later turned over to INS. Her name is being withheld at present. The other four members of the troupe had previously decamped during a tour stop in Vermont; they also sought asylum. (Telephone report from GATE).
Early on the afternoon of the 9th, two fishermen, whose identities are not yet known, were fishing off the tip of the jetty at Breezy Point when, storm surf from an off-shore hurricane washed them into the ocean. Witnesses reported, the incident, and a full-scale search was initiated by the Park Police, Coast Guard and NYPD. No trace of the two men has yet been found. (Telephone report from Capt. Dale Dickerhoof, RAD/NARO).
On the afternoon of the 11th, the US Coast Guard notified the park that oil in the form of tar balls had appeared on the beaches of the Coast Guard area on Sandy Hook and asked that the park be checked for signs of oil. Tar- balls ranging in size from two to 18 inches in diameter were found from the Coast Guard area south to Batteries Kingman and Mills. There were one to two balls every 20 feet. The density of oil was greatest along the north end of the shore. Subsequent discussions with the Coast Guard revealed that the oil came from a 2,000-gallon spill which had occurred earlier in the week during a fuel transfer from a tanker to a tug. Representatives from the park, Coast Guard and the tanker's insurance company met the following day, and the insurance company representative advised that a clean-up crew was on site and would remove the oil from the park. It was estimated that it would take three days to collect all of the oil. Little or no damage appears to have occurred to park resources. (Telefaxed report from Frank Mills, CR, SAHO, 3:30 EST, 12/14).
On the morning of January 22nd, park rangers found a 9-month-old, female ringed seal in the dune area of Sandy Hook about 50 yards from the water line. The seal was captured and taken to the Marine Mammal Training Center in Brigantine, New Jersey, where it was learned that ringed seals live in the Arctic and that none had ever been found this far south before. The seal, which was determined to be healthy and in good condition, will be taken to Cape Cod and released. (Telephone report from Dale Dickerhoff, RAD/NARO, 1/26/90).
In the early hours of March 1st, 2.7,000 gallons of number six heating oil spilled into the eastern end of the Kill Van Kull waterway in New York harbor from a hole in the hull of a barge being loaded at the Exxon Bayonne terminal. Kill Van Kull, a narrow east-west waterway between Staten Island and New Jersey, was boomed at the west end, but authorities expect the spill to continue to spread, to the east and south. Predictions were for the surface sheen to reach Gateway's Sandy Hook unit late yesterday. Liberty Island, however, is outside the area that the spill is expected to cover. Early reports from the Coast Guard indicate that the barge owner will pay for the cleanup operation. (Incident report from Jake Hoogland, Environmental Compliance, WASO, 3/1/90).
The Citgo gasoline barge Cibro Savannah, anchored at that company's terminal in Arthur Kill in Linden, New Jersey, exploded around 1 p.m. yesterday afternoon, spilling an unknown portion of the barge's cargo of gasoline or number two fuel oil into New York Harbor. The barge broke its moorings after the explosion and began drifting toward Staten Island. Preliminary reports indicate that from 600,000 to 4.2 million gallons of fuel may have been involved in the incident. The spill poses a potential danger to units of Gateway. A follow-up report on the impacts of both the Exxon and Citgo spills on the park will be forthcoming. (Briefing from John Donahue, WASO Environmental Quality, 7 a.m. EST, 3/7/90).
J.A.A., 23, was swimming approximately 200 yards south of the guarded area at Gunnison Beach on the afternoon of July 1st when he drowned. His body was recovered about an hour after the incident. (Telephone report from Capt. Dale Dickerhoof, RAD/NARO, 7/2).
At 3:30 a.m. on the morning of the 24th, a Park Police unit came upon a stolen, whose driver was reported to be armed. During the subsequent attempt to arrest him, a scuffle occurred and the operator got into his vehicle, rammed the cruiser and took off. The Park Police officers pursued the vehicle down a parkway, but never got closer than a block behind him. At 4 a.m., the vehicle hit a milk truck, killing the operator instantly. The driver of the milk truck was not injured. An investigation is underway. (Telephone report from Capt. Dale Dickerhoof, RAD/NARO, 7/27).
On the afternoon of July 22nd, a Piper J5A towing a 49-foot advertising banner released the banner over the park, then began circling the area at an altitude estimated to have been below 300 feet. After several very low dives southbound along Atlantic Drive, the plane landed in Lot K without incident. The pilot, 23-year-old R.P. of North Arlington, New Jersey, said that he had to land due to fog and poor visibility. The pilot was cited for an unauthorized landing and released to the owner of the aircraft. The undamaged aircraft was impounded, and an FAA investigator who was summoned to the park began an investigation into the incident. At the time of the landing, there were about 10,000 people in the park. The lot in which R.P. landed had 25 vehicle. (Frank Mills, CR, SAHO, via telefaxed report from John Lynch, RAD/NARO, 7/24).
On the morning of the 18th, a fisherman found the body of a woman in her 30's in the southwest corner of Paedergat Basin in the park. The victim was bound hand and foot and had apparently died from a gunshot wound to the head. It is not yet clear whether she was killed in the park or elsewhere. Park Police and New York PD detectives are investigating. (Telephone report from Capt. Dale Dickerhoof, RAD/NARO, 8/20).
Early on the morning of September 15th, a female jogger on the beach in the park's Fort Tilden Unit discovered the body of a partially clothed male. Park Police and NYPD officers responded. There were no visible signs of injury on the body, but other evidence suggested that the man had been killed. On the following morning, a man walking his dog on Plumb Beach found a body wrapped in a sheet. The victim had been trussed with two electric cords and TV antenna wire. His only apparent injury was a bloody nose. The second body was found about two miles from the first. Although the two incidents may be related, it is considered unlikely that they are linked. (Telephone report from Maj. Dale Dickerhoof, USPP, GATE).
A citizen reported finding two bodies in the NPS-owned refuge in Jamaica Bay at about 9:00 a.m. on the morning of the 5th. US Park Police officers responded and found that the men had been blindfolded with duct tape and had had their hands bound behind their backs one with metal cuffs, the other with plastic "flexicuffs" before they were killed. They apparently were shot to death. There were hand-lettered signs under each body. [Telefax from Dale Dickerhoof, USPP, GATE, 2/5]
On May 25th, Park Police officers Dan McFadden and Paul Dorogoff responded to a report from an anonymous caller who said that a fence surrounding the piping plover nesting area at Breezy Point had been disturbed. Upon arrival, they discovered that a post had been removed and found a vehicle inside the nesting area. The driver, D.G., 25, of Brooklyn, was arrested on charges of violating the Endangered Species Act and was released on her own recognizance. She is to appear before a federal magistrate in the near future. McFadden is one of three Park Police resource management liaison officers who work on these types of cases with other park staff at Gateway. [Telefax from Maj. Dale Dickerhoof, New York Field Office, USPP, 6/7]
During the early morning hours of July 8th, a government-owned 1991 Dodge van valued at $20,000 was found to have been stolen from the Gateway Job Corps Center. Following an extensive investigation by U.S. Park Police detective William Stray and investigator Edward Riepe, a juvenile suspect was identified and subsequently picked up and interviewed. During the interview, the juvenile admitted to the theft and provided information on where the vehicle could be found. The van was located and recovered. It had not been damaged. The juvenile, a former Job Corps member, was arrested and charged with grand larceny of an automobile. [Telefax from Dale Dickerhoof, New York Field Office, USPP, 7/11]
NPS-administered seashores along the East coast from North Carolina to Massachusetts have prepared or are preparing for potential impacts from Hurricane Bob. The following reports summarize the scope and nature of activities as of yesterday evening: * Sandy Hook, Gateway (New Jersey) - Park staff will be meeting early this morning to review the park's hurricane plan and determine what actions need to be taken. Further updates on Hurricane Bob's impacts will appear in Tuesday's morning report. [Telephone conversations on 8/18 with Bill Harris, CALO; Alan Whalon, ASIS; Bob Woody, CAHA; Frank Mills, Sandy Hook, GATE; Don Weir, FIIS; Andy Ringgold, CACO telephone reports on 8/19 from Mary Moran, CAHA, and Bill Munsey, CALO, via Bill Sturgeon, RAD/SERO]
The severe storm off the North Atlantic coast has had a major impact on several NPS areas: Gateway NRA Breezy Point Unit The Breezy Point Unit, located on the east side of New York Harbor, was closed at some places yesterday due to overwash. The boardwalk was also reported to have been underwater, but the extent of damage to it remains unknown at present. Sandy Hook Unit The park's Sandy Hook Unit, which is on the New Jersey side of New York Harbor, was closed yesterday at 11:00 a.m. due to flooding. From three to four feet of running water covered sections of the hook and large portions of the entrance road and washed away the unit's boardwalk. Over 400 people were evacuated from the schools and facilities on the hook yesterday; most of the students were driven out by park 4WD vehicles to waiting buses, and instructors at the schools drove their own vehicles out at low tide. The entire area remains closed today. No damage to facilities is anticipated, but extreme beach erosion is probable. As with Fire Island, more damage is likely this afternoon. Eighteen-foot seas and 30 to 50 mph winds are predicted.
The following updates have been received from East Coast parks within the last hour regarding the impacts of the offshore storm. Reports have also been received from Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout. Parks not included in this summary had no significant updates to information presented this morning. A storm surge and waves higher than those previously predicted were occurring along the New Jersey and New York shorelines, and significant damage is therefore expected at parks in those areas. An updated report will be prepared this evening and tomorrow morning and distributed before 8:00 a.m. through the Morning Report. Gateway NRA Breezy Point Unit Sand and water have filled the bathhouses, and the Shore Road has been closed. Sandy Hook Unit The unit is still closed to all but essential staff. Access is by four- wheel-drive vehicle only. Beach erosion has been extensive, and there are preliminary reports of damage to concessioner facilities. Staten Island Unit The park reports significant erosion to the shoreline at Great Kills. Much of the land underneath the bathhouse has been washed away, and a major portion of the building is standing on pilings alone. The park has requested an engineer from NARO to assess the damage. There is also concern that a concessioner stand may have been damaged. Jamaica Bay Unit Plum Beach has been severely eroded, and the roof of Building 70 at Floyd Bennett Field has been damaged. Assessments are being made to determine the extent of damage inflicted on other buildings.
Virtually all park staffs report that they are still fully involved in making assessments of the scope and nature of damages incurred as a result of the storm and that these will not be completed until early next week. The following information is supplemental to that which appeared in yesterday's briefings and today's morning report. It is worth noting, however, that we have received no reports of employee or visitor injuries from any area. Gateway NRA Sandy Hook Unit Sandy Hook has reopened and cleanup efforts are underway. Front-end loaders and graders are being employed to clear roads and parking lots. With some minor exceptions, the sea wall bordering the access road held throughout the storm, thereby minimizing damage to the highway.
The severe storm off the North Atlantic coast has had a major impact on NPS areas all along the Eastern seaboard. The following information was compiled from preliminary reports received yesterday and early today; fuller reports will appear as soon as park staffs are able to complete assessments of damages inflicted on their areas. * Gateway (New York) - - Breezy Point Unit - The area was closed at some places Wednesday due to overwash. The boardwalk was also reported to have been underwater, but the extent of damage to it remains unknown at present. Sand and water have filled the bathhouses, and the Shore Road has been closed. - Sandy Hook Unit - The Sandy Hook Unit, which is on the New Jersey side of New York Harbor, was closed at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday due to flooding. From three to four feet of running water covered sections of the hook and large portions of the entrance road and washed away the unit's boardwalk. Over 400 people were evacuated from the schools and facilities on the hook; the students were driven out by park four-wheel- drive vehicles to waiting buses, but instructors at the schools drove their own vehicles out at low tide. The entire area remains closed to all but essential staff. Access is by four-wheel-drive vehicle only. Beach erosion has been extensive, and there are preliminary reports of damage to concessioner facilities. - Staten Island Unit - The park reports significant erosion to the shoreline at Great Kills. Much of the land underneath the bathhouse has been washed away, and a major portion of the building is standing on pilings alone. The park has requested an engineer from NARO to assess the damage. A concession stand may also have been damaged. - Jamaica Bay Unit - Plum Beach has been severely eroded, and the roof of Building 70 at Floyd Bennett Field has been damaged. Assessments are being made to determine the damage inflicted on other buildings.
Virtually all park staffs report that they are still fully involved in making assessments of the scope and nature of damages incurred as a result of the storm and that these will not be completed until later this week. The following reports provide updates on the situation in affected parks as of early Friday afternoon. Although serious damage has occurred in several areas, it is worth nothing that no reports of employee or visitor injuries have been received from any areas. * Gateway - Sandy Hook Unit (New Jersey) - Sandy Hook has reopened and cleanup efforts are underway. Front-end loaders and graders are being employed to clear roads and parking lots. With some minor exceptions, the sea wall bordering the access road held throughout the storm, thereby minimizing damage to the highway. [Summaries to date compiled from telephone and telefaxed reports from John Lynch, RAD/NARO; Dennis Burnett and Bill Hooper, CACO; Don Weir and Jack Hauptman, FIIS; Kevin McMurry and Jim Reinhart, GATE; Brion Fitzgerald and Alan Whalon, ASIS; Larry Roush, CAHA; Chuck Harris, CALO; Bill Springer, RAD/SERO]
Officer Hyman R. "Buck" Rosen of the Park Police's New York field office died on November 7th following a long battle against brain cancer. Rosen, 39, had served in the Park Police since 1977. He leaves his wife, Irene, a commissioned ranger at Fire Island, and his 21-month-old daughter Samantha. An education fund has been established for Samantha; contributions may be made by contacting the New York field office at FTS 665-4241. [Telefax from Dale Dickerhoof, USPP, GATE, 11/8]
A fire destroyed Building 112, known as the Master Mechanic's Quarters, in the Fort Hancock section of the park's Sandy Hook unit early on the morning of Friday, December 13th. The two story, wood frame building, which was unoccupied at the time, was fully engulfed when a nearby resident first reported the fire at 3:00 a.m. The park's fire company responded within ten minutes and was soon joined by units from the Highlands, Navecink, Sea Bright, Middletown and Leonardo fire departments. A preliminary investigation by the county fire marshall indicates that the fire started under the first floor kitchen floor and spread rapidly through open stairways. An NPS restoration crew had been sweating pipes under the kitchen about 12 hours before the fire, and it is believed that embers left smoldering from that project caused the fire. There was no evidence of vandalism or arson. The building was constructed in 1879 as a residence for Army personnel. In later years, it was modified and used variously as a non-commissioned officers' club and as a young adult work center. The building was being restored to return it to its original use as a residence. It's future has not yet been determined. [Telefax from RAD/NARO, 12/20]
Plans are being implemented in several regional parks to deal with coming events associated with "Operation Sail", the visitation of over 200 tall ships to New York, Boston and other locales in commemoration of the Columbus quincentennial: * Gateway - Park Police officers will be sent to assist rangers in the park's Sandy Hook unit on the 4th. Sandy Hook will be a major viewing area for both the parade and the fireworks display. Updates on these events will be provided as they occur. [John Lynch, RAD/NARO, 6/24]
A New York City police department twin-jet helicopter crashed on an abandoned runway at Floyd Bennett Field on the afternoon of July 27th. Both crew members were medevaced to area hospitals; their injuries are not considered life-threatening. The helicopter was seriously damaged and probably unrepairable. The cause of the crash has not been determined. An investigation by FAA, NTSB and the Park Police is underway. [Dale Dickerhoof, Commander, NYFO/USPP, 7/27]
On the afternoon of August 30th, the park was advised that a visitor had gone under in waters off South Gunnison Beach in the park's Sandy Hook Unit. A ranger found M.L., 35, of Raway, New Jersey, on his side the shoreline; lifeguards arrived shortly thereafter and began CPR. He was transported by county paramedics to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A friend who had been with M.L. said that they had put out to sea in a boat to fish off the park earlier that day. They'd anchored 50 yards from shore, and M.L. swam to the beach. After an hour or two, he'd attempted to swim back, but had been unable to make it to the boat. A person on the boat had jumped into the water and pulled M.L. back to shore. M.L. was reportedly a non-swimmer. The boat was towed to the USCG station at Sandy Hook. During the search of the boat by NPS personnel, a white powder was found which field tested positive for cocaine. [Capt. Bob Ditolla, RLES, RAD/NARO, 9/2]
On December 10th and 11th, a winter storm which has been characterized as the worst of its kind this century pounded the Eastern seaboard and had serious impacts on a number of parks, particularly in North Atlantic Region. The following reports came in on Friday afternoon; updates will appear as soon as these and other parks are contacted today. * Gateway - The superintendent reported that high winds were uprooting trees, and that extremely high tides had caused flooding at the northern end of the Breezy Point Unit. The Park Police docks at Rockaway Coast Guard were underwater. The Riis Park Bath House was flooded. High winds and extremely high tides submerged a portion of the entrance road to Sandy Hook; the park accordingly evacuated all employees. [Bob Ditolla and John Lynch, RAD/NARO, Derrick Cook, Superintendent, HOFU, Jon Montgomery, Superintendent, APCO, 12/11]
Damage reports from last week's winter storm have been received from a number of parks along the Eastern seaboard. The brunt of the damage occurred in North Atlantic Region, and the regional office has established a team to coordinate response activities. The following information was received yesterday; daily updates will follow: * Gateway (New York/New Jersey) - Major damage to both property and resources was inflicted on all of the park's units. The superintendent's initial damage assessment places the cost figure in excess of $14 million. Although there were no injuries to any staff members, a number of employees suffered personal losses as a result of storm damage to government quarters. Trees have been uprooted and debris has covered all units; specific damages were as follows: - Staten Island - Hangar 38 was flooded with three and a half feet of water, which damaged maintenance vehicles and equipment. The headquarters building and athletic fields were also damaged. - Great Kills - Major erosion occurred along the beach, and the bathhouse was severely undermined. All beach centers were overwashed by seawater, electric vaults were submerged, marina docks and electric facilities were damaged, and roads and parking lots were overwashed and damaged. - Sandy Hook - The park was closed due to major flooding; employees and occupants of government buildings were evacuated. Access to the unit is limited to four-wheel-drive vehicles during periods of low tide. Building 102 was severely damaged, two-thirds of Fort Hancock was submerged, all houses along Officer's Row and government quarters suffered water damage (interior plaster walls collapsed in two residences that were unoccupied), the North Maintenance Building was submerged and maintenance equipment was damaged, the concession restaurant was damaged, and the new horse stables were destroyed. The new beach bathhouses survived the storm, but windows and doors were damaged. Large amounts of pavement were ripped up and/or covered with sand in beach parking lots. The park roadway is covered with sand. About 100 feet of beach remains; major damage occurred to the beach replenishment project which was finished last year. Electricity has not yet been restored, and communications are limited to cellular phone contact with the superintendent. The overall cost estimate has been placed at about $2 million. - Jamaica Bay - Major beach erosion occurred in the area. - Floyd Bennett Field - Damage was inflicted on Blue Hangar, Hangar B, Hangar D, Ryan Hangar, Building 70 and Building 97. Fencing along Flatbush Avenue is down. - Breezy Point - Reese Point Beach was severely eroded, and the parking lot, pedestrian tunnel, bathhouse and concession facility were all damaged. - Wildlife Refuge - The roof of the visitor center and government trailers used for offices were damaged. - Fort Tilden - Buildings 100 and T-149 and the maintenance warehouse roof were damaged, as were the recently repaired Park Police docks. The concessioner's dock system was destroyed. Major erosion occurred on Surf Club and Silver Beaches. Park staff conducted air reconnaissance of facilities with the assistance of the Coast Guard. The superintendent will continue his damage assessment and provide further details as information becomes available. [John Lynch, RAD/NARO; Jim Rienhart, CR, GATE; Scott Pfeninger, CR, STLI; Brion Fitzgerald, CR, ASIS; Tony Bonanno, CR, CACO; 12/14]
Additional information has been received on the impact of the storm on East coast areas: * Gateway (New York) - Park personnel are conducting interim cleanup operations and refining damage assessments. New appraisals indicate that damage figures will be significantly higher than first estimated. The park staff is focusing on four main areas in the assessment process - erosion, cleanup, replacement and rehabilitation/restoration. Local electric companies were to have restored power to Sandy Hook by yesterday evening. Employees there are currently utilizing generators as a power source. Staff from the regional engineering, maintenance and cultural resource preservation offices are assisting in conducting damage evaluations. A four-person Park Police detail has been dispatched to Sandy Hook and will remain on duty there for the next two weeks. [John Lynch, RAD/NARO; Superintendents of GATE, FIIS, MORR and FONE/FRHI; 12/15]
Full electrical service was restored to the Sandy Hook Unit last night. Seven families are still in temporary quarters due to damage to their park residences. The north maintenance building is still out of service due to storm damage. The headquarters building is open for limited use; only essential staff are working there. Morale among employees at Sandy Hook is reported to be high. [Jim Rienhardt, CR, GATE, 12/16]
All families living in park residences at Sandy Hook have been able to return home. Headquarters is again fully operational, and telephones are back on line. The park is currently evaluating the best methods to employ to assist those staff who incurred personal losses due to the storm. [Jim Rienhardt, CR, GATE, 12/17]
Further reports have been received regarding the impacts of the storm which struck the Atlantic coast on December 10th and 11th: * Gateway (New York/New Jersey) - Many employees' homes and property were seriously damaged by the storm. The park has accordingly decided to donate funds which were initially raised for Hurricane Andrew victims to a relief fund established for park victims of the northeaster. Anyone wishing to make a contribution may send a check payable to PADC (the Police Association of the District of Columbia) with the notation "Storm Relief Fund" and send it to PADC, 1441 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003. [Scott Pfeninger, STLI, Kevin Buckley, GATE, 12/18]
Preliminary reports have been received regarding the impacts of the weekend blizzard on a number of NPS units along the East Coast. Despite the storm's strength, relatively little damage has been reported, although almost all areas in the storm's path were closed all or parts of the weekend. The following information was current as of Sunday evening: * Gateway - Severe erosion and significant debris are reported at Riis Beach. The ocean covered parts of the park road at Fort Tilden and deposited debris on it. Sandy Hook was closed when water covered the access road, but no major problems are reported. [John Lynch, RAD/NARO, and Scot McElveen, ASIS, 3/14]
On February 5, 1991, the bodies of two men were discovered by a fisherman in the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, which is administered by Gateway. The victims allegedly were kidnapped by members of a violent gang who impersonated police officers. Both victims had been shot numerous times. Park Police investigator Edward Riepe and New York City police detectives recently culminated a two-year investigation into the murders with the indictment and arrest of two suspects. The investigation tied them and six other individuals to numerous drug-related homicides within Manhattan and the Bronx. [New York Field Office, USPP, 6/2]
Just before 2 a.m. on the morning of June 6th, Park Police officers heard people calling for help from the ocean near Fort Tilden and came upon numerous illegal Chinese immigrants swimming to shore from the Golden Venture, a small freighter which was grounded on a sandbar 200 yards off shore. By 3 a.m., 250 police officers, 52 ambulances, four helicopters and scores of firefighters had assembled on the beach to pull swimmers from the 53 degree water. At least seven died. Twenty-nine others were taken to area hospitals suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion, and 295 were treated and released into the custody of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Police are still searching for an estimated 25 people who managed to reach the beach and escape capture. The Indonesian captain of the Honduran-registered freighter and 10 crew members were taken into custody and are scheduled to be charged with immigration violations in hearings this morning. Most of the immigrants were from Fujian, a poor, agrarian province, and had been on the ship since it left that province 112 days ago. INS officials believe that dozens of ships have delivered illegal aliens from China to the U.S. in the past year as part of a multi-million- dollar smuggling operation based in Manhattan's Chinatown. [John Lynch, NARO, 6/6; Dale Dickerhoof, RAD/WASO, 6/6; Washington Post, 6/6]
Further details on the incident have been forwarded by the commander of the Park Police's New York Field Office: Officers David Somma and Steven Divivier were on patrol in the Fort Tilden section of the park when they noticed the Golden Voyager (not the Golden Venture, as previously reported) about 300 feet from the beach - unusually close to shore for a 150-foot vessel. At the same time, they heard cries for help and saw several people jumping from the vessel and struggling in the 54-degree water. Somma and Divivier radioed for assistance, then headed for the shore. Sergeant Patrick Broderick and officer Daniel McFadden responded. All four officers entered the water and began to pull people onto the shore. Several New York City police and fire units responded along with the Park Police's marine patrol until and Coast Guard vessels and helicopters. It was soon determined that the people on the vessels were illegal Chinese aliens. INS was contacted and a total of 263 detained aliens - including 13 Indonesian crew members - were turned over to them. Six others were pronounced dead. Later in the day, another 12 aliens who'd been found in a wooded area of Fort Tilden and in surrounding communities were taken into custody. The detained aliens were initially held in two park buildings in Fort Tilden, where they were processed and transported by INS to holding facilities. Searches will continue to determine if any other aliens are in the Fort Tilden area. [Maj. Tom Pellinger, USPP/NYFO, 6/7]
Just before 10:30 p.m. on June 27th, Park Police officers Kramer and Norman approached a black Chevrolet Camaro with dark tinted windows in the Great Kills area, which had closed at dark. As they approached, the vehicle started to depart; when Norman pursued it on foot, the vehicle turned and attempted to run him over. Norman fired one round from his service weapon, which struck and entered the vehicle on the driver's side. The vehicle continued on into the city, but was chased and stopped. The operator, 18- year-old I.P.S., was arrested and taken before a U.S. attorney. Although the U.S. attorney declined to prosecute, charges were filed against I.P.S. before magistrate's court for misdemeanor assault, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, disobeying a lawful order, possession of a weapon and possession of fireworks. [Lt. Fellner, NYFO/USPP, 6/28]
Officer Grant Arthur of the Park Police marine unit was on patrol on a Bombardier Sea-Doo watercraft on the afternoon of June 14th when he heard screams for help coming from the waters of Beach Channel. Arthur responded and found two males and a three-year-old girl clinging frantically to one life jacket. The child was swallowing a great deal of water as the two men struggled to keep her head above water. Arthur picked up the girl and placed her on his watercraft, then pulled one of the males aboard. Officer Albert Brown arrived on the scene in Marine 1 and retrieved the second male from the water. None of the three victims sustained any injuries, and were taken back to their vessel. Investigation revealed that the child had fallen overboard and that her father and the second male had jumped in to save her, leaving the boat adrift. [C. Pappas, NYFO/USPP, 6/28]
On July 11th, rangers responded to the North Beach section of Sandy Hook to investigate a report made by lifeguards of a sexual assault upon a juvenile. They determined that an eleven-year-old female had been sexually abused by 39-year-old E.G., a resident alien from the Dominican Republican and alleged friend of the girl's mother. The mother was asleep during the assault. E.G. was arrested and a state warrant was obtained for a felony charge of aggravated sexual assault. E.G. was placed in the Monmouth County correctional facility; bail has been set at $50,000. The county prosecutor's office's special sex crime unit assisted in the investigation; the U.S. attorney has deferred prosecution to the state. The victim was interviewed by representatives from the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services, who made a determination to release her to her mother, who resides in Passaic, New Jersey. E.G. could face a maximum of from five to years in prison if convicted. [Frank Mills, CR, GATE-SHU, 7/12]
Around 7:15 p.m. n the evening of July 20th, B.W., Jr. 15, was playing in the water with his uncle, J.G., and a friend, G.M., when a strong undercurrent overcame him and pulled him into water over his head. J.G. and G.M. were unable to reach him, so G.M. ran to a phone to summon assistance. Two visitors also attempted to save B.W., but he began to panic and suddenly disappeared. Shortly thereafter, emergency crews from New York City police and fire departments arrived along with Coast Guard and NYPD harbor units. Park Police officers searched the shorelines for signs of G.M. Search efforts, which involved both divers and searchers on jet skis, were called off at 8:45 p.m. due to darkness. B.W., who was described by relatives as a poor swimmer, had entered the water even though lifeguards went off-duty at 6 p.m. Park Police officers will continue to check the shoreline until his body is recovered. At the time of the incident, the water was rough, with an incoming tide and strong undertow. [Lt. Michael Fellner, NYFO/GATE, 7/21]
An interior portion of the old main bathhouse complex at Great Kills on Staten Island burned in a fire of unknown origin at approximately 5:30 p.m. on August 10th. There were no known injuries. The structure was condemned by OSHA following the extensive seashore erosion which resulted from the "Halloween Storm" in 1991, and the building segment which burned was currently unused. A demolition contract is pending, and construction of replacement facilities is scheduled to begin in the coming fiscal year. [Ed Rizzotto, Superintendent, Staten Island Unit, GATE, 8/10]
On the afternoon of August 15th, a park visitor was walking his dog along a remote section in the east end of Plum Beach when he observed a human hand protruding from the sand. New York City Police and U.S. Park Police units responded, along with the New York City medical examiner. The body of a male victim was removed from underneath a sand dune. The victim's hands were bound with electrical tape, and there was a gag across his mouth. An inspection by the medical examiner revealed two stab wounds to the victim's neck. No identification was found on him. The estimated time of death was between 24 and 48 hours prior to the discovery of the body. The case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Park Police and New York City Police detectives. [Lt. Michael Fellner, USPP, GATE, 8/16]
Just after noon on August 24th, Park Police officers were advised that an individual had disappeared while swimming in a prohibited area off Canarsie Pier. The report was not received until 45 minutes after the swimmer had gone under. Rescue efforts commenced shortly thereafter, and the victim's body was found by divers at 1:45 p.m. Alcohol may have been a contributing factor in the drowning. [Lt. Martin Zweig, NYFO/USPP, 8/25]
C.S., 34, and Lazaro Negron, 15, were clamming chest deep in water about 200 feet from the shore of Jamaica Bay in an area closed to swimming on the afternoon of August 29th when the water rose suddenly and they began to call for help. Occupants of a passing boat were able to rescue Negron, but C.S. disappeared from view. Divers were unable to locate his body that afternoon, but further efforts were planned at the time of the report. Alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the incident. [Lt. Michael Fellner, NYFO/USPP, 8/29]
A citizen walking his dog on the morning of September 20th found the body of a teenage male covered with construction debris in a weeded area of Plumb Beach. Initial investigation indicates that the victim was kidnapped about a week ago during an armed robbery. Although he had multiple stab wounds, the exact cause of death has not been determined. The case is being jointly investigated by New York City and Park Police officers. [Lt. Martin Zweig, NYFO/USPP, 9/22]
Early on the evening of February 10th, the Mormac Star ran hard aground near Sandy Hook. The ship's center tank was holed and it began releasing number two fuel oil at the rate of about 100 barrels per hour (the ship had 135,000 barrels on board). The Coast Guard was able to contain the spill with a boom, however, and skimmed about ten percent of the fuel from the ocean's surface. A lightering ship was also brought in to assist with unloading fuel from the disabled vessel. At present, it appears that between 35,000 and 40,000 gallons were spilled. No impact on park resources has yet occurred, however. [Hank Brightman, ROVA/NARO, 2/13]
The following reports were received yesterday from parks being most directly affected by Hurricane Felix, which remains stationary off the North Carolina coast: * Gateway - Jacob Riis beach and Sandy Hook have been closed because of high water, according to newspaper reports. [Robert Woody, PIO, IMT, CAHA; Superintendent, CALO; Bob Thomas, Acting CR, ASIS; Jim Burnett, CR, COLO; USA Today]
On March 30th, F.C., 32, of Atlantic Highland, New Jersey, was riding his bike in the park's Sandy Hook Unit when he was struck and killed by a stolen vehicle driven by T.S. Also in the car were two children, ages four and seven, that she'd abducted from a family for whom she was working. Rangers Kevin Heuser and Pete Torterell made the initial response, but were joined by many other rangers. She was captured and arrested within a half hour of the accident. The children were not hurt and were later reunited with their family. T.S. has been charged with kidnapping, auto theft, and vehicular homicide. The U.S. attorney has deferred prosecution to the county prosecutor's office. [Frank Mills, CR, Sandy Hook Unit, GATE]
Hurricane Bertha's overnight weakening and steady but slow approach to the Carolina shoreline has led to standdowns and resumption of regular operations to the south of the projected landfall, continued preparations and vigilance in the hurricane warning area, and preparations for tropical storm conditions to the north: o Sandy Hook Unit, Gateway (New Jersey) - The park began preparations yesterday. Resource needs were identified, equipment was readied, and information and a warning notice were disseminated to all residents and cooperators regarding communications and access issues. [Ray Morris, CR/IC, FOFR; Chip Davis, SA, FLETC; Frank Mills, CR, Sandy Hook Unit, GATE; John Tucker, FOSU and MOCR; Kent Cave, FOPU; C. Dale, CR/IC, CASA/FOMA; Don Weir, CR, FIIS; Bob Woody, CI&VS, CAHA; Steve Smith, SEFDO]
On the afternoon of July 14th, lifeguards at Jacob Riis Park advised Park Police officers Sal Norman and Jose Rodriguez that a man had been seen using narcotics on the beach. They searched the man, identified as 51-year-old T.M., and discovered a large quantity of individually packaged amounts of cocaine and several crack pipes in his possession. The officers also found that T.M. was wanted by Suffolk County police for aggravated harassment and criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested for possession with intent to sell. T.M. is well known to the district attorney's office. At the time of his arrest, T.M. was under indictment for numerous drug charges, felony assault, and child molestation related to child pornography. He is being held on $500,000 bail and could receive up to 15 years in prison for all of his pending charges. [Lt. Michael Fellner, USPP, GATE]
On July 21st, Park Police officer Ernest Long recovered two identical Bombardier personal water craft at Plumb Beach and noticed that both had the same New York state registration numbers, stickers and identification numbers. He impounded the craft for further investigation. Criminal investigations branch personnel determined that one of the craft had been stolen last November, and that both were registered to the same person, one J.B. of Brooklyn, New York. J.B. had been paid $4,000 by his insurance company for the loss of the craft. J.B. admitted to removing the identification plate from one craft and using it on the other. He was arrested and charged with felony VIN tampering and insurance fraud and with misdemeanor larceny. [Tom Pellinger, USPP, GATE]
Park Police officer William Chambers came upon two vehicles at Miller Field in violation of posted regulations on the night of August 4th. As he approached, Chambers noted numerous car parts on the ground which did not match the vehicles. One of the operators fled, but the other was detained. Chambers subsequently discovered a bag containing eight vehicle air bags and a variety of police equipment. Investigation revealed that the police equipment and two of the air bags were connected with the theft of an undercover NYPD vehicle, and that the person Chambers arrested has been implicated in a number of vehicle thefts throughout the New York area. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCSO]
Park Police officers were notified on the morning of December 5th that A.H., suspected of the murder of his wife and mother-in-law at his house a few miles from Great Kills Park, was being sought by city police officers and might be within the park. An intensive search for A.H. was conducted by officers from both agencies. A.H. managed to elude the officers, drove into the park, and parked at the fisherman's parking lot at Crookes Point. He then walked to the beach and shot himself once in the chest with a .22 caliber rifle. The circumstances leading to the murders and subsequent suicide are under joint investigation. [Dave Buckley, USPP, GATE]
Park Police officers David Somma and Anthony Tesi were on patrol in the Great Kills section of the park on the afternoon of February 22nd when a sudden rainstorm with heavy winds struck the area. A visitor informed the officers that a 13-foot sailboat with two people on board had overturned in Great Kills Harbor. With the assistance of a nearby boat owner, the officers responded to the overturned vessel. High winds and waves hampered their efforts. The two occupants of the sailboat were spotted in a sinking dingy off of Bulkhead Road and were up to their waists in icy water. Somma and Tesi pulled the two men into the boat and transported them to a nearby marina in the park, where an ambulance picked them up. [Lt. Michael Fellner, USPP, GATE, 2/25]
On March 30, 1996, F.C., 32, of Atlantic Highland, New Jersey, was riding his bike in the park's Sandy Hook Unit when he was struck and killed by a stolen vehicle driven by T.S. Also in the car were two children, ages four and seven, that T.S. had abducted from a family for whom she was working. She was captured and arrested within a half hour of the accident. The children were not hurt and were later reunited with their family. On March 12th, a county superior court judge ruled that T.S. was not guilty on a state charge of vehicular homicide by reason of insanity. Several charges, including child endangerment, were dismissed, as the state could not prove that T.S. intended to harm the children or use them to commit a crime. Because of the insanity finding, guilty verdicts could not be found for burglary, carjacking and joy-riding, although the judge stated that the prosecution had proved the elements of each charge. The court ordered that T.S. be committed indefinitely to a state psychiatric hospital. [Thomas Lobkowicz, LES, Sandy Hook Unit, GATE, 3/18]
A park visitor walking his dog along the shoreline of Spermaceti Cove in the park's Sandy Hook Unit discovered a body in the sand at the high tide line on the morning of April 3rd. Responding rangers secured the area and notified local authorities. The victim was later identified as 23-year-old R.W., a fisherman from Highlands, New Jersey, who'd been lost at sea when his boat sank while he was clamming in extremely harsh weather conditions in Sandy Hook Bay on January 7th. During the initial search, conducted in conjunction with the Coast Guard, rangers discovered flotsam from Wolf's boat on the park's shoreline, but subsequent search efforts were unsuccessful. The medical examiner has determined that Wolf drowned. The wreckage of his vessel has not yet been found. [Thomas Lobkowicz, LES, GATE, 4/6]
Park Police officer Timothy Cosgro was advised of an overturned vehicle in front of the Barren Island Marina early on the morning of Saturday, May 17th. Cosgro responded and discovered A.G., 33, of Brooklyn, trapped inside the vehicle, pounding on the window and calling for help. A light pole had been knocked over during the accident and live wires were emitting sparks on the vehicle, which was leaking gasoline. Cosgro forced open the driver's door and pulled A.G. out of the car. She was bleeding from a cut on her head and was treated and transported to a local hospital by a fire department ambulance. [Lt. Michael Fellner, USPP, GATE, 5/19]
On May 24th, Park Police officer Margaret Mulkearns was advised by several people of an apparently abandoned vehicle with keys in the ignition and a fishing pole nearby. The owner was contacted and reported that his son, H.S., 45, of Staten Island, had recently been released from a detoxification program and had been using the car. A thorough search of the area was conducted, but suspended when a fisherman found H.S.'s body floating next to the bulkhead in Great Kills Harbor. He had apparently driven to the park the previous evening to go fishing. It's unclear how he ended up in the harbor. There were no apparent signs of trauma. The death is being jointly investigated by city and USPP detectives. [Lt. Michael Fellner, USPP, GATE, 5/26]
On the afternoon of September 21st, 51-year-old J.S. advised Sandy Hook rangers that he was unable to locate his diving partner, 44-year-old C.N. The two men, both very experienced divers, had been diving together in the shallow waters of Horseshoe Cove. They became separated in the low visibility water, and J.S. became alarmed when C.N. failed to appear on the surface at the expected time. Several local emergency dive teams responded along with a USCG helicopter and vessels. C.N.'s body was found in five feet of water that evening. Preliminary autopsy findings do not indicate any physiological evidence which would suggest a death by drowning. A joint investigation is underway. [Thomas Lobkowicz, LES, Sandy Hook Unit, GATE, 9/23]
The 28th running of the New York City marathon began at Fort Wadsworth on November 2nd - the 22nd time the race has started there and the fourth time the NPS has been involved (Fort Wadsworth became an NPS site in 1995). Local estimates are that there were over 31,000 documented participants, many from nations from around the world. They were supported by over a thousand staffers and volunteers. Set-up for the marathon began two weeks before the event. More than two dozen Park Police officers, ten rangers, and 20 Coast Guard personnel (who are property owners within park boundaries) provided security for park resources and buildings, raised public awareness about the park and the NPS, and provided crowd control on the day of the race. No unanticipated events occurred. [Marty O'Toole, Site Ranger, GATE, 11/6]
On the afternoon of April 11th, visitors to the park's Sandy Hook Unit told ranger Anthony Macri that they'd seen a man whose arms were bleeding. Macri found 51-year-old M.T. hiding inside an abandoned pump house. M.T. was bleeding severely from self-inflicted lacerations on both wrists made by a sharp piece of pipe fragment. Macri was able to talk M.T. out of the building and control his bleeding until additional rangers and paramedic crews arrived. M.T. was treated at a local hospital, where surgery was required to repair severed tendons. M.T. was depressed over recent marital problems and the loss of his job. [Thomas Lobkowicz, LES, GATE, 4/28]
The Bike New York Great Five-Boro Bike Tour, which was held on May 3rd, ended at the park's Fort Wadsworth site. Over 25,000 cyclists began the tour in Manhattan and covered 42 miles before entering the festival site at the fort over a five-hour period. Rangers, Park Police officers and Bike New York marshals provided crowd and traffic control. Vehicle access to the site was restricted; visitors were allowed to walk in or take advantage of a shuttle running from an outside parking area to the visitor center. The activity took place under the conditions of a special use permit. There were no serious incidents. [Marty O'Toole, Site Manager, Fort Wadsworth, GATE, 5/4]
On the afternoon of June 5th, rangers John Parsons and Jesse Jack responded to a fisherman's report of a body floating near the shoreline at the northern end of the park's Sandy Hook Unit. They retrieved the body of a 35 to 40- year-old woman who had been in the water for several days. Wind and tide conditions indicated that she'd recently floated in from waters to the north or northwest. Preliminary autopsy findings do not indicate the cause of death, but alcohol and drugs are suspected. Identification efforts are underway. The investigation is being handled jointly by the park, FBI, state police, and county and local authorities. [Thomas Lobkowicz, LES, GATE, 6/7]
A series of severe storms which moved through the New York area on Labor Day had significant impacts on area parks: o Gateway NRA - The Coast Guard rescued at least a half-dozen boaters were cast ashore in the Sandy Hook Unit. The storm caused electrical outages in the Staten Island Unit which were not repaired until 3 a.m. the following morning. Downed trees and limbs were reported in all areas. A full damage assessment is underway. [Scott Pfeninger, CR, STLI, 9/7; Jose Rosario, GATE, 9/8]
On the evening of October 10th, Park Police officers were notified of an assault that had occurred at Gateway Golf and Tennis in Brooklyn. They found that J.M. had been shot four times while getting out of his 1988 Jaguar XJ6. J.M. was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The case is being jointly investigated by Park Police and New York City detectives. [Lt. John Lauro, USPP/GATE, 10/11]
A 60-year-old woman was walking along the Plum Beach shoreline around 7 a.m. on October 30th when a man approached her from behind, threw her to the ground, and attempted to pull off her pants. The woman was able to fight off her attacker, who fled to a nearby parking lot. He sustained bruises to his face and head and lost four teeth during the struggle. Although the man's face and hair were concealed by a light-colored fabric, the woman was able to give detectives a good description of him. The case is being investigated jointly by Park Police and city detectives. [Lt. John A. Lauro, USPP, GATE, 10/31]
On the morning of Monday, December 7th, park dispatch received a call from M.G. of Easton, Pennsylvania, reporting that his brother and three other men from Easton had gone to Sandy Hook to fish on Saturday but had failed to return home. M.G. thought that the foursome might be camping on a small island near Sandy Hook. Rangers met with family members who arrived at Sandy Hook a short time later and located the camp on Skeleton Hill Island. New Jersey Marine Police provided access to the island, where three of the men were found dead in the tent and a fourth was discovered just outside in an incoherent state. Carbon monoxide poisoning from a charcoal grill inside the closed tent is believed to have caused the deaths of the three men. A park EMT provided initial treatment of the survivor, who was taken off the island by boat and transported to a local hospital. A local rescue squad worked into the night with park staff and investigators to recover the victims from the island. The deceased were identified as X.G., 27, A.P.L., 37, and H.N., 34. A joint investigation into the accident is underway. While overnight permits are issued for the purpose of fishing, camping is prohibited in the park. Alcohol appears to have been a contributing factor. [Bruce Lane, Acting CR, Sandy Hook Unit, GATE, 12/8]
A park visitor reported seeing a man down in a weeded area adjacent to the Plum Beach section of the park on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 10th. The responding Park Police officer found the body of a middle-aged man. The crime scene was processed by both Park Police and city units. Preliminary investigation indicates that the man had been dead for three to five days, and that he'd been shot in the head four times. The lack of physical evidence at the scene has led investigators to conclude that the man's body was dumped at the location, which is near a major highway. The victim has been identified by papers and documents found in his wallet. Since it also contained currency, robbery apparently was not a motive in his killing. [John Lauro, GATE, 2/13]
On the afternoon of May 1st, rangers Peter Tortorell and John Cahill investigated a visitor's report of a man taking pictures of three nude boys in the "clothing optional" section of Gunnison Beach in the park's Sandy Hook Unit. A.C., 53, of Emerson, New Jersey, was brought in for questioning and subsequently charged on three state counts for endangering the welfare of a child. A.C., a registered sex offender under "Megan's Law," had brought three 14-year-old boys from Paterson, New Jersey, to the park, and had been taking pictures of the boys while they posed in the nude. A.C. was placed in the county jail in lieu of $75,000 bail. [Thomas Lobkowicz, LES, GATE, 5/5]
The 1999 Bike New York/Great Five-Boro Bike Tour, a fund-raiser for Hosteling International and American Youth Hostels, took place on Sunday, May 2nd. The finishing festival was held in the Fort Wadsworth section of the park. About 30,000 participants rode 42 miles to the park. The event was managed under a special use permit; no significant incidents or injuries occurred. A large number of city and federal agencies cooperated with the NPS and US Park Police in coordinating the event, including the Coast Guard, Army Reserve, New York City Department of Transportation, and New York Police Department. [Marty O'Toole, Fort Wadsworth Unit, GATE, 5/21]
Park Police officers on boat patrol on the morning of May 31st came upon an unoccupied 14-foot open boat with an outboard motor circling in the waters of Jamaica Bay. While investigating, they were flagged down by another vessel, whose occupants were assisting the operator and passenger of the 14-foot boat, both of whom had been thrown into the water. They were taken aboard the USPP boat. J.P., 21, was okay, but his father, L.P., 51, had no vital signs. CPR was begun on L.P. and the two men were brought to shore and transferred to NYFD paramedic units. The elder L.P. was pronounced dead at Peninsula General Hospital. J.P. sustained minor injuries. The two men had rented the vessel from a nearby marina. They were traveling on the bay when they were struck by several large wakes, causing L.P. to fall into the water. He weighed about 250 pounds and did not know how to swim. J.P. jumped into the water in an effort to save his father. Neither P. was wearing a life jacker, though two were available in the rented boat. [John Lauro, USPP, 6/8]
Park Police sergeant David Somma and officer Barry Smith made a traffic stop on the exit ramp from the Belt Parkway at the south end of the Jamaica Bay Unit around 4:45 a.m. on June 27th. While standing by the vehicle, they heard gunshots coming from the direction of the parkway and turned to see a dark-colored, four-door Toyota Camry with its window down. By the time they got back to the parkway, the vehicle was gone and a search of the area proved fruitless. Four spent 9mm shell casings were found at the point where the vehicle had been seen. No one was injured. The case is being jointly investigated by USPP and NYPD detectives. Although it's not clear if the shots were fired at the officers, the vehicle was in the right hand lane of the parkway and the officers were on an exit ramp on the right side of the road. [Lt. John Lauro, USPP, GATE, 6/28]
Two men between the ages of 25 and 30 were riding a personal watercraft on the evening of July 4th when it struck a railroad trestle spanning the south channel of Jamaica Bay. Both suffered blunt trauma injuries and were transported to Peninsula General Hospital - one by NYPD helicopter, the other by ambulance. USPP officers Clay Rice and Sal Norman performed CPR on the latter while en route. Both were pronounced dead at the hospital. [Lt. J.A. Lauro, NYFO, USPP, 7/5]
On the afternoon of July 25th, Park Police officers responded to a report of police needing assistance at the beach at Riis Park. Officer Jack Piccolo arrived and found Kareem Bakiridden being held by an off-duty NYPD officer. Bakiridden had been firing a BB gun repeatedly into the crowd on the beach. One BB struck another off-duty NYPD officer in the hand, inflicting a flesh wound. Piccolo arrested Bakiridden, who was charged by the local district attorney with second degree assault, reckless endangerment, and possession of an air pistol. [Det. Sgt. John Marigliano, GATE, 8/9]
Park Police canine officer McFadden spotted a burglary in progress at the Riis Park concession facility just after 1 a.m. on Sunday, August 8th. the building had been burglarized twice during the previous week. McFadden arrested one juvenile with the assistance of his dog, "D.;" two others fled the scene. The identity of one of them was learned in the subsequent investigation and he was arrested on August 10th by detective Riepe. The two men arrested will be charged in federal court. Criminal Investigations Unit detectives are actively seeking the third burglar. [John Lauro, GATE, 8/11]
Park Police dispatch received a report of a reckless driver in a government vehicle at the Coast Guard housing area at Fort Wadsworth at 7:30 a.m. on July 17th. Officer Holmes located the vehicle and contacted the driver, C.B., who said he was looking for his wife. While this traffic stop was underway, dispatch received a call for police assistance at the Navy Lodge at Fort Wadsworth. The complainant reported an attempted rape that had just occurred in one of the Coast Guard housing units. Acting on the assumption that the two incidents were related, officers brought the 39-year- old victim to the traffic stop, where she positively identified C.B. as one of the people associated with the assault. She reported that she'd met C.B. at a Manhattan night club early that morning and had accompanied C.B. and two other men back to his home in Fort Wadsworth for breakfast and a subsequent ride home. After having consensual sexual relations with C.B., a second member of the trio, D.W., entered the room naked and attempted forcible sex. The woman managed to get away, passing the third man, G.P., who was also naked. The victim was taken to the house where the assault reportedly occurred, where she positively identified D.W.. D.W. then identified G.P. as the third man. Officers went to G.P.'s house, also at Fort Wadsworth; he agreed to accompany the officers to an office for further investigation. While getting dressed, however, he picked up a loaded firearm. The officers disarmed him. All three men were arrested. D.W. was charged with attempted rape, sexual abuse, and unlawful imprisonment; C.B. with criminal facilitation; G.P. with criminal possession of a weapon. Further investigation revealed that D.W. and G.P. were Army personnel living in the Coast Guard housing area under the terms of an MOU. C.B. was an out-of-town guest of D.W. [Det. Sgt. John Marigliano, USPP, GATE, 7/21]
Park Police officers saw an NYPD pursuit enter the Riis Park area about a half hour after midnight on September 2nd. The driver stopped his car along the sea wall and jumped into Jamaica Bay, which is within the park. The man was wanted for attempted murder; he'd just slashed his wife's throat and was holding his two children hostage when the pursuit began in Brooklyn. NYPD had asked that a harbor unit respond, but it was not expected to arrive for another 25 minutes. An NYPD helicopter was hovering overhead, and two rescue divers jumped into the bay to rescue the man. USPP sergeant Grant Arthur and lieutenant Sumner Waite went to the nearby Coast Guard station and came back with a rigid-hull inflatable boat. They tried to get the man on board, but he was combative and could not be lifted into the inflatable. They were able to maintain a hold on him until the city harbor unit arrived, as the rescue divers were near exhaustion from the struggle. The USPP officers then helped get the man on the NYPD boat, which had only a single officer on board. Once on the vessel, a struggle ensued. The USPP officers subdued the man and transferred custody to NYPD. The man's children were found safe and unharmed in his vehicle. [John Lauro, USPP, GATE, 9/2]
The following updates have been received from parks affected by Hurricane Floyd (from north to south, more or less): o Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - High winds, heavy rains and strong surf struck the area. Beach erosion and tidal flooding were anticipated at all three of the park's units. Park employees were placed on administrative leave from 10 a.m. yesterday through noon today. All units implemented their emergency preparedness plans and many park roads and parking lots were closed. Damage assessments will begin this morning. No evacuation of employees from quarters in New York units was planned; the Sandy Hook unit set up an evacuation center and was planning on using it. [Ken Garvin and Daryl Rhodes, SERO, 9/16; Jim Burnett, CR, COLO, 9/16; Earle Kittleman, PAO, NCRO, 9/16; Robert Hickman, Superintendent, PRWI, 9/16; Norm Williams, CM, TIMU/FOCA, 9/16; Brian Peters, CR, CUIS, 9/16; Jim Zahradka, DR, CALO, 9/16; LES, CAHA, 9/16; Chris Revels, KIMO, 9/16; John Breen, Superintendent, FOPU, 9/16; Dispatch, DEWA, 9/17; Greg Stiles, Ken Johnson, SHEN, 9/16; Kevin FitzGerald, CR, CACO, 9/16; John Tucker, Superintendent, FOSU/CHPI, 9/16; Jose Rosario, CR, GATE, 9/16; Rosemary Williams, CANA, 9/16; Rick Nolan, CR, FOMC, 9/17; Tim Mauch, SPR, RICH, 9/17]
The following updates have been received from parks affected by Hurricane Floyd: o Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - All three units of the park are conducting damage assessments and working towards resuming full operations as soon as possible: * Sandy Hook - Extensive beach erosion has been reported at Sandy Hook, particularly in the "critical zone," where a significant amount of sand was lost. There are trees and limbs down throughout the area, particularly at Fort Hancock. Roof damage, flooding and water infiltration also occurred, and there's a significant accumulation of flotsam and jetsam along the beach front. * Staten Island - Surveys are underway to assess damage to structures and to the seawall at Battery Weed. * Jamaica Bay - The unit reports damage to heavy equipment and emergency equipment, and broken windows, downed signs, damaged roofs and doors, flooding, and water infiltration. A number of boats have washed ashore. [Ken Garvey and Daryl Rhodes, SERO, 9/20-21; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR, 9/20; John Tucker, Superintendent, FOSU/CHPI, 9/20; Jose Rosario, CR, GATE, 9/20; Jim Zahradka, SPR, CALO, 9/20; Greg Smith, SPR, MORR, 9/21]
On the afternoon of September 17th, Park Police officers Robert O'Brien and Kenneth Delaney were flagged down by a citizen who advised them of a windsurfer in trouble off the beach area in Great Kills Park. The officers were able to locate the surfer approximately one mile off shore. Delaney met with NYPD aviation officers and boarded their helicopter to aid in the search and rescue. Meanwhile, O'Brien drove to Nichols Marina in Great Kills Park and found a boat owner who was willing to take him out to search for the surfer. After approximately 20 minutes, the surfer, J.H., was located and pulled onto the boat. J.H. said that he had been trying to reach the shore for over a half hour but could not make it due to the high winds and rough water from Hurricane Floyd. J.H. refused medical treatment. [John Lauro, USPP, GATE, 9/21]
Anthony Carone, a laborer at the park's Staten Island Unit since 1991, complained of chest pain while on duty on October 6th. He was rushed to Staten Island University Hospital by a co-worker, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The cause of death is not yet officially known. [Jose Rosario, CR, GATE, 10/7]
The park's Fort Wadsworth site was transformed into the athlete's village and starting line for the 30th annual New York City marathon, run on November 7th. Over 32,000 participants from all over the world gathered on the grounds in Staten Island for five hours prior to the starting gun. The event was managed under a special use permit and coordinated jointly by the park, the Coast Guard, the Army Reserve (both property owners in the park), and NYPD. Physical preparations began more than three weeks in advance. NBC broadcast the race live, using Fort Wadsworth as its anchor point for several hours. Event organizers tried a new feature, staging a third of the field of runners on neighborhood streets outside the park for about an hour before the start. Although helpful in relieving congestion within the fort, there were numerous complaints from local residents regarding the runners' poor behavior, the lack of toilets and barricades, and so forth. It remains to be seen if Staten Island officials will allow this change to become permanent. [Marty O'Toole, Site Manager, Fort Wadsworth, GATE, 11/8]
On December 24th, Park Police officers arrested J.D., the park's facility management specialist, and charged him with criminal mischief, a class D felony. J.D. was seen throwing boxes and furniture through the windows of government quarters. He was to appear before a magistrate this past Monday. [Jose Rosario, CR, GATE, 12/25]
On January 6th, the park issued a special use permit to Carpenter's Local 20 for First Amendment activity at Fort Wadsworth. At issue is a construction contract with the Army Reserve, which owns property within park boundaries. The permit went into effect on January 11th and is in effect for one week. The demonstrators gathered peacefully in the designated area on park property outside the back gate of the fort, bringing with them an 18-foot inflatable rat. However, organizers soon noticed some commercial vehicles entering the park through the front gate (the only other entrance to the park), thus avoiding the demonstration area. They asked the Park Police to force all commercial vehicles to enter the back gate, but that was not feasible because there are no daytime controls at either gate. Organizers are now considering applying to New York City police for a permit to demonstrate outside the front gate on city property. Park officials are concerned about access and egress, as Fort Wadsworth houses emergency response units from both the Park Police and the Coast Guard and upwards of 1,000 federal employees and 2,000 residents. Organizers have expressed their intention to create several media opportunities and to reapply for permits at the back gate for up to one year. [Marty O'Toole, Fort Wadsworth, GATE, 1/13]
A Park Police officer saw smoke coming from the bunker area of Fort Tilden early on the morning of January 15th and discovered a burning and smoldering body along a trail near Battery Harris. Investigation revealed that the body had been dragged about a quarter mile to the location. The victim was determined to be a male in his early twenties. There were two puncture wounds on the body. Partial fingerprints were recovered from one hand, and a letter with two addresses on it was found under the body. The latter had evidently been in the victim's pants. A search of the area by a canine unit led to the recovery of a gym bag and gloves which had a strong odor of gasoline. It appears that the officer missed the suspects by just minutes. The victim has been tentatively identified and several leads are being pursued. The case is being investigated jointly by USPP and NYPD detectives. [Lt. John Marigliano, USPP, GATE, 1/18]
On January 6th, the park issued a special use permit to Carpenter's Local 20 for First Amendment activity at Fort Wadsworth. At issue is a construction contract with the Army Reserve, which owns property within park boundaries. The permit went into effect on January 11th and expired on the 18th. The union asked for another permit and was given a second week-long First Amendment special use permit, once again for the fort's back gate. Demonstrators appeared at the front gate, though, and were met by rangers and Park Police officers. Protest organizers took their inflatable rat (see "Operational Notes" below) and moved from NPS property to a site owned by the city of New York. No further incidents have since occurred. [Marty O'Toole, Fort Wadsworth, GATE, 1/25]
A USPP officer found a burning body in the bunker area of Fort Tilden early on the morning of January 15th. The victim was identified as 18-year-old S.K. of Brooklyn, New York. He was killed by a stab wound to the heart prior to being burned. A joint USPP/NYPD investigation led to the February 3rd arrests of O.K. and E.G., both 18 and also from Brooklyn. Investigators have determined that the murder was the result of an on-going dispute over money and vehicles, and that all parties knew each other well. S.K. was stabbed at Fort Tilden, then moved to the bunker area and set on fire in an effort to hinder any investigation. O.K. has been charged with intentional murder, depraved murder, evidence tampering, and criminal possession of stolen property; E.G. has been charged with hindering prosecution, evidence tampering and criminal possession of stolen property. They will be prosecuted under state statutes, but the U.S. Attorney's Office is following the case and will later determine whether or not to seek additional federal charges. [Lt. John Marigliano, USPP, GATE, 2/4]
Park Police officers Jeffrey Eccles and Steven Wade stopped a vehicle for traffic-related offenses in Great Kills Park on the afternoon of February 8th. A routine check revealed that the operator, J.J., was wanted by the FBI for bank robbery. J.J. had been wanted for over a year and had identification on her with several aliases. Detectives learned that she was employed by the Cambridge Trust Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and that her responsibilities had included keeping the bank's ATMs stocked with cash. She's accused of stealing $375,000 that she was supposed to have placed in the machines. J.J. is currently lodged in the Metropolitan Detention Center, awaiting arraignment. [Lt. John Lauro, USPP, GATE, 2/9]
New York City Fire Department units responded to a report of smoke coming from Battery Weed around noon on February 22nd. The battery is a historic fortification in Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island. A fire, probably a campfire started by trespassers, was discovered on the third level of the battery and extinguished. The wooden flooring was destroyed, but there was little other damage (the battery is constructed almost entirely of granite and sod). A ladder hidden in the roof of a small blockhouse abutting the battery was used to gain access. No suspects have been identified, but Park Police detectives are following up on several leads and pursuing the case as an ARPA violation. [Marty O'Toole, Site Manager, Fort Wadsworth Unit, GATE, 2/23]
On April 26th, Park Police detectives discovered that a body had been recovered by city police from the shoreline of Spring Creek inside the park's Jamaica Bay Unit. The man's dismembered remains were found wrapped in a blanket in a barrel; he had a bullet wound in his head, which was covered with a plastic bag. It appears that the body and barrel were floating in the waters of Jamaica Bay for several days before coming ashore. The victim matches the description of a missing person from Staten Island who disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Positive identification from dental records is pending. Several leads are being pursued. The investigation is being conducted jointly by USPP and NYPD detectives. [Lt. John Marigliano, NYFO, 4/27]
The Bike New York - Great Five Boro Bike Tour took place in New York City on Sunday, May 7th and ended at Fort Wadsworth. Over 30,000 participants - a record number - stopped at the site for rest, food and water. A major concern this year was heat exhaustion or stroke due to unusually hot weather (last year's major concern, by contrast, was hypothermia). Although the temperature in the city reached a record 93 degrees, few incidents were reported, much to the credit of organizers. The event was managed under a special use permit. A number of other city, state and federal agencies cooperated with the NPS. [Marty O'Toole, GATE, 5/8]
J.B., 38, of Howard Beach, fell from the top of Battery Harris on the afternoon of June 3rd, landing on the ground 50 feet below. Park Police officers and park EMT's responded and provided care until city EMS personnel arrived and took him to Brookdale Hospital. J.B. was admitted with head injuries, an avulsion to his right upper arm, and possible internal bleeding. It appears that Bernadino lost his footing on a path at the viewing platform near the battery. Witnesses reported that he had been drinking beer right before the fall. [John Lauro, USPP, GATE, 6/5]
Park Police officers were flagged down just before 1 a.m. on June 14th by Thomas Adrian, 37, of Brooklyn, who said he'd been robbed and assaulted by a group of six youths. Further investigation revealed that there'd been three such incidents at that location within the hour. Adrian was the victim in the first incident, in which he was accosted by the group along a park trail. When he told them that he had no money, he was struck on the head with a bottle, and jewelry and keys were forcibly taken from him. Shortly thereafter, 55-year-old Osvaldo Ditomaso, also of Brooklyn, was similarly confronted. The youths took his jewelry and car keys and demanded to know which vehicle in the parking lot was his. When he refused to tell them, he was struck on the head with a bottle and his right eye was cut. The group then approached Y.K., 19, and T.D., 20, who were sitting in their parked vehicle in the adjacent parking lot. Once again, the youths demanded cash and jewelry; Y.K. and T.D. complied. The area was canvassed for suspects and two juveniles were contacted within a mile of the attacks. Both had blood on their clothing and items stolen from the four people in their possession. The victims positively identified their assailants. The state will prosecute, and the youths were placed in a juvenile facility pending filing of charges. The victims were taken to a hospital for treatment. [Lt. John Marigliano, GATE, 6/15]
On June 11th, chief lifeguard Tom McLoughlin, assistant chief lifeguard David Pierson and EMT Mike Toomey were engaged in administrative work prior to the start of the summer season when they received a report of two people in trouble on rafts in the ocean about 200 yards off the Area D beach. McLoughlin paddled out to them on a rescue board; Pierson followed with a torpedo buoy. When they reached the pair, two other people on a second raft called to the lifeguards and said that they couldn't make it back to shore due to the strong offshore winds. McLoughlin and Pierson towed all four to shore. [Tadgh McNamee, CR, Sandy Hook Unit, GATE, 6/27]
The Sandy Hook Unit received record visitation - over 134,000 people - during the long Fourth of July weekend. The increase came largely because of OpSail 2000, the fleet of tall ships traveling up the East Coast. Twenty Class A tall ships arrived in Sandy Hook Bay during the weekend to stage for the July 4th "Parade of Sail" into New York Harbor. Visitors sat in the shadow of Fort Hancock's gigantic garrison flag, enjoying an ideal vantage point to view all the ships as they lay at anchor. The park received additional marine operational support from fire Island NS, and rangers from Edison NHS, Statue of Liberty NM and Morristown NHP provided support ashore. Also assisting were New Jersey State Police and the American Red Cross. No significant incidents occurred during the four-day period. On the evening of July 3rd, when ship viewing was at its peak, vehicle traffic was bumper-to-bumper along the entire six-mile length of Sandy Hook. [Tadgh McNamee, CR, SHU/GATE, 7/8]
The park's Fort Wadsworth Unit was also a focal point for visitors coming to New York to see OpSail 2000. Fort Wadsworth sits on the Narrows of New York Harbor, providing an ideal vantage point to see ships coming into port. More than 20,000 visitors watched the passage of the almost 200 naval and sailing ships taking part in the review and parade commemorating the millennium. Over 12,000 visitors entered on July 4th alone, with three parking lots filling early, emptying at mid-day, and refilling for evening fireworks. This was the first exposure to Fort Wadsworth for many visitors since it opened to the public in 1997. A major increase in facilities and services, such as toilets and concessions, was arranged; staffing levels were also increased during the week, with assistance coming from the other units of the park and from the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan Sites, Morristown and Edison. No significant incidents were reported. [Marty O'Toole, Site Manager, GATE, 7/10]
Park Police officers responded to a report of a sick person inside a car at the main parking lot at Riis Park on July 10th. They found the body of a 52-year-old woman crouched on the floor of the back seat of her Honda Civic, which was parked in a remote area of the 5,000-space parking lot. Investigation revealed that she'd been missing since July 7th and that she had a past history of mental problems and suicide attempts. She had filled a prescription for two drugs on the 7th, and most of the pills were missing from the bottles. There was no evidence of foul play or trauma and the case has been classified as a suicide, pending completion of a toxicology report. [Lt. John Marigliano, GATE, 7/12]
Park Police officers were dispatched to Crookes Point on the afternoon of July 20th to check out a report of two people in the water. They determined that 13-year-old T.J. had been sitting with her three-year-old stepsister on a rock jetty near the water's edge while two adult family members were fishing, and that the wake from a passing fishing vessel had washed them both into the water. Three people on another vessel in the area rescued the three-year-old, administered CPR and took her to shore; they then rescued the girl's father, who had entered the water in an attempt to save his children. A multi-agency search was begun for the older girl which involved NPS lifeguards, NYPD divers, and NYFD divers. Her body was found about 50 yards from shore shortly thereafter. CPR was administered and she was taken to Staten Island University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The three-year-old and her father were also taken to the same hospital. At the time of the report, he was okay but she was in critical condition. [John Lauro, USPP, GATE, 7/20]
On July 30th, USPP officers discovered an illegal vendor selling compact discs at Riis Park. Further investigation led to the discovery that the CD's were bootlegged copies. The vendor was arrested and charged with vending and copyright infringement violations. Over 1,100 CD's with a street value of $5,700 were seized. [Lt. John Mariglianao, GATE, 7/31]
USPP officer Chris Santangelo was flagged down on the evening of August 8th by a citizen who reported that a robbery had just occurred at Hamilton Beach. Santangelo found the victim, who said that he'd been grabbed from behind, placed in a choke hold, struck several times, then relieved of $95 in currency. The man's assailant had brandished a knife during the attack and also had a crowbar with him. A search of the area was begun and a man who met the description of the assailant was found and positively identified. Santangelo arrested him after a brief struggle. He was identified as W.T., 21, a homeless man. The knife was found in the area. W.T. has been charged by the county DA with first degree robbery, second degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and menacing. W.T. has a prior history of robberies. [Lt. John Marigliano, GATE, 8/10]
On the evening of August 31st, five Sandy Hook Unit lifeguards were leaving the park at the end of their shift when they came upon a 51-year-old woman lying on the approach ramp loop just a few yards south of the park boundary in Sea Bright. A shearing rear-end accident had caught the woman between the rear bumper of her car and the front bumper of a car driven by a 58-year-old man. One of her legs was severed and the other nearly severed. As the lifeguards worked to establish an airway and applied tourniquets, the woman told them that she had stopped on the ramp to retrieve her camera from the car's trunk and take a picture of a nearby state-owned historic lighthouse. She lost consciousness after a few minutes. Rangers assisted Sea Bright police and rescue personnel with traffic control, the evacuation and the investigation. The woman was flown to a hospital by air ambulance, but was pronounced dead on arrival. A critical incident stress debriefing session with a local provider was arranged through the NPS CISD unit. Criminal charges will probably not be filed. [Russ Wilson, Sandy Hook Unit, GATE, 9/4]
A private barge struck the U.S.S. Detroit at Naval Weapons Station Earle on the afternoon of September 14th, holing the side of the ship and releasing about 30,000 gallons of #2 fuel oil into the ocean. The majority of the fuel was contained in the immediate vicinity of the accident, but a sheen measuring a mile by a mile-and-a-half was spotted further out. Oil containment booms were deployed along the northern shore of the park's Sandy Hook Unit and other environmentally sensitive areas in the harbor. One boom extends from the tip of Sandy Hook to Horseshoe Cove, a distance of about a mile-and-a-half. Rangers patrolled the water and found no impacts to the park shoreline. NOAA has predicted that the spill will move out of the harbor, then disperse in open waters. The Coast Guard, Navy, state agencies and commercial contractors are involved in cleanup operations. [Jose Rosario, CR, GATE, 9/15]
A citizen walking his dog on the west end of Plumb Beach on the morning of September 19th found a body along the shoreline, subsequently identified as a 55-year-old Brooklyn man. He had entry and exit wounds to both temples and a revolver in his right hand. The weapon had one spent round and five live rounds remaining. Interviews were conducted with family members, who said that he had not shown any suicidal tendencies but that he'd been missing for a day prior to the discovery of his body. The investigation is continuing. [Lt. John Marigliano, GATE, 9/21]
Park Police officers investigated a report of a fatality at Canarsie Pier on the morning of October 27th. They found the body of a 59-year-old Staten Island man in the driver's seat of his 1998 Toyota at the south end of the pier, a .38 caliber revolver with one spent round next to his right hand. He had a wound to his right temple. The victim had a license for the pistol and operated a business nearby. The medical examiner has tentatively ruled the death as a suicide. the investigation continues. [Lt. John Marigliano, USPP, GATE, 10/30]
Rangers Tony Macri and Pete Tortorell investigated an auto break-in and theft in the park's Sandy Hook Unit on October 5th. They found that the passenger door lock of the vehicle had been broken and that the thieves had entered at that point. A credit card and $65 in cash were taken. The rangers processed the vehicle for evidence and began an investigation. A check of the credit card revealed that it had been used in three stores in northern New Jersey. An attempted purchase of $1,427 worth of goods at a beverage store had been filmed on surveillance tape. Three other police departments were involved in the investigation - all of them with similar cases with matching MO's and suspect descriptions. The month-long investigation concluded when four people were arrested after being identified in a lineup by employees from the stores where the card had been used. All four were part of an organized ring specializing in thefts from vehicles with the intent of obtaining credit cards. These arrests are expected to lead to the clearance of about 20 cases. Both state and federal complaints have been filed. [Thomas Lobkowicz, SHU/GATE, 11/2]
The 31st annual New York City marathon was run on November 5th. Approximately 30,000 runners gathered and staged inside Fort Wadsworth, which is located adjacent to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on Staten Island. The event was managed under a special use permit to the New York Road Runners Club. The event was coordinated with Service's federal partners at Fort Wadsworth (the Coast Guard, Army Reserve, and Defense Contract Management Agency), NYPD, the Metropolitan Transit Authority's Bridges and Tunnels Division, and many other organizations. NBC again carried the event live. After an experiment last year that ran afoul with neighbors, all pre-race activities occurred within park boundaries. The event ran smoothly, with no reported injuries or significant damage. [Marty O'Toole, Site Manager, Fort Wadsworth, GATE, 11/6]
USPP officer Jakim Eaddy saw a 1988 Chevrolet being driven recklessly in Riis Park at 2:20 a.m. on November 5th and attempted to stop it. A pursuit ensued that ended up at a dead end in Breezy Point. As Eaddy was getting out of his cruiser, the driver of the other vehicle - D.P., 43 - put her car in reverse and attempted to hit him. Eaddy was able to evade her, and the pursuit resumed. D.P. narrowly missed hitting an NYPD cruiser head-on. She bailed out of her vehicle about five blocks away and fled into a residential area. Despite an extensive search by Park Police and NYPD officers, assisted by a helicopter, D.P. could not be found. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of small amounts of cocaine and marijuana. Investigators determined that D.P. was on probation. Detectives contacted D.P. and her attorney and arranged for her to surrender on November 9th. She was charged with numerous counts by the Queens County DA, including reckless endangerment and burglary. [Lt. John Marigliano, GATE, 11/9]
USPP officers were notified of an injured person on the jetty at Breezy Point just after 8 p.m. on November 8th. G.L., 39, had been fishing from the jetty when he slipped and fell, breaking his left leg. Officer Daniel McFadden was first on scene at the jetty, which was extremely slippery and being struck by waves. Due to the conditions, G.L. was airlifted from the jetty by an NYPD helicopter and taken to a nearby beach, where he was transferred to a waiting ambulance. McFadden suffered a minor injury to his foot during the rescue. [Lt. John Marigliano, GATE, 11/9]
On the evening of January 4th, the New York fast ferry "Finest" ran aground in park waters off Sandy Hook just west of Skeleton Hill Island. The 118-foot catamaran was carrying 257 passengers and was en route from New York City to Highlands, New Jersey. Ice may have contributed to the accident by moving and obscuring buoy markers; ice and shallow waters complicated attempts by the Coast Guard and a private tugboat to free the vessel. The ferry was finally freed after five hours with the assistance of the rising tide. One passenger suffered an allergic reaction and was evacuated by New York City police helicopter. Four Coast Guard helicopters were also flown to the scene. A back-up plan would have evacuated the remaining passengers to a parking lot landing zone that Sandy Hook rangers and firefighters had illuminated with a portable light tower next to the 1894 U.S. Lifesaving Service's Spermaceti Cove Station, which serves as the Sandy Hook visitor center. Had passengers been evacuated, the structure would have seen a historic use last known to have occurred when a Liberty Ship grounded off Sandy Hook in 1943. Ranger Steve Ambrose was the NPS incident commander. [Russ Wilson, GATE, 1/8]
Rangers Tony Macri and Pete Tortorell made a routine traffic stop in the Sandy Hook Unit on December 15th. The female driver behaved suspiciously, so they asked for and received consent to search the vehicle. The rangers found 10 white pills packaged for distribution, a small quantity of marijuana, and 17 prescription codeine pills. The driver told them that the packaged pills were also codeine, and that they'd been obtained from a classmate at school. Further investigation led to the discovery that the pills had been stolen along with another 150 pills from a pharmacy in Monroe, New Jersey. The pills were being sold and distributed to high school students. The driver provided rangers with information on the main person involved in the burglary. The information was relayed to a Monroe detective, who was able to clear the burglary case and stop the sale of additional pills from this source. [Thomas Lobkowicz, GATE, 1/16]
On the afternoon of January 21st, the Park Police received a call from the NPS-administered wildlife refuge VC at Jamaica Bay reporting that an intrusion alarm had been activated and that smoke had been observed in the building. Shortly thereafter, New York City FD units responded to a call from Park Police dispatch stating that heavy smoke was emanating from Building 101 in the refuge district, which contained the district's administrative, resource management, and wildland fire offices and its library. It took about an hour for 25 city firefighters to extinguish the blaze. Investigators have determined that the fire originated near an electrical outlet and telephone panel in the southeast corner of the building's conference room. Both power and telephone lines were smoldering before the blaze started. The telephone lines had an unusual amount of current, and it may be that current from the power line crossed over to the telephone line, causing the fire. There was extensive fire and smoke damage to the conference room, kitchen and all offices in the building. Damage assessments are being prepared. It's likely that major repairs will be required. [Jose Rosario, CR, Lt. John Marigliano, USPP, GATE, 1/22]
On the afternoon of January 27th, local fishermen W.B., 39, and N.P., 31, were returning to port in W.B.'s 20-foot clamming boat. They encountered 20 mph winds and six foot seas while crossing Sandy Hook Bay and placed a distress call by cell phone to the Coast Guard. Their vessel sank about 300 yards east of the shoreline near Atlantic Highlands. A multi-agency search was begun but was unsuccessful. Prevailing winds and currents are causing debris to drift into park waters. Rangers have been assisting by patrolling the park's shoreline to locate and secure flotsam. The investigation is being headed by the New Jersey State Police. [Thomas Lobkowicz, GATE, 1/29]
A visitor contacted USPP officer John Lattuca on February 1st and told him that he'd found a suspicious object on the shoreline at Floyd Bennett Field. Lattuca determined that it was a suitcase; further investigation revealed that it contained the bound body of an unidentified woman. The suitcase had evidently been floating in the waters of Jamaica Bay, then had washed ashore. A lead in the case has been developed, and identification of the victim is pending. The cause of death has not yet been determined. A joint investigation is being conducted with NYPD. [Lt. John Marigliano, USPP, GATE, 2/2]
A visitor reported a body in the surf at Riis Park's beach just after 7 a.m. on February 21st. Park Police officer Jeff Jones responded and found city fire and EMS units removing the body of a 55-year old Rockaway Park woman from the surf. Some of her clothing was found in a neat pile nearby. Investigators determined that she had been suffering from terminal cancer and depression for several years, and that she'd been missing from her home since 8 p.m. the previous evening. It's not yet clear whether she fell off a nearby jetty or entered the water under her own volition. There's no indication of foul play. Detective Eddie Ramos is leading the investigation. [Lt. John Marigliano, GATE, 2/22]
A visitor fishing on the shoreline of Sandy Hook on the morning of April 14th discovered a body floating in the ocean. Rangers were notified and brought it to shore. A medical examination confirmed identification of the remains as those of W.B., 39, of Belford, New Jersey, who was one of two local clammers missing since their boat sank in the bay on January 27th. His death was ruled an accidental drowning. The remains of the second victim have not yet been found. [Thomas Lobkowicz, GATE, 4/22]
On the afternoon of Sunday, April 29th, S.M., the pilot of a single engine 1940 Fleet biplane, experienced engine problems while flying over Sandy Hook. S.M. avoided beach-goers and made an emergency landing in a shorebird nesting area 200 yards northwest of Gunnison Beach. Rangers John Cahill and Sara Weimer were near the area and witnessed the plane make a rough landing and roll out that ended with the plane doing a forward flip and coming to rest upside down. The pilot was uninjured. The FAA was notified and is investigating. The plane sustained damage to its upper wing, but no damage was done to natural resources in the area. The aircraft was righted the following day, then towed off the beach by hand, dismantled, and removed from the park. [Tom Lobkowicz, SA, GATE, 5/3]
On the afternoon of May 4th, Park Police dispatch was notified of a drowning that had occurred under the Paerdegat Basin bridge. Officers found that nine juveniles, all truant from school, had decided to go swimming at the remote location, which is not a designated swimming area. They entered the water a few yards south of the bridge on the eastern shore. Two of the kids began experiencing difficulty due to currents and were swept into the channel under the bridge; two of their comrades entered the water in an effort to rescue their friends, but were swept under by the current and became submerged. An off-duty New York City corrections officer who was passing by in a boat saw two of the kids holding onto the pilings under the bridge, jumped into the water, and brought them both to shore. He then reported that two others - a boy and a girl - were missing. Park Police and NYPD and fire units responded. The girl was found floating unconscious about 150 yards north of the bridge. She was taken to Brookdale Hospital and pronounced dead shortly thereafter. NYPD divers recovered the body of the boy under the bridge. [Lt. John Marigliano, USPP, 5/4]
A fishing trawler named the "Lady Grace" ran aground on the tip of Breezy Point in the park's Jamaica Bay Unit on the morning of May 10th, evidently due to a loss of power. Park, USPP, Coast Guard and USFWS personnel responded. The Coast Guard federalized the incident and called in contractors to pump out approximately 3,200 gallons of fuel, water and associated petroleum products and to salvage and re-float the trawler. Most of the fuel was removed by the following evening. A first attempt at towing was made, but was not successful. Another try is to be made today. All necessary precautions have been taken to ensure that pumping and salvage operations do not have any impacts on the park's endangered species and that resource damage is minimized. [Jose Rosario, CR, GATE, 5/12]
On Sunday, May 6th, the park's Fort Wadsworth site again served as the terminus of the annual Bike New York - Great Five Boro Bike Tour. Almost 30,000 participants entered the park from the Verrazano Narrows Bridge plaza to find restrooms, food, entertainment and exhibitors. The event was managed under a special use permit; the weather was nearly perfect and no major injuries or incidents were reported. Numerous government agencies were involved in planning and overseeing the 42-mile tour, including the Park Police, Coast Guard, NYPD and New York City Parks and Recreation. [Marty O'Toole, Site Manager, Fort Wadsworth, GATE, 5/11]
Two fishermen got into a verbal dispute over fishing limits near the Navy Pier at Floyd Bennett Field around 10:30 p.m. on May 15th. The dispute escalated when one of the fishermen placed a knife to the other's throat and threatened to kill him if he said anything else. The assailant - J.S. of Brooklyn - then fled the area, but was found after an extensive search by USPP officers. He was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. [John Lauro, USPP, GATE, 5/16]
The Park Police vessel "Marine One" was on patrol in Great Kills Harbor just before midnight on June 9th when the crew received a mayday call over VHF channel 16. A boating accident had occurred in Raritan Reach Channel a few miles outside of the park. Sergeant John Guarino and officer Greg Neary arrived on scene within minutes and found an overturned vessel. Occupants A.P. and K.Z. had been picked up by nearby pleasure fishing boats. A.P. was suffering from head and chest injuries. Neary, a certified EMT, controlled A.P.'s bleeding and provided additional treatment. A.P. and K.Z. were transported by "Marine One" to an NYFD ambulance, then taken to a hospital on Staten Island. The two men were in a 25-foot fishing boat when they were struck by a tug boat pushing a barge. The boat immediately capsized, throwing them into the water. A.P. was sucked down into the water and was injured when the barge passed over him. The tug did not stop and continued on its way. A follow-up investigation is being conducted by the Coast Guard and NYPD. [Lt. John Marigliano, USPP, GATE, 6/10]
Roman Turmon, a recreation specialist at park headquarters, passed away suddenly on June 9th. Roman had worked in the division since 1997. Prior to that, he served as a counselor at the park's Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center at Floyd Bennett Field. Roman was also a former player for both the Harlem Globetrotters and the New York Knicks. A wake will be held at the Benta Funeral Home at 630 St. Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan on Thursday, June 14th, from 6 to 8 p.m. The funeral will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 16th, at the Murray Brothers Funeral Home, 1199 Utoy Springs Road, Atlanta, Georgia. Expressions of condolence may be sent via Dorothy Roebuck, personnel officer, Gateway NRA, Building 69, Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, NY 11234. Dorothy will forward them to the family. Flowers may be sent to the Benta Funeral Home, or a charitable contribution can be made to the United Negro College Fund, 120 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005 (212-747-0612). [John Lancos, Acting Chief, I&R, GATE, 6/12]
On June 3rd, USPP officers converged on Canarsie Pier in response to a reported assault. The victim and two witnesses said that they'd been having dinner with suspect E.D. at the Sunset Landing Restaurant on the pier when a disagreement broke out between E.D. and the victim. E.D. then forcibly grabbed the woman by her arms and neck and pulled her away from a telephone as she attempted to call police. She refused to leave with E.D., so he threw her onto the hood of his vehicle, causing injuries to her neck and back. E.D. then fled from the area. Officers and detectives went to E.D.'s house, arrested him, and charged him with third degree assault, attempted third degree assault, second degree menacing, and second degree harassment. A full protective order was also issued. The case is being prosecuted by the county DA. [Lt. John A. Lauro, USPP, GATE, 6/7]
On the afternoon of Sunday, July 1st, Sandy Hook and neighboring communities were hit with tornado force winds, lightning, heavy rain and golf-ball-size hail. Prior to the storm's arrival, park lifeguards began evacuating capacity crowds from the park's beaches. Vehicle traffic exiting the park was bumper-to-bumper on all roads and remained backed-up for two hours as the storm persisted. Within one hour, over two inches of rain fell. Fifty-six mph gusts swept two 400-pound surf rescue boats off the beach at D Lot. They were later recovered about one mile offshore by the patrol boat "George B. Hartzog Jr.," a 41-foot Coast Guard utility boat that Gateway recently acquired and refurbished. The winds also blew a private vessel ashore in Horseshoe Cove and ripped a large tent covering from the deck of the Sea Gull's Nest concession restaurant, damaging two vehicles parked below. No injuries to park visitors were reported. Two visitors who refused to comply when ordered to evacuate the beach area were arrested. [Tom Lobkowicz, SA, Sandy Hook Unit, GATE, 7/2]
When they arrived for work on June 26th, park staff came upon a demonstration in progress on park property at both entrances to Fort Wadsworth. Featured were two large, inflatable creatures - one a rat, the other a cat holding a smaller rat in its paw. [Note: Attentive readers will remember the inflatable rat from a prior demonstration at Fort Wadsworth in January, 2000 - and that your editor promised a digital photo of same to the many readers who expressed an interest in seeing said critter. Through the efforts of Marty O'Toole, the picture has been acquired and is attached to this edition). As before, the issue was a construction contract with the Army Reserve, which owns property within the park. The protestors were approached by rangers and Park Police officers and agreed to move their demonstration to adjacent city streets, pending an appointment to discuss a First Amendment permit to demonstrate on park land. Organizers subsequently decided to remain outside of park land and returned to demonstrate again on June 27th, 28th, 29th and July 2nd. Park staff continue to discuss permit opportunities with organizers. [Marty O'Toole, Site Manager, Fort Wadsworth Unit, GATE, 7/9 and 7/16]
The Park Police were notified of a missing person at Canarsie Pier around 9:30 a.m. on July 13th. A 39-year-old Brooklyn man had called his girlfriend at 2 a.m. and asked her to meet him at the pier because he had injured himself while fixing a flat tire on his car. The girlfriend drove to the pier, but found the car unattended and returned home. She then received a call at 3 a.m. in which he asked her to meet him at a nearby city park. She drove to the park, but was again unable to find him. She reported him missing to NYPD at 8 a.m. Investigators learned that the man was suffering from depression and had recently been admitted to a hospital for a psychological evaluation. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of several notes that revealed that the man was depressed and in a state of distress. USPP officers found the man around 11 a.m. about 150 yards west of the pier. He was semi-conscious and suffering from head wounds and severe blood loss. He had a pick-hammer in his hand. He was taken to a local hospital, where he expired shortly thereafter. He was suffering from six strikes to his head, followed by another massive strike. The death had not been classified at the time of the report. [Lt. John Marigliano, GATE, 7/14]
While on patrol in the Riis Beach area on the morning of June 22nd, USPP officer Jakim Eaddy came across a vehicle that had run off the road. A distraught young woman in the car told Eaddy that the driver - Y.I., 63, of Brooklyn - was unconscious. Eaddy could not get into the car through the doors, so went through its sunroof. Y.I. was extricated with the assistance of sergeant Greg Norman and officer Jack Piccolo. They found that he was not breathing and had no pulse. Norman and Eaddy employed an automatic external defibrillator (AED) and CPR to restore Y.I.'s pulse. Officer Debbie Pecoraro and NPS and NYFD EMT's also assisted. Y.I. was taken to a local hospital, where he was in critical condition at the time of the report. AED's utilize shocks in an effort to revive the heart and are now carried in many USPP and ranger vehicles nationwide. [Lt. John Lauro, USPP, GATE, 7/23]
A visitor fishing near Plumb Beach discovered a body in the weeds on the evening of August 8th. The medical examiner has tentatively determined the death to have been from natural causes, possibly due to excessive alcohol consumption and high heat and humidity (the temperature was around 100 degrees in the New York City area all last week). The body may have been at that location for one to two days. The case is being jointly investigated by USPP and NYPD detectives. [John Lauro, GATE, 8/9]
National Park Service personnel systemwide are responding in many ways to the terrorist attacks yesterday on Washington and New York. Here's a summary, as of 11 a.m. today: o Northeast Region - All parks in Northeast Region closed yesterday due to terrorist activity. Parks evacuated their visitors, implemented their continuity of operations plans, stepped-up their security - particularly at the Statue of Liberty, Federal Hall, Boston National Historical Park and Independence - and began sharing resources as needed. Protection rangers from some parks traveled to others that don't have protection staffs; two boats from Fire Island with a boat captain and protection rangers on each assisted the Park Police and helped move people and employees via New York harbor. Two protection rangers were dispatched to Sandy Hook to help with crowds that began to form along the shoreline to view the altered New York City skyline. Two other rangers went to Boston NHP to assist with security there. Rangers and Park Police officers are working 12-hour shifts in the New York City area. Miller Field in Gateway is being used as a staging area to access Staten Island. Ellis Island has been serving as a triage station. United Flight 93, which crashed in southwestern Pennsylvania, came down between two parks. The southwest Pennsylvania group superintendent reported that she felt the ground shake when the plane impacted over ten miles away. Federal Hall in NYC was used as a refuge by approximately 150 people escaping the collapse of the World Trade Towers. Park Police officers and a doctor helped them, and the park was closed after being evacuated. The regional all-risk Type 2 team (Brown) has been activated and will assist the parks, make contingency plans, and provide public information support. The team has set up shop at the regional office in Philadelphia. Regional SET teams continue to be on alert. All parks will be working to open up today except for the Statue of Liberty, Federal Hall, Manhattan sites, and Gateway sites, including Sandy Hook. Boston NHP will also remain closed. New York parks are assessing their employees' situations, as there will inevitably be connections with some of the many people who lost their lives. Parks will make CISD and EAP services available as needed. Independence will open the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall today, but will limit numbers of visitors and access to other areas of the park. [Bob Martin, RCR, NER, 9/12; Einar Olsen, RCR, NCR, 9/12; Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 9/12; Dennis McGinnis, Type 1 team, SHEN, 9/12; Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO, 9/12]
Additional reports have been received regarding the National Park Service response to Tuesday's terrorist attacks. Those reports appear below. Secretary Norton yesterday issued this press release regarding the reopening of National Park Service areas in Washington and elsewhere in the United States: "Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton today announced that the monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C., have been reopened to the public. "'We are all saddened and horrified by the magnitude of the tragedy our nation has experienced. Our focus remains on the safety of our visitors and our employees. We must remain vigilant as we provide the American people access to our nation's monuments, memorials and parks for the solace and inspiration they provide,' Secretary Norton said. 'The Washington, D.C., National Park sites are a special inspiration to the freedoms all Americans hold so precious.' "The Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, and the Korean War Veterans Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorials reopened to the public at approximately 11:30 a.m. The sites had been closed yesterday after the tragedy at the Pentagon to ensure the safety of the American public, park staff, and the monuments and memorials. The Washington Monument, which has been closed for several months due to ongoing restoration work, remains closed. "National Park sites throughout the nation reopened today and have resumed normal business activities. Secretary Norton and National Park Service Director Fran Mainella have asked superintendents at each of the 384 sites to use their discretion in determining whether to limit or augment personnel and operations in sites where such measures are deemed appropriate. "At National Park sites in Manhattan and the New York City area, operations are more limited, and most of the sites in Manhattan are closed today. At Federal Hall on Wall Street, a water tower on the roof collapsed last evening. Gateway National Recreation Area is open except for areas where the New York Police Department is staging operations. "Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, two of the nation's greatest symbols of freedom, have reopened today as well. "'We encourage everyone to draw inspiration from our greatest national treasures, and let them serve as reminders that this nation will endure and prosper,' Secretary Norton concluded. Please also see Secretary Norton's memorandum to all employees under "Memoranda" below. Other reports from around the agency follow: o Washington Office (DC) - The National Park Service's national all-risk Type 1 team will begin operations in Washington sometime this morning. The director is about to sign a delegation of authority to the team; the text of that delegation will appear in this afternoon's edition or tomorrow. o USPP/New York Field Office (NY) - All available personnel were called in for duty following the crash of the two planes into the World Trade Center. Four USPP vessels were sent to secure the waters around the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and to assist in medevacs of injured people from the area. Officers were sent to Federal Hall to assist with the securing and protection of that building; others were assigned to Ellis Island to assist with the set-up of a triage center. About 275 people were treated there; of these, about 60 were transported and admitted to local hospitals. The Statue of Liberty was evacuated. Officers were also assigned to the gates of Floyd Bennett Field, Fort Tilden, and Fort Wadsworth and to close those areas to the public. Rangers from Fire Island NS assisted USPP with two vessels and personnel. [Lt. John Lauro, USPP, NYFO, 9/12; Gregory Smith, CR, MORR, 9/12; Norah Martinez, CR, CANA, 9/12; MORU, 9/12; Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO, 9/13; Betty Knight, ARO, 9/12]
The national NPS Type 1 team (Skip Brooks, IC) is currently organizing in WASO and should be fully operational by tomorrow afternoon. Their delegation of authority and goals will appear in the Morning Report tomorrow. The NER Type 2 team (Rick Brown, IC) is operating in Philadelphia, and has prepared a summary of the status of the region's parks as of late this morning (below). All employees in the New York area have been accounted for and are okay. A CISD team is en route to the Statue of Liberty to provide support for NPS employees throughout the New York metropolitan area. o Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - The park is open, but with limited services. NYPD is using Floyd Bennett Field as a staging area, and the FBI has asked permission to use part of the area. Miller Field is being used by the city as an equipment staging area. Fort Wadsworth remains closed. [Rick Brown, IC, Type 2 Team, NER, 9/13]
Further updates have been received on the status of NPS areas and/or staff responses to Tuesday's terrorist attacks: o Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - On September 11th, the day of the attack, the Sandy Hook Unit's 41-foot patrol boat, the "George B. Hartzog Jr.," and crew assisted the Coast Guard by transporting volunteer New Jersey firefighters and a Coast Guard admiral and staff to New York. During the evening, the Hartzog took up a position under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge as the point vessel maintaining the New York Harbor closure. Unit staff are also providing the Coast Guard at Sandy Hook with temporary housing for personnel activated for the emergency and with station security. Three Upper Delaware NS&RR protection rangers are assisting Sandy Hook staff. Other closures and operations are essentially as noted yesterday. [Russ Wilson, GATE/SHU, 9/12; Clayton Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN, 9/13; Karl Merchant, Plans, Type 2 IMT, NERO, 9/13]
Further updates have been received on the status of NPS areas and/or staff responses to Tuesday's terrorist attacks: o Gateway NRA (NY) - The city is seeking landfill sites and has been talking with the Service about possible areas on NPS lands. All requests are pending compliance and management review. Other closures and operations are essentially as noted yesterday. [Russ Wilson, GATE/SHU, 9/12; Clayton Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN, 9/13; Karl Merchant, Plans, Type 2 IMT, NERO, 9/13]
The National Park Service response to last Tuesday's terrorist attacks continues. The following summarizes new developments within Northeast Region; the status of other NER sites listed in yesterday afternoon's report remains unchanged. Two digital photos are attached to give readers a feel for the NPS response; more will appear in the future. One is of a responding Fire Island NS patrol boat, the other is a view of smoke rising from the World Trade Center as seen from the patrol boat in the harbor. o Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - Another four rangers have been brought in to assist with security at Sandy Hook, which is open to the public. Several rangers who are reservists have been placed on standby for call-up. The Park Police committed five patrol boats to marine operations, ranging in size from 25 to 41 feet. Fire Island augmented the force with two boats and LE rangers. [Karl Merchant/Paul Pfeninger, Type 2 IMT, NERO, 9/15]
The National Park Service response to last Tuesday's terrorist attacks continues. The following summarizes new developments within Northeast Region; the status of other NER sites listed in yesterday afternoon's report remains unchanged. Two digital photos are attached to give readers a feel for the NPS response; more will appear in the future. One is of a responding Fire Island NS patrol boat, the other is a view of smoke rising from the World Trade Center as seen from the patrol boat in the harbor. New York and Boston area parks have received assistance from rangers who responded from Assateague NS, Cape Cod NS, Colonial NHP, Fire Island NS, Richmond NB, Petersburg NB, Upper Delaware NS&RR, Delaware Water Gap NRA, Gettysburg NB, Shenandoah NP, and Blue Ridge Parkway. The Park Police have also provided additional details on their response over the first 48 hours after the attacks, which amplify prior reports: o Gateway NRA - Fort Wadsworth was locked down at the request of the Coast Guard. The back gate was closed, a vehicular barricade was established at the front gate, and a 100% ID check was instituted at the entrance. Miller Field was closed and a secondary morgue was established in the hanger area. This was disbanded on Wednesday morning and moved to Staten Island University Hospital. All NPS/USPP phone service was lost due to the collapse of the WTC buildings; one temporary line was in service by Wednesday afternoon. A security check point was established at the entrance to Floyd Bennett Field at the request of NYPD due to the presence of NYPD's Special Operations Division on-site. A marshalling point was established on the field for heavy equipment and supplies, and medevac helicopters were positioned there. The Park Police committed five patrol boats to marine operations, ranging in size from 25 to 41 feet. Fire Island augmented the force with two boats and LE rangers. [Karl Merchant/Paul Pfeninger, Type 2 IMT, NERO, 9/15]
While engaged in post-attack operations, sergeant John Guarino and officers Dave Moen and Dean Mohammed were aboard USPP vessel "Marine 5" near North Cove Marina. They saw numerous rescue workers in full flight from an impending building collapse near the marina and entered the dock to help rescue them. They picked up seven US Marshals and two construction workers and moved them out of the danger zone. Another US Marshal was rescued from the water. All were taken to Ellis Island for treatment of minor injuries, then returned to Manhattan to resume rescue efforts. [Lt. John Marigliano, USPP, GATE, 9/13]
On Saturday, August 18th, supervisory park ranger Tom O'Connell and chief lifeguard Ken Cevoli were patrolling park waters in lower New York Bay when they came upon a 19-foot pleasure boat in distress. Operator S.R., 35, and passenger M.G., 37, were frantically waving hand flares as their boat rapidly sank. Cevoli immediately radioed the lifeguard headquarters at Great Kills Beach Center, while O'Connell piloted the park's 19-foot rescue Zodiac to their assistance. Cevoli, O'Connell and lifeguard Brian Hopkins, who responded in the park's beach rescue rowboat, transferred S.R. and M.G. to the Zodiac. The USPP and Coast Guard were notified. The sinking craft was recovered by a private operator and towed to the marina concessioner at Great Kills. The two men were transferred to a Park Police boat. [Adam Prato, VUA, GATE, 9/14]
Today's update on the NPS response to the terrorist attacks follows. The only sites listed are those where there are new developments to report. The status of other parks remains as previously reported: o Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - The Park Police continue to provide security at Federal Hall and serve as liaisons with the city and the FBI. Attached are two digital photos provided by Lt. John Marigliano from the Park Police's New York contingent. [Debee Schwarz, Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/16; Paul Pfeninger, Type 2 IMT, NERO, 9/16]
o Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - The park is open, but Miller Field, Floyd Bennett Field and Ft. Wadsworth remain closed.
The National Park Service continues to provide support to its parks and employees, gather information on the status of field areas for DOI, and deal with security issues throughout the country. Director Mainella is in New York today to meet and talk with employees and to visit sites affected by the attacks. The Service's Type 1 incident management team (Skip Brooks, IC) continues its operations from the South Interior Building. The following summarizes the current status of parks in the New York and Washington areas and any changes in the previously reported status of parks elsewhere: o Gateway NRA - Fort Wadsworth is currently closed to the general public. Portions of Floyd Bennett Field are also closed, but most of the field remains open. These sites will reopen as soon as safety and operational issues are resolved. [SHEN EICC, 9/20]
The National Park Service continues to provide support to its parks and employees, gather information on the status of field areas for DOI, and deal with security issues throughout the country, including the brokering of numerous requests for operational support. Incident management in Washington has transitioned from Skip Brooks' Type 1 team to Eddie Lopez's Type 1 team. A regional Type 2 team from Southeast Region (Bob Panko, IC) continues to oversee the NPS expanded dispatch operation at Shenandoah NP. Members of the team in Washington are in the processing of making individual calls to every park in the nation to establish a comprehensive list of resources that can be utilized in emergencies if needed. About 230 calls have been made so far; more will follow this week. Callers are focusing on resources similar to those needed in past incidents, such as the floods in Yosemite and Hurricane Andrew. A report is due to Director Mainella by Friday. The following is a quick run down of continuing closures: o Fort Wadsworth, Miller Field and parts of Floyd Bennett Field in Gateway NRA remain closed. [EICC/Type 2 IMT, SHEN, 9/25; Kris Fister, NPS Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/26]
The National Park Service continues to provide support to its parks and employees, gather information on the status of field areas for DOI, and deal with security issues throughout the country, including the brokering of numerous requests for operational support. The Service's Type 1 IMT (Eddie Lopez, IC) continues its operations from the South Interior Building; the Type 2 East Team (Bob Panko, IC) is overseeing the NPS expanded dispatch operation at Shenandoah NP. Here's a current report on the status of parks affected by this incident: o Fort Wadsworth (GATE) - Closed at the request of the Coast Guard. Military activity continues at the site. [EICC/Type 2 IMT, SHEN, 9/27; Kris Fister, NPS Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/28; Pat Buccello, CISM Team, 9/28; Billy Garrett, Superintendent, Jamaica Bay Unit, GATE, 9/27]
The National Park Service continues to provide support to its parks and employees, gather information on the status of field areas for DOI, and deal with security issues throughout the country, including the brokering of numerous requests for operational support. The Service's Type 1 IMT (Eddie Lopez, IC) continues its operations from the South Interior Building; the Type 2 East Team (Bob Panko, IC) is overseeing the NPS expanded dispatch operation at Shenandoah NP. Here's a current report on the status of parks affected by this incident: o Miller Field (GATE) - Closed. The field is being used by New York City as an equipment staging area. [EICC/Type 2 IMT, SHEN, 9/27; Kris Fister, NPS Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/28; Pat Buccello, CISM Team, 9/28; Billy Garrett, Superintendent, Jamaica Bay Unit, GATE, 9/27]
A fire broke out in the starboard engine room of the 130-foot catamaran commuter ferry "Seastreak New York" as it was steaming past Sandy Hook en route to New York City on the morning of September 28th. The fire was contained and extinguished with an onboard CO2 system, but not before a considerable amount of smoke filled the lower passenger decks. The ferry diverted to the Coast Guard Station at Sandy Hook, where all 198 passengers disembarked. Sandy Hook staff assisted the Coast Guard by opening the Fort Hancock post theater and directing passengers to it. Park staff also shuttled passengers into Highlands, New Jersey - the ferry's point of origin - until the ferry company could arrange transportation for those remaining. [Russ Wilson, SHU, GATE, 9/28]
Support operations for the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 have shifted to Floyd Bennett Field, where the Ryan Visitor Center is being used as a control center for FBI activities and two hangars are being used by the NTSB for storage of material from the crash site. The hangar that was used by New York City as a temporary morgue will be cleaned sometime in the next few days and returned to park use. Floyd Bennett Field was closed on Monday due to the high volume of emergency vehicles entering and leaving the park. Access was limited on Tuesday to participants involved in previously schedule activities. The site was fully reopened to the public at 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning. A meeting was to be held with city officials yesterday regarding a memorial service for the victims of the accident. The probable location is Fort Tilden or Jacob Riis Park; the date under discussion for the service is Sunday, November 18th. [Jose Rosario, CR, GATE; Billy Garrett, Superintendent, Jamaica Bay Unit, GATE, 11/15]
A fisherman at Sandy Hook contacted rangers via cell phone early on the morning of Sunday, November 1st, and reported that he'd found a man lying unconscious in the Horseshoe Cove parking lot. Rangers Debra Perry and Sara Wiemer responded. The man, subsequently identified as B.S., 37, of Neptune City, New Jersey, was taken to a local hospital. The next day, B.S. gave a note to his sister that implicated him in the recently kidnapping of six-year-old A.C. of Spring Lake, New Jersey. His sister turned the note over to the police. FBI and local authorities had been investigating the case since November 8th, when A.C. was abducted from the yard outside her home. A $175,000 ransom note was sent which said that the abductor would not hesitate to kill the girl if the demand was not met. The ransom was not paid, and the next day A.C. was released unharmed at a local shopping mall. B.S. was apparently trying to commit suicide when he was found at Sandy Hook. On November 15th, bail was set by the superior court at $1.35 million on charges of kidnapping, child endangerment and making terroristic threats. [Tom Lobkowicz, SA, Sandy Hook Unit, GATE, 11/16]
A fisherman discovered the body of a 19-year-old Asian woman along the shore east of Canarsie Pier on the morning of Sunday, November 25th. USPP officer Steven Wade found that she was fully clothed and wet, and that there were no wounds or obvious signs of trauma on her. A laminated suicide note was pinned to her chest, and large stones were found in her coat pockets. The victim's feet were bound with a sock and her hands were loosely bound with a second sock. The note indicated her intention to drown herself. A business card for a counseling center was found among her personal effects, which were piled neatly nearby. The victim has been tentatively identified, and investigators learned that she'd been reported missing to NYPD earlier that morning. The woman had been involved in a family dispute with her parents on Friday evening and had not been seen since Saturday afternoon. A second suicide note was found at her home. Based upon the condition of the body, it appears that death occurred six to eight hours prior to discovery. Although this was evidently a suicide, classification of the death is pending the autopsy and toxicology reports. USPP ID technician Jack Piccolo processed the crime scene. The incident is being investigated jointly by USPP detective Eddie Ramos and NYPD detectives. [Lt. John Marigliano, USPP, GATE, 11/25]
The foreman of a bridge repair project was arrested on June 12th for environmental contamination of Jamaica Bay. The park administers most of the lands and waters within the bay. Park Police officers made the arrest after receiving information that significant amounts of lead paint were being dropped into the bay from a construction project on the Mill Basin Bridge. Sergeant Arthur, detective Ramos, officer Closs and identification technician Piccolo investigated on the USPP vessel "Marine 3." They watched a construction crew working on the bridge while sparks, chips of metal, paint and large amounts of cinders and ash of unknown material fell into the water. Molten metal and ash fell directly onto Marine 3 while it was positioned under the bridge. At no time did the crew show any concern for vessels navigating the channel below the bridge. R.R., the engineer in charge of the bridge project, was placed under arrest and issued multiple notices for violations of federal regulations. Officers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also charged R.R. with applicable violations of state law. The construction project is being run by the New York City Department of Transportation. [Capt. Martin Zwieg, USPP/NYFO, 6/12]
On June 11th, Park Police marine officers noticed that "The Sunset Queen," a dinner cruise vessel moored 300 yards off Canarsie Pier in Jamaica Bay, had a two-inch PVC discharge pipe extending from its side near the location of the boat's head (toilet). A large slick of sludge was found in the water adjacent to the vessel. Water samples and photographs were taken, and the captain of the vessel was subsequently arrested by USPP sergeant Grant Arthur and charged with illegally discharging waste into park waters. The vessel had been operating in conjunction with an NPS concessioner restaurant on the pier and had been cited for numerous violations of that concession agreement in the recent past. [Lt. John Marigliano, USPP/NYFO, 6/13]
A woman was leaning into her car's trunk in Fort Wadsworth on the afternoon of June 27th when a man ripped her purse from her shoulder and fled. He took $100 from the purse, then discarded it along the way. Park Police officers Pam Smith and Ricardo Sewell investigated. While canvassing the area, officers Anthony Tesi and Alan Kolega learned that a man who had been visiting a resident of Fort Wadsworth for several days matched the thief's description. They found him at the house. The man - C.R., 23 - was positively identified by the victim and placed under arrest. He's been charged with third degree robbery under state codes. The arrest occurred within 25 minutes of the offense. [Lt. John Marigliano, USPP, GATE, 6/27]
During the month of August, the Gateway Sports Center parking lot was the site of several larcenies from vehicles. The same method of entry was used for all the larcenies - the thief would punch a very small hole (using either an ice pick or screwdriver) under the door lock, manipulate the lock until it opened, then remove items from the vehicle. During a larceny on August 12th, a full suspect vehicle description was obtained from witnesses and a BOLO ("be on the lookout" broadcast) was distributed to patrol units. On August 16th, officer Michael Beck saw the suspect vehicle on a city street about three miles from the Sports Center. When Beck stopped it, a passenger jumped out and fled. Other units arrived within minutes and the passenger - identified as 28-year-old Andrew Means of Brooklyn - was arrested by USPP investigator Karl Larsen after a brief foot chase and struggle. Further investigation revealed a blue duffel bag and burglar tools inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The bag's owner was traced via a luggage tag. Officers found that the owner had been the victim of a car clout only minutes before at a city-run golf course parking lot a mile north of the Sports Center. The method of entry was the same as the Sports Center car clouts. Means' companion cooperated with investigators, providing a sworn statement implicating him in the thefts. Means was arrested and charged in state court with possession of stolen property, petite larceny, possession of burglar tools, and criminal mischief. The Sports Center cases have been closed. [Lt. John Margiliano, USPP, GATE]
Several reports have been received from parks that conducted, supported or participated in memorial services last Wednesday in commemoration of September 11th:
Other parks with reports of similar ceremonies should send them along for inclusion in a future edition of the Morning Report. [Submitted by Marc Koenings, Superintendent, Gateway NRA; Richard P. Martin, Vicksburg NMP; Clark W. Moore, Chief Ranger, Martin Luther King, Jr. NHS]
On the morning of September 28, a visitor walking his dog along the beach at Great Kills Park in the Staten Island District discovered a man's body on the shore. He had evidently been in the water several days. There were no obvious signs of trauma on his body. The medical examiner subsequently identified him as P.S., 21, of Yonkers. P.S. and a friend had dared one another to swim across the East River from Brooklyn to Manhattan on September 23. The two got into trouble in the river's treacherous currents; P.S.'s friend made it to shore, but he disappeared. The ME has ruled the death an accidental drowning. [Submitted by Lt. John Marigliano, US Park Police]
Heavy rains and winds associated with Tropical Storm Kyle caused a major electrical power outage to occur at Fort Wadsworth in the Staten Island Unit on October 10. The storm damaged the high voltage distribution and breaker panel and the primary electrical feeder cable which supplies power to the northern tier of that unit. The outage affected numerous park facilities as well as park tenants and cooperators, including headquarters, USPP facilities, the park visitor center, park and Coast Guard housing units, and the Coast Guard headquarters and associated facilities. Maintenance crews from the Staten Island and Jamaica Bay Units responded immediately and worked around the clock to restore temporary power to the entire site. Ten generators, ranging in capacity from 100 to 500 kV, were rented. Efforts are underway to make permanent repairs. [Submitted by José F. Rosario, Chief Ranger]
Heavy rains and winds associated with Tropical Storm Kyle caused a major electrical power outage to occur at Fort Wadsworth in the Staten Island Unit on October 10. The storm damaged the high voltage distribution and breaker panel and the primary electrical feeder cable which supplies power to the northern tier of that unit. The outage affected numerous park facilities as well as park tenants and cooperators, including headquarters, USPP facilities, the park visitor center, park and Coast Guard housing units, and the Coast Guard headquarters and associated facilities. On October 28, after 16 days of operating on diesel generators, regular electrical service was restored. Park and contractor crews spent many hours replacing about 700 feet of primary electrical cables. Three "high pot" tensions tests (up to 10,000 kV) were conducted in order to assure that the system would function properly. The power was restored just in time for the kickoff of the park's thirtieth anniversary celebration. The year-long commemoration, sponsored by the Friends of Gateway Parks, began with a free family fall festival that included food, live music, hayrides, children's activities, and military reenactments. [Submitted by José F. Rosario, Chief Ranger]
On Sunday, November 3, the Staten Island Unit of the park hosted the over 31,000 runners participating in this year's New York Marathon. This event, which grows in popularity and size each year, was supported by NPS rangers and Park Police officers, who worked with other agencies to assure that the staging areas for the event were safe, organized and friendly places for the thousands who gathered here in preparation for the race. Weather conditions were ideal for the marathon and the enjoyment of the activities provided at the park by both participants and spectators. [Submitted by Angel Nazario, Management Assistant, Staten Island Unit]
Rangers Peter Tortorell and Luke Yacovou responded to a 911 burglary call at the Coast Guard station on Sandy Hook around 11 p.m. on November 22. They determined that over $800 in goods and cash had been stolen from the base exchange. Two adults and a juvenile were quickly tracked down and found to be in possession of the stolen merchandise. Middletown PD officers and ranger Anthony Macri assisted in the investigation, which led to confessions to another 15 or so local residential and business burglaries. Charges filed will include burglary, possession of stolen property, and conspiracy. [Submitted by Anthony Macri, Park Ranger]
On the morning of January 3, a visitor reported a beached whale at
Fort Tilden. A northeaster with very high tides, high surf and flooding
was blowing at the time. USPP officer Debbie Pecoraro responded and
found a beached sperm whale partially buried in the sand, breathing
slightly, and in apparent shock. The Riverhead Foundation for Marine
Research was contacted and they sent some people to the beach. They
determined that the animal was a juvenile female, about 20 feet long and
weighing two tons. The whale was in obvious distress as a result of
illness and/or malnutrition. After consultation with the National Marine
Fisheries Service and due to the storm conditions, location and position
and condition of the whale, the decision was made to euthanize the
whale. The process took several hours. Park maintenance crews later
removed the carcass for a post-mortem. There are very few of the
endangered sperm whales available for research study, as they normally
inhabit ocean depths rather than coastal waters.
The National Park Service, working in concert with federal, state and local governments, has mobilized incident management and SET teams and personnel to increase security throughout the agency. Skip Brooks' national Type 1 incident management team is operating under a delegation of authority from the Directorate. Among other tasks, the delegation specifies that the team:
Meanwhile, regions and parks across the system are taking necessary measures to protect resources and assure public and staff safety. A substantial number of rangers and agents have been committed so far on tasks pertaining to these objectives:
Detailed reports on incidents occurring at two of these parks have also been submitted through the normal incident reporting system:
[Submitted by Bob Love, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT; Brenda Ritchie, Eastern Interagency Coordination Center, Shenandoah NP; Tom Lobkowicz, Special Agent, Gatewary NRA; Katherine Kort, LES, Independence NHP]
Rangers Peter Tortorell and Tony Macri were dispatched to the
Horseshoe Cove area of the Sandy Hook Unit early on the evening of June
5th to investigate a report of a fisherman in distress. When they
arrived, they saw R.S., 52, of Elizabeth, New Jersey,
flailing his arms and calling for help, then submerge approximately 25
yards offshore. Chas Donahue, a maintenance worker and former park
lifeguard, was the first to enter the water in the rescue attempt.
Off-duty Sandy Hook lifeguards Seth Levin and Nate Boyle responded from
their residence and recovered the 6'5", 300-pound R.S. within nine
minutes of the initial report. A responding Coast Guard vessel brought
them to shore, where CPR and AED intervention was begun. R.S. was
transported by ambulance to Monmouth Medical Center, where he was
pronounced dead. Witness said that R.S. had walked far out onto a
sandbar, where strong tidal currents and heavy fishing waders possibly
contributed to his drowning.
The power outage that struck much of the Northeast on August 14th caused some problems and led to a few closures in area parks:
[Submitted by Bob Martin, Chief Ranger, NER; Cynthia Garrett, Superintendent, STLI; Maj. Richard Murphy, USPP; SHEN EICC]
A supplemental report has been received on the Park Police response to Thursday's blackout:
[Submitted by Captain Martin Zweig, New York Field Office]
The Park Police were advised of marijuana plants being cultivated in
a heavily vegetated area located in the northern section of Floyd
Bennett Field, an historic airfield in southernmost Brooklyn that served
as the starting point for the flights of many famous aviators, including
Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes and Wrong Way Corrigan. The field was also
active during WW II and served as the first municipal airport in New
York City. USPP SWAT units began surveillance of the area. On August
20th, officers John J. Piccolo and Jason Delameau saw two people
cultivating the marijuana plants and maintained surveillance as they
left the area and walked toward their vehicle. The officers immediately
apprehended one person, while the other fled into the densely vegetated
area. The fleeing person was seen about a half hour later, attempting to
blend in as a jogger on the Belt Parkway bicycle path just north of
Floyd Bennett Field. He was immediately arrested by officers Alan Kolega
and Danny Ng. Each was charged with a felony count of possession of
marijuana and a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespassing. The person
who fled the area was also charged with resisting arrest. Approximately
200 plants, each eight to ten feet tall, were recovered. Together, they
had an approximate street value of $600,000. The case is being
prosecuted by the Kings County District Attorney's Office. Officials
from that office re-arrested the pair shortly after they were released
from the New York City central booking facility the following day after
a search warrant of their domicile revealed an additional pound and a
half of marijuana and implements for growing marijuana. The USPP Canine
and Marine Patrol Unit also assisted in the apprehension of the
subjects.
Eastern parks in the path or potential path of Isabel have completed preparations. As a precautionary measure, one of the Service's two national Type 1 teams (JD Swed's team) has staging in Charlotte, North Carolina, in order to be prepared to respond as needed to any park or area. A number of Type 2 teams are also on standby. All federal agencies in the Washington area are closed today, including the NPS Washington Office. OPM will monitor the weather and make a determination later today on whether or not offices will reopen on Friday. Here's a rundown on the status of many of the parks in or near the storm's path (south to north):
This summary was compiled from reports submitted by Ken Garvin, SERO; Brenda Ritchie, EICC, SHEN; Russ Wilson, Superintendent, SAHO/GATE; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR; Mark Hardgrove, Assistant Superintendent, CAHA; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO; Bob Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Wayne Valentine, IC, FIIS; José Rosario, Acting Chief, Park Operations Support, GATE; Cindy MacLeod, Superintendent, RICH; William Kenyon, NCR Dispatch; Scot McElveen, Chief Ranger, HAFE; Wayne Sanders, Chief of Maintenance, GEWA/THST; Tom Nash, Chief Ranger, COLO; Russ Smith, Superintendent, FRSP; Clay Jordan, IC, SHEN; Steven Ambrose, Park Ranger, HOFU; Frank Mills, IC, STLI; Ed Whitaker, IC, DEWA.
Just after 9:30 p.m. on March 7th, the park received a request to
assist the Highlands Police Department in a search for a 43-year-old man
who reportedly fell off a boat into the Shrewsbury River. Rangers Sean
Miller and Pete Tortorell responded and assisted in the search,
employing the park's thermal imaging camera and night vision equipment.
He was recovered by scuba divers and flown to Jersey Shore Medical
Center, where he was pronounced dead. An investigation into the incident
continues.
On July 17th, rangers Rob Louden and Deb Flowers responded to a
reported domestic dispute in the Coast Guard housing area in the park's
Sandy Hook Unit. An ongoing verbal altercation had become physical, with
petty officer J.C. making three attempts to strangle his wife
using a telephone cord and curtain ties. J.C. was placed under
arrest. Rangers Anthony Macri and Peter Tortorell arrived on scene
shortly therafter and conducted an investigation with the assistance of
a Highlands PD detective. J.C. has been charged with attempted
murder and is being held in the county jail on $250,000
bail.
Early on the afternoon of August 27th, Sandy Hook dispatch broadcasted a report of two persons being pulled from a bayside area, possible drowning victims. Rangers and lifeguards who responded discovered four brothers on an unprotected beach with their aunt, uncle and cousin. The two oldest boys had waded out beyond a point were they could touch bottom, became submerged, and were rescued by their family and bystanders. The oldest, 19, received CPR upon arrival of the park staff. His younger brother, 15, was discovered by park staff lying face down with a partially obstructed airway. Both were transported by ambulance to the Monmouth County Medical Center. The 19-year-old was later pronounced dead by doctors at the MCMC. The ten park staff involved in the rescue contributed significantly to the survival of the second boy, who was still in the pediatric ICU at the time of this report. A critical incident stress debriefing occurred on August 31. (Edmund Rezetko, Supervisory Park Ranger]
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]
Joe Sordi, an equipment operator in the park's Staten Island Unit, died Tuesday morning after an accident that occurred during snow removal operations. The New York City Sanitation Department has traditionally cooperated with the park by providing salt from their facilities for park snow removal efforts. At about 2 a.m., Joe was standing outside his government truck at a city-operated facility, waiting for a load of salt, when he was struck by a Department of Sanitation front-end loader, causing severe injuries. He was taken to a nearby hospital, but passed away at approximately 7 a.m. As with any accident of this nature, the NPS, U.S. Park Police and NYPD will cooperate on the investigation of the incident. Joseph was a five-year employee at Gateway NRA and is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. The park will transmit information on arrangements and condolences when they become available. [Phil Sheridan, Public Affairs Officer, Northeast Regional Office)
The funeral for park maintenance employee Joseph (Joe) Sordi was held on Saturday, December 10th. Joe died on the morning of Tuesday, December 6th, from injuries sustained while working on snow removal operations in the Staten Island Unit. The accident occurred at a New York City Department of Sanitation depot where road salt was being loaded onto an NPS truck. Northeast Regional Director Mary Bomar accompanied Gateway NRA General Superintendent Barry Sullivan and scores of NPS employees attended the funeral mass. Joseph Sordi Jr., the eldest son of J.S. and S.S., recognized the National Park Service as his father's newest family, expressing his appreciation for the help and support the family had received from the NPS since the accident. Over the two-day wake, hundreds of NPS employees from numerous parks paid their respects, the NPS honor guard provided honor watch during the wake and formal escort during the funeral ceremony, and the US Park Police provided vehicle escorts and support. Immediately following the accident, NPS Director Fran Mainella called the Sordi family at home and expressed her condolences on behalf of the entire NPS to Joe's widow, S. and their son, J. NPS critical incident stress management peer supporters traveled to Gateway to offer support to the family, members of Joe's work team, and many other employees at the park who have been impacted by his death. The NPS serious accident investigation team (SAIT) in now in the park reviewing the circumstances surrounding the accident. [Phil Sheridan, Public Affairs Officer, NERO]
Since early November, rangers have been investigating numerous auto burglaries in the park's Sandy Hook Unit. These car clouts followed a pattern of entry through passenger side door locks, with removal of property, cash, and credit cards. Credit cards stolen from the vehicles have been used throughout New Jersey, totaling over $10,000 in fraudulent charges. Rangers conducted extensive follow-up investigations, including numerous victim interviews. They also tracked the charges made on the stolen credit cards, conducted follow-up investigations at the store locations, interviewed store personnel, secured transaction receipts, and reviewed store security videos of the suspects. They then worked with numerous surrounding jurisdictions in an attempt to identify the various actors caught on store surveillance tapes. Rangers also analyzed the burglaries, identified a potential pattern of car clouts, and conducted directed patrols in areas at higher risk based on the previous burglaries. On December 9th, rangers located a vehicle that matched the description of a suspect vehicle given by a gas attendant. They investigated and immediately identified the two occupants as subjects they recognized from store surveillance tapes, as persons who had made fraudulent purchases with credit cards stolen from vehicles in the park. The two were interviewed, with rangers employing the information developed regarding many small details of the crimes gained from interviewing victims, witnesses, and store personnel. Both provided signed, post-Miranda confessions. Search of their vehicle resulted in the recovery of burglary tools, property stolen in Sandy Hook auto burglaries, and property stolen in several auto burglaries from jurisdictions around the state. The two subjects have been charged with multiple felonies and lodged in Monmouth County Jail with bail set at $20,000 and $10,000, respectively. Rangers are working with detectives from several jurisdictions and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office on numerous additional felony counts resulting from evidence seized from the suspect vehicle. [Robert Louden, Acting Law Enforcement Specialist)
Rangers in the park's Sandy Hook Unit twice deflected attempted suicides last week - once on Christmas day, once on the day following. Just after 3 a.m. on December 25th, dispatch received a report that an intoxicated resident of the Sandy Hook Coast Guard Base was threatening suicide with a .45 caliber handgun. A ranger responded and was able to secure the weapon with the assistance of Coast Guard members. The man had an injury to his hand from repeatedly punching a wall in his house and was taken to Monmouth Medical Center both for treatment of his hand and for crisis counseling evaluation. The man is currently receiving in-patient metal health care at the hospital. Investigation revealed that he was upset because his wife had just left him. On the following afternoon, dispatch received a 911 call reporting an emotionally disturbed woman in lightweight clothing with no shoes wading into the ocean. A ranger responded and found her on the beach. She was standing in the surf, soaking wet, having previously entered the freezing water up to her waist. The ranger got her away from the ocean and began escorting her towards his vehicle in the parking lot to shelter her from the cold. When they reached the dunes, she began calling a name and trying to crawl into the bushes. When questioned, she would answer only that she was looking for her baby. With the assistance of the Highlands Police Department and Sea Bright First Aid, the woman was transported to Monmouth Medical Center . The ranger contacted police in Perth Amboy and asked them to go to the woman's house and check on the welfare of her children. The ranger then began a search of Sandy Hook for the children with the help of Highlands police. He found the woman's vehicle in another parking area with an empty bottle of sleeping pills inside. A short time later, Perth Amboy officers found the children safe at home. The woman was treated at the hospital for the pill overdose and hypothermia and is currently receiving in-patient metal health care. Investigators determined that she'd had a fight with her boyfriend earlier in the day. Emergency room doctors said that she would have died if she'd remained outside any longer due to the combined effect of exposure, a low core temperature and the pill overdose. (Robert Louden, Acting Law Enforcement Specialist]
On the morning of April 11th, the Park Police received a report of a body at Miller Field. Officers found that a man had apparently committed suicide by handing himself with a rope from a soccer goal post. It appears that he stood on a wooden stool, then kicked it over, in order to assure his demise. A Park Police detective and an ID technician gathered information on site and processed the crime scene. EMS personnel pronounced him dead at the scene. A joint investigation with NYPD is underway. [Bruce D. Cunningham, Captain, Gateway District Commander]
On the evening of Sunday, June 18th, the Sandy Hook Unit fire brigade responded to a report of a fire in the garage at one of the historic officer row houses in Fort Hancock. A small fire had been started in the northeast corner of the garage, consisting of trash paper, plastic soda bottles and leaves. The fire was easily extinguished but could have been a problem if not detected and reported by a park visitor. Damage was limited to some soot on the masonry wall of the garage. This house is unoccupied and the utilities are turned off. It appears the fire was intentionally set. Visitation was high in the park on Sunday and there were many people wandering around the officer row buildings. [Submitted by Bruce Lane]
A woman was reported to be in cardiac arrest at the Area A Beach Center in the Sandy Hook Unit just after noon on July 4th. Park lifeguards, medical staff and rangers arrived on scene within minutes and found that the 54-year-old woman was not breathing and had no pulse. They immediately began CPR and employed and automatic external defibrillator (AED) in an effort to revive her. After about ten minutes, the woman's pulse was restored and she was able to again breath on her own. She was taken to Monmouth Center by a local ambulance squad. [Edmund Rezetko, Supervisory Park Ranger]
On the evening of Saturday, July 15th, the Black Tie, a 59-foot-long motor yacht valued at $1.5 million, caught fire and sank in Horseshoe Cove, a popular anchorage within the park's Sandy Hook Unit. The yacht had earlier run around on a shallow sandbar. The captain had notified the Coast Guard, and a commercial Sea Tow tug had responded. The two adults and two children on board were removed after the fire was discovered below deck. Two dogs were also on board, but only one was saved - the other perished after it ran back into the boat. The Coast Guard and fire boats from Perth Amboy, Atlantic Highlands, Leonardo and New York City responded. Most of the 400 gallons of diesel fuel on board burned off in the fire, but a strong fuel odor remained and a sheen was visible on the surface. Containment booms were placed around the vessel and a local salvage company will be removing the remaining debris. The New Jersey State Police Marine Bureau is conducting the investigation as to the cause of the fire. [Bruce Lane, Supervisory Park Ranger]
Two visitors to the park's Jamaica Bay Unit drowned last week - one on Thursday, the other on Saturday. On the evening of July 27th, a 40-year-old man entered the ocean at Jacob Riis Park after lifeguards had gone off duty. A 911 call from a companion brought a response from New York City officers and firefighters and from US Park Police officers. Off-duty Gateway lifeguards also responded. The man was found about 15 minutes after the first call was received. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Two days later, a 13-year-old boy who was a member of a group using the overnight campgrounds at Floyd Bennett Field drowned in Jamaica Bay after he and others from the group entered an area that is not designated for swimming. A 911 call again prompted an NPS/NYC response, including an NYPD scuba unit stationed at the field. The boy was found and rushed to a Brooklyn hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. [Brian Feeney, Public Affairs Officer]
The body of an unidentified man was found on the evening of February 7th in the Spring Creek section of the park. Park Police and NYPD investigators believe that he was a homeless person who'd often been seen in a residential neighborhood that adjoins the park. He appears to have crossed the boundary into this deserted section of Gateway, then settled next to a walking trail to sleep for the night. The medical examiner's office is working to determine the exact cause of death, but initial police reports suggest that he probably succumbed to hypothermia. [Brian Feeney, Public Affairs Officer]
On the morning of February 21st, park dispatch received a report of a propane leak from a tank adjacent to Building 512 on the Coast Guard base on Sandy Hook. Park firefighters responded in an NPS engine. Coast Guard personnel at the scene reported that they'd detected the odor of propane gas while working in the area. Investigation revealed that the gas was coming from a 500-pound, above-ground storage tank that supplies an emergency generator that provides backup power to a Verizon microwave communications hut. All telephone service to Sandy Hook issues from that building. The supply line leading from the tank is a steel pipe that runs above ground and is attached to the bottom bulkhead of the generator by a piece of rubber pipe/hose. The firefighters ran out a three-inch supply line and hand lines, evacuated the area, then entered the building and shut down the supply line at the tank valve. The air was monitored, but no significant amounts of gas were found. A light breeze had dissipated most of it. The leak was evidently caused by the failure of the rubber pipe/hose, probably due to below-freezing temperatures and an ice storm. [Peter Tortorell, Law Enforcement Supervisor]
On July 9, 2006, two rangers on bike patrol in the Sandy Hook Unit observed four people sitting in a car in a parking lot. Next to the car were two glassine bags and cigar tobacco shavings littering the ground. The rangers were aware that it's a common practice to remove tobacco from cigars and use the outside wrappers to make marijuana cigarettes (a.k.a. "blunts"). They contacted the four regarding the littering violation and saw an open container of alcohol in the vehicle. Other rangers arrived, including a field training ranger and a trainee. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of marijuana and paraphernalia. The trainee conducted a thorough search of the vehicle and found a hidden compartment in the front passenger door. Hidden in this compartment were 31 glassine bags of marijuana, individually packaged for sale. The vehicle was impounded and the four people placed under arrest. Investigation revealed that the main member of the foursome had recently been released from federal prison and was out on probation. On April 4th, he appeared in federal court and was sentenced to six months imprisonment. He's currently awaiting sentencing for the violation of probation and for contempt of court. [Rob Louden, Park Ranger]
On May 9th, park dispatch received a 911 call in which a woman reported that she'd been molested on Gunnison Beach. The 46-year-old woman told responding rangers that a man she'd been acquainted with last summer had whistled at her as she was walking on the boardwalk. He then grabbed her breasts and yelled to another man that he could have sex with her in the parking lot if he wanted to. The woman fled, then called 911. Rangers took the 49-year-old man into custody. On May 10th, he appeared before a federal magistrate for arraignment. Due to his extensive criminal history, including convictions for past sex offenses, he was ordered held without bail. A bail hearing will be held today in federal district court. [Peter Tortorell, Law Enforcement Supervisor]
The Park Police received a 911 call just after noon on May 17th reporting a body found hanging inside the munitions building adjacent to Battery Harris at Fort Tilden. USPP and NYPD officers and detectives responded, as did city EMS personnel. The victim was a 38-year-old man from Cape Coral, Florida. The medical examiner ruled the death a suicide. A note in the man's pocket indicated that he'd had drinking problems and was attempting to get his life in order. [Capt. Bruce Cunningham, Commander, New York Field Office]
Using an incident commander from the Midwest Region, the superintendent and staff of Gateway's Jamaica Bay Unit, together with the U.S. Park Police and the NY Police Department, employed a unified command system for the first time ever in order to prepare for and deal with a potentially dangerous and destructive public gathering within park boundaries. Members of the Guyanese-American community of New York City have gathered at Jacob Riis Park or Floyd Bennett Field for several years to celebrate Guyana's Independence Day. With crowds growing beyond the capacity of the park to provide a safe and healthy environment, Gateway officials attempted to manage the situation through a standard permit process last year. Event organizers did not abide by permit conditions which limited attendance to 1,500 participants due to safety concerns, though, and over 40,000 people subsequently jammed park roadways for the one-day event, putting attendees at risk and causing destruction of park resources. Negotiations failed to find a solution to the problem this year, so the unified command system was put in place to create a proactive incident action plan in the event the group gathered this year despite a permit being denied. Substantial outreach and a public relations campaign are also credited with averting a repeat of the previous illegal gathering. [Submitted by Brian Feeney, Public Information Officer]
On May 9, 2007, Sandy Hook rangers responded to a 911 call from a woman who reported being forcibly fondled on Gunnison Beach (click on the link below for the original report). Rangers met her in the parking area and learned that her assailant was still on the beach. The description she provided closely matched that of a man who rangers knew from prior contacts and arrests. They found him on the beach, then arrested the man after the woman positively identified him. Investigation revealed an extensive criminal history, including prior state convictions for sex offenses. On December 21st, he pled guilty in federal court to abusive sexual contact (18 USC 2244) and was sentenced to four months in jail followed by six months of home confinement under electronic monitoring, then five years of supervised probation and a concurrent ban from the park. In addition to mandatory mental health, drug, and alcohol counseling, he will now have to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law. Although the man has numerous prior arrests and convictions, this was the first time his sentence included imprisonment. [Rob Louden, Park Ranger]
On the evening of Saturday, March 15th, a fire was reported in the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a site within Gateway NRA located in the Broad Channel section of Queens and administered by the park. The source of the fire was a burning vehicle. Investigators discovered two bodies in the vehicle, both of whom exhibited evidence of gunshot wounds. The full circumstance of their deaths are under investigation. United States Park Police officers are investigating in conjunction with the New York City Police Department and the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. [Brian Feeney, Public Affairs Officer]
On August 3, 2006, rangers responded to a burglary at the Sea Gulls Nest concession, located in Area D of the park's Sandy Hook Unit. Investigation revealed that the burglar had entered the structure via a rollup window, gone into the snack bar, then forced two interior doors into the office and attempted to force entry into the safe. The scene was processed with the assistance of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. Latent prints recovered there matched those of a local man with prior burglary convictions. At the time, the accused - R.D., Jr. - was wanted on outstanding warrants from other agencies and his whereabouts were unknown. R.D. was later arrested on other outstanding charges and appeared in court. On February 15th, he was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay $1,660.14 in restitution to the park concessioner. [Peter Tortorell, Law Enforcement Specialist]
A fisherman advised rangers in the park's Sandy Hook Unit of a fire at Battery Potter in Fort Hancock just before 10 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7th. The battery is a historic structure constructed of cement and is fireproof, but it has six lookouts, or spotters, that were constructed largely of wood in 1907. One of these spotters and its contents were lost in the fire, which was extinguished by the park's fire brigade with assistance from Highlands FD. The circumstances of the fire are suspicious (there are no electrical or other ignition sources in the spotters) and an investigation is underway. The Monmouth County fire marshal is assisting. The battery was reopened for guided tours on Thursday. [Peter Tortorell]
A fisherman advised rangers in the park's Sandy Hook Unit of a fire at Battery Potter in Fort Hancock just before 10 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7th. The battery is a historic structure constructed of cement and is fireproof, but it has six lookouts, or spotters, that were constructed largely of wood in 1907. One of these spotters and its contents were lost in the fire, which was extinguished by the park's fire brigade with assistance from Highlands FD. The circumstances of the fire are suspicious (there are no electrical or other ignition sources in the spotters) and an investigation is underway. The Monmouth County fire marshal is assisting. The battery was reopened for guided tours on Thursday. [Submitted by Peter Tortorell, Law Enforcement Specialist]
On the afternoon of June 14th, supervisory park ranger Jose Ramirez was notified that a visitor had jumped off Canarsie Pier in an apparent attempt to take her own life. Ramirez quickly called the NPS communications desk and requested emergency assistance. During the next several minutes, he talked to the woman, calmly guided her to safety, then treated her for minor lacerations on her legs until city EMS units arrived on the scene to provide further assistance. [John Daskalakis, Lead Park Ranger]
Around 8:30 p.m. on June 21st, a large group began to form at Canarsie Pier, similar to a recent staging of gang members from the Bloods and Crips on that pier. Large numbers of people walked in from Rockaway Parkway and the local housing projects, quickly growing to a crowd of approximately 600 and drawing a Park Police response. Lieutenant Greg Norman was IC for the incident. A New York City Police Department (NYPD) task force commander arrived at the pier and advised Norman that they were allegedly gathering for a memorial service for a recently killed gang member. The NYPD special gang unit that monitors gang-related Internet sites and activities had not detected this event. An NYPD Level 1 mobilization was ordered and police units from several boroughs responded to the pier. Six NYPD horse-mounted officers used their horses to break up the unruly crowd. City task force units were deployed onto Rockaway Parkway to monitor the group that had been driven from Canarsie Pier. Approximately 40 NYPD patrol and horse-mounted officers with helmets and batons assisted Park Police in moving the crowd out of the park. All on-duty Park Police officers from the Jamaica Bay Unit and Staten Island Unit responded to safely move the crowd, clear vehicles, and secure the park area. Gang activity in New York City and in nearby national park areas has become more prevalent. Park Police officers in the New York Field Office have become more vigilant in detecting and responding to gang activity. [Major Bruce Cunningham, National Law Enforcement Specialist, WASO]
On the morning of July 5th, staff in the Sandy Hook Unit were notified of a dryer fire at the Seagulls Nest restaurant, a park concessioner. The park's fire brigade and Highlands VFD responded. The fire was controlled with two 20-pound fire extinguishers and the dryer was removed from the building. The wall in the area of the dryer vent was opened and a thermal imager was used to check for fire extension into the structure. All doors and serving windows were opened and a ventilation fan was set up to clear smoke from the building. The dryer had been used the previous evening, but employees reported turning it off before leaving at 11 p.m. An employee found the dryer burning after opening the dryer door at approximately 9 a.m. Damage was limited to the dryer and washer, a melted light cover, the opening into the wall, and soot and dry chemical agent. The county fire marshal's office was notified and an investigator responded. The fire investigator concurred the fire was not suspicious and that it probably started the night before and smoldered during the night. Once the dryer door was opened, it began burning. The drum in the dryer did not turn freely after the fire and could have been the cause of the fire if it had stopped turning when in use the previous evening. The dryer vent and hose were clear of lint and other obstructions. The concession operator was advised to use the dryer only when staff is present in the building and to make sure it is not left running after closing. [Bruce Lane, Supervisory Park Ranger]
Lifeguards at Sandy Hook reported a dispute between two women and a man in the dunes of Area D on the afternoon of July 22nd. Protection rangers responded and contacted four people. One woman had self-inflicted cuts on her left wrist that she'd made with broken sunglasses and jagged seashells. She was treated, placed in protective custody, and taken to Monmouth Medical Center Hospital for mental crisis evaluation. According to the 20-year-old women, she was pregnant and had consumed two or three beers at the time of the incident. Rangers found that one of the men had provided a false name. Through interviews, they also determined that he'd provided alcohol to the underage woman. He was placed under arrest for giving false information and providing alcohol to a minor. [Robert Louden, Park Ranger]
A 38-year-old man who was walking on an unguarded beach in the park's Sandy Hook Unit with his brother and two cousins during a severe thunderstorm on Sunday afternoon was struck by lightning and killed. The unit's guarded beaches were in the process of being evacuated at the time. The victim's brother said that he saw the lightning and that he found his brother on the ground when he looked back. There appeared to be an entry wound on the the man's left hip and an exit wound in his left carotid (neck) area with major trauma. The man's cousins were both admitted to the hospital for cardiac monitoring and CAT scans, but without specific complaints. Subsequent to the incident, ten other visitors stepped forward, complaining of ringing in the ears and headaches related to the strike. The investigation is on-going. According to news reports, the line of severe, fast-moving storms that crossed the region produced as many as 32,000 lightning strikes in New Jersey alone. There were numerous other lightning injuries from these storms throughout the area, including five soccer players on Long Island and a lifeguard and beach-goer in Cape May, New Jersey. [Pete Tortorell, Law Enforcement Specialist]
A 37-year-old fisherman with a history of diabetes collapsed in the surf at the isolated and unguarded Area F beach in the park's Sandy Hook Unit on Saturday, August 2nd. An unidentified visitor and a recently-retired police officer rescued him from the surf, checked for vitals, and performed CPR on him for approximately five minutes until pulse and breathing returned. The man also sustained a significant cut to his left arm when he passed out; once revived, his rescuers provided first aid to stop the bleeding. NPS lifeguards, EMTs and rangers responded to a 911 call reporting the incident. The EMT's took over patient care. He was then taken to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, where he's expected to make a full recovery thanks to the efforts of his rescuers and park lifeguards and EMTs. [Brian Guiney, Park Ranger]
Rangers came upon a man urinating next to his vehicle in the Gunnison Beach parking lot in the Sandy Hook Unit on the afternoon of August 3rd. The man was shirtless, displaying tattoos and markings that identified him as a member of the Bloods street gang. Visitation was high that day and there were numerous visitors in the lot. The rangers contacted him and found that his resident alien identification was falsified. They also discovered that he was wanted for armed robbery in Jersey City. He was arrested and locked up in the Monmouth County Jail. The driver was found to be intoxicated and arrested for DWI. A juvenile who was in the vehicle was released to guardians. [Robert Louden, Supervisory Park Ranger]
Protection rangers, lifeguards and park EMTs were dispatched to Area F in the Sandy Hook Unit for a medical emergency on September 3rd. They found a 57-year-old man in full cardiac arrest, but were able to restore his pulse with CPR and an AED. A bag valve mask and oxygen were employed to restore his breathing. The man was taken to Monmouth Medical Center, where he is currently recovering in the cardiac rehabilitation unit. [Peter Tortorell, Law Enforcement Supervisor]
On Sunday, December 14th, a visitor placed a 911 call to report the discovery of a body in the Spring Creek section of the park (Spring Creek is a remote natural area located near Howard Beach in Queens). Park Police officers and detectives from NYPD responded. They found the body of a man about 60 years old, thought to be homeless. The NYC medical examiner believes that death was caused by exposure, but will conduct an autopsy. The USPP and the NYPD are jointly investigating the case. [Brian Feeney, Public Affairs Officer]
On Wednesday, February 11th, a 13-foot female sperm whale was found beached on the shores of Breezy Point Tip in Rockaway, an area that is part of Gateway National Recreation Area. According to witnesses, it washed up around 10 a.m. and was still alive. National Park Service rangers were immediately dispatched to the scene, but upon arrival they discovered that the whale had expired. The park contacted the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, a Long Island-based stranding and research facility, and asked them to assist with the investigation. On Thursday, marine biologists conducted a preliminary examination of the deceased animal on the beach, but later transported the remains to their research facility at the Atlantis Marine World aquarium in Riverhead to conduct a detailed necropsy. The whale is thought to be less than a year old, and the initial investigation showed no signs of a boat strike or other trauma. The whale did exhibit some signs of malnutrition, which could mean that it died after being separated from its mother. The necropsy should reveal a conclusive cause of death. In 2004, a larger, older sperm whale washed ashore in the Fort Tilden area of the park. This whale also did not survive. Sperm whales do not live near the coast, but generally live in deep waters far from land. [Brian Feeney, Public Affairs Officer]
A maintenance worker at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) office building in the park's Sandy Hook unit noticed smoke blowing out of the dive locker's air vents on the afternoon of March 5th and reported it to dispatch. The Sandy Hook fire brigade responded. Electrical power to the affected area was disconnected. The source of the smoke was determined to be an exhaust fan motor in the shower room that had burned out. Brigade members ventilated the smoke and searched for possible fire spread with an infrared camera, but found that damage was limited to the fan motor. The damage was estimated at about $1,000. The building is NPS-owned and leased to the state of New Jersey. NOAA is the building's primary tenant. [Bruce Lane, Acting Chief Ranger]
Natural resource staff from the park's Sandy Hook Unit discovered a piping plover nest that had been intentionally destroyed in the area north of Gunnison Beach last week. Piping plover are listed as federally threatened and protected under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act. The nest, with two eggs, was within an area posted with signs and symbolic fencing and protected by an electrified predator exclosure. The nest was observed being actively incubated the day before and the chicks were due to hatch within the next couple of days. Park staff found that the electric fence charger had been disconnected, that the predator exclosure had been pulled up off the nest, and that the eggs had been removed. Two sets of footprints led from the nearby recreational beach to the nest and then on to a second nest site with an exclosure. The plovers in the second nest, however, had already hatched. Sandy Hook protection rangers are investigating the incident along with a special agent from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. A joint FWS-NPS $4,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest. [Bruce Lane, Natural Resource Supervisor]
A.B., a 21-year-old Brooklyn resident, entered the ocean at Jacob Riis Park around 8 p.m. on Monday, August 3rd, two hours after park lifeguards went off duty. Shortly thereafter, a 911 call was made reporting his disappearance, bringing emergency responders from the Park Police, NYPD and FDNY to the scene. Efforts to find him that evening and the next day were unavailing. On Wednesday, a body believed to be his washed ashore in the early morning hours. At the time of the report, a city medical examiner was working to establish positive identification and cause of death. [Brian Feeney, Public Affairs Officer]
On the evening of Saturday, August 22nd, a Park Police officer discovered a fire in the public restrooms that are attached to the Miller Field Ranger Station. The fire caused extensive damage to the restrooms, and FDNY believes that it was caused by either arson or an electrical problem. An investigation is underway. The rangers station and restrooms have been closed so that a damage assessment can be made and repairs completed. It will probably be closed until early fall. During that time, the ranger staff will establish a public contact station in the Miller Field Swamp White Oak building on the west side of the field. Portable toilets will be put in place to temporarily replace the closed restrooms. [Brian Feeney, Public Affairs Officer]
On Tuesday, August 25th, the Sandy Hook Ranger Station received an automatic fire alarm for Building 311, the park wastewater treatment plant. Mutual aide was automatically requested from outside fire departments due to the high degree of hazard posed by a fire in this facility. Park fire prevention and law enforcement staff arrived on location and confirmed that there was no fire but a cloud of what appeared to be chlorine vapor in the structure. A hot zone was immediately created and both the United States Navy hazmat team from Weapons Station Earle and the Monmouth County hazmat team responded along with various volunteer fire and EMS units. Due to the direction of the wind, over 300 park visitors were evacuated from Gunnison Beach, which was located near the hot zone. The leak was controlled just before 5 p.m. by hazmat technicians from the US Navy. Also on scene were personnel from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the US EPA. It was confirmed that all vapors were contained in the structure. During the incident, all NPS divisions within the Sandy Hook Unit assumed roles within the incident command system and safely mitigated the incident with no injuries to park visitors or to the over 150 emergency responders who were on scene. The incident was terminated at 8 p.m. The plant remained off line during the cleanup, which was done by park personnel under NJDEP and US EPA guidelines. Repairs were completed the following morning. [Tim Regan, IC]
On the morning of Sunday, January 31st, rangers in the Sandy Hook Unit saw a large volume of black smoke emanating from the chimney of NOAA's James J. Howard Marine Laboratory in the Fort Hancock historic district. The 32,000-square-foot, two-story building houses a full service marine laboratory and offices, staffed by up to 90 people. It also has confined spaces and a large amount of flammable and hazardous materials. NPS firefighters responded in Engine 1 and Rescue 1. Four firefighters entered the lab in full PPE with a multi-gas meter. When they entered the furnace room, they encountered heavy smoke and carbon monoxide levels of well over 100 ppm. They shut down the heating plant and searched the building for employees while protection rangers secured the area and assessed employees for any signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. None showed any signs of poisoning. Firefighters ventilated the carbon monoxide and smoke within 30 minutes. The building was turned over to NOAA maintenance for repairs. The response was managed under ICS. [Rob Louden, Acting Law Enforcement Operations Chief]
In late January, a 25-year-old Pennsylvania man pled guilty in federal court on charges that resulted from a joint investigation by NPS law enforcement rangers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents. The investigation stemmed from information received in November of 2009 that the man had knowingly disturbed the remains of a leatherback sea turtle that had washed ashore in the park's Sandy Hook Unit. The leatherback sea turtle is an endangered species and taking, disturbing or possessing any part of an endangered species is a violation of the Endangered Species Act and is subject to criminal and civil penalties. The man pled guilty to the charges of interfering with agency functions and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. As part of the plea agreement regarding the violation of the Endangered Species Act, he will be banned from all Department of Interior lands encompassing national parks and wildlife refuges in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for the duration of probation. The man is scheduled to be sentenced in accordance with the plea agreement in April. [Peter Tortorell, Law Enforcement Specialist]
The body of an unidentified man was found along the shoreline of the park's Sandy Hook Unit on March 17th. It was spotted in a remote area by a dog walker in the late afternoon on the bayside south of Battery Mills. An investigation is underway to determine the man's identity and the circumstances of his death. Rangers are working with the New Jersey State Police Marine Bureau, investigators from the Monmouth County prosecutor's office, and the county medical examiner. [Bruce Lane]
On the afternoon of Saturday, July 24th, Sandy Hook Unit lifeguards, rangers, and fire staff responded to a 911 call reporting a drowning off Plum Island. G.R.-T. was with his wife and two-year-old daughter when he stepped off a sandbar surrounding a tidal lagoon and lost his footing in the current of the incoming tide. His wife, while holding the two-year-old, tried to help him, but also fell into the water. His cousins M.R.-L. and M.R., both non-swimmers, entered the water to help rescue him. Visitors in the area were able to help his wife and daughter from the water and bystanders B.J. of Woodbridge, New Jersey, and H.M. of Columbus, Ohio, pulled M.R. from the water. He was unconscious and unresponsive, and CPR was begun. Arriving park staff took over CPR and began a water search. Lifeguards quickly located M.R.-L. in 15 feet of water on the northwest side of the lagoon and began CPR. Rangers were assisting G.R.-T.'s wife when she collapsed. It was then that they learned that a third person was missing. The ground and water search resumed. Lifeguards found G.R.-T. about 45 minutes later. All of the victims were transported to Monmouth Medical Center by local ambulance squads. G.R.-T. and M.R.-L.M.R.Martin Romero remained in the hospital and was responsive. N.R.-T. and her daughter were treated at the hospital immediately following the incident and have since been discharged. Plum Island, located on the bayside of Sandy Hook, is a popular area for fishing, seining, kiteboarding and windsurfing. The investigation into this incident continues. [Peter Tortorell, Law Enforcement Supervisor]
On July 30th, patrol rangers at the Sandy Hook Unit contacted a group of people who were drinking alcoholic beverages on the beach after the park had closed. Investigation revealed that several of them had provided false information and were under the legal age to possess alcoholic beverages. Further investigation led to the arrest of J.V. of Middlesex, New Jersey, for sale or gift of alcohol to a minor. During the arrest, J.V. was found to be in possession of a loaded .32 caliber revolver. Rangers confirmed that J.V. was a street gang member as well as a convicted felon. J.V. was committed to the Monmouth County Correctional Facility on charges of weapons possession, sale or gift of alcohol to minors and trespassing. Bail was set at $100,000. The remaining members of the group were cited and released on charges of underage possession, providing false information, and interfering with agency functions. The investigation into this incident is ongoing. [Peter Tortorell]
The Park Police were notified of a possible drowning victim on a beach at Jacob Riis Park just after dawn on August 10th. Officers arriving in Bay 14 found that a 32-year-old man had been pulled from the water and that three of his friends were performing CPR on him. An FDNY ambulance arrived at the same time as officers. Medics aboard took over CPR while transporting him to Peninsula Hospital in Queens. Doctors worked on the man until he was pronounced dead. An investigation into the incident is underway. [John Harlan Warren, Public Affairs Officer]
Hurricane Earl will approach the North Carolina coast late today and move near or over the Outer Banks tonight. The center is then expected to pass near or offshore of the Delmarva Peninsula. The hurricane will then track northeast along the coast, probably passing over Cape Cod. Parks along the coast from North Carolina to Maine are watching the storm closely and taking necessary actions. Here's today's summary: Gateway NRA - The park began its preparations on Tuesday and met with cooperating agencies yesterday; additional meetings are set for this morning. Bathing beaches will likely be closed tomorrow. Some pre-storm assessments will be conducted today in anticipation of the need for damage assessments after the hurricane passes. [Barry Munyan, CALO; Cyndy Holda and Paul Stevens, CAHA; Stuart West, ACAD; Skip Brooks, COLO; Bob Grant, CACO; Peter Totorell, GATE; Carl Zimmermann, ASIS; Jay Lippert, FIIS; Stephen Clark, NERO]
On Wednesday, September 22nd, a New York Police Department helicopter crashed in the waters of Jamaica Bay. The crash occurred late in the afternoon approximately 30 to 50 feet off the shoreline of Floyd Bennett Field, a section of the park. The helicopter was attempting to land at an NYPD helipad, a lessee within the boundaries of the historic airfield. The floatation device activated when the helicopter hit the water. Six persons were onboard; they were rescued and transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The Park Police Marine Unit and other Jamaica Bay Park Police officers responded to the area to assist. NYPD is investigating the cause of the crash. [Lieutenant George Davis, U.S. Park Police]
Rangers in the Sandy Hook Unit received a 911 report concerning two people struck by lightning at Beach Area B from the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office on the afternoon of August 1st. A storm had quickly blown into the area, bringing hail, rain and lightning to the bay and ocean beach areas. The day had been clear and sunny up to that time, so visitation was high. Rangers found family members unsuccessfully attempting CPR on a man who'd evidently been hit by lightning. They took over and were soon joined by NPS firefighters, lifeguards and EMT's. An AED was utilized on the man, who was then taken by Sea Bright First Aid to Monmouth Medical Center, where he remains in serious condition. A search was conducted for the second reported victim, but rangers soon determined that only one person had been hit. Rangers were assisted by county detectives in the ensuing investigation. [Robert Louden]
Parks from Big Cypress to Acadia are in the midst of completing preparations for Hurricane Irene. All three East Coast regions - Southeast, National Capital and Northeast - held regionwide telephone conferences yesterday that collectively included representatives from the scores of potentially affected areas. Without exception, they reported that they were putting hurricane or emergency plans into effect, mobilizing local incident management teams, making or planning closures as needed, and otherwise taking all necessary steps to protect facilities and assure public and staff safety. The following reports are from areas where there have been closures and/or are from locations potentially most exposed to the storm, particularly parks bordering the ocean. They are listed from south to north: Gateway NRA - The park has put its hurricane plan into effect and has an IMT on standby. Arrangements are being made for housing employees, should that prove necessary. The regions have incident management and damage assessment teams on standby for deployment as needed. The National Interagency Fire Center has prepared a list of available resources, which include an area command team, a NIMO team, five Type 1 and five Type 2 incident management teams. [Regional, WASO and FAM reports]
Since many parks that reported closures over the weekend will reopen today and since most have reported minor damage and power outages, only those with significant issues are reported here (south to north): Gateway NRA - The combination of surge and high tide brought water up into Great Kills, Riis Beach, Jamaica Bay and the east side of Floyd Bennett Field. Assessments of impacts are underway. Many roads were flooded. The Sandy Hook Unit in New Jersey was still inaccessible at the time of the report yesterday. Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be posted as they are received. Meanwhile, Washington, regional and park staffs will be keeping an eye on the Atlantic, where a new potential hurricane is brewing. According to Denver Ingram, meteorologist at the Southern Area Coordination Center, who provides tropical storm updates to the NPS, there is "a large significant tropical wave" now off the coast of Africa, which forecast models project will be "a significant event for the East Coast in about 10 days..." [Bill Halainen, Editor]
Although many East Coast parks have reopened and resumed normal operations, a number are still completing assessments and a few are dealing with serious problems. Most parks affected by Irene have reported some downed trees, minor structural damage and/or water infiltration, and some flooding. Those with more significant issues appear below, from south to north. National Parks of New York Harbor - Parks in this group include all Manhattan Sites, plus the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Gateway and Governors Island. Problems include widespread power and phone outages. water infiltration and downed trees at Gateway, possible problems with water in the electrical system at Castle Clinton, and some facility damage and water intrusion at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The source of the power problem reported yesterday at Ellis Island turned out to be off-island. Park staffs are being assisted by Pacific West the IMT (Denny Ziemann, IC) and an interdisciplinary support team. The team will be based at Fort Wadsworth. The emphasis will be on cleanup of trees and assessing impacts on the parks' infrastructure. These efforts will be supported by the interdisciplinary team, which includes FMSS assessment specialists and contract support from DSC with the ability to process IDIQ actions or modifying existing contracts. Because of widespread tree damage requiring technical skills, seven arborists from the Olmsted Center have been ordered. Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be posted as they are received. [Bill Halainen, Editor] HYPERLINK "http://latimesphoto.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/la-na-0829-irene03.jpg?w=165"
Most parks affected by Hurricane Irene have reopened and returned to normal operations, but several continue to deal with serious issues. Today's status reports follow. As of yesterday morning, a total of 173 NPS employees were committed to hurricane recovery operations. Here are updates from parks reporting significant issues, as of yesterday morning (south to north): Gateway - All park residents have returned to their quarters and employees are back at work. The Sandy Hook, Riis Beach and Fort Tilden areas were still closed yesterday, pending cleanup and restoration of services. The park is being assisted by the Pacific West IMT (Denny Ziemann, IC), an interdisciplinary support team, and a team of arborists from Olmstead. Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be posted as they are received. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
Recovery operations continue in parks in Northeast and Southeast Regions. Today's status reports follow. As of yesterday morning, a total of 242 NPS employees were committed to hurricane recovery operations. Here are updates from parks reporting significant issues, as of yesterday morning (south to north): Gateway - Power was restored to the Sandy Hook unit yesterday; damage assessments are still underway there. Problems persist at Riis Beach in the Jamaica Bay unit, but hopes are to reopen it by the holiday weekend. Additional reports on Hurricane Irene's impacts will be posted as they are received. [Bill Halainen, Editor]
On the evening of Monday, October 31st, the Sea Bright Fire Department was dispatched to a structural fire in the 400 block of Ocean Avenue, just outside the entrance to the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. While first alarm fire units were still responding, the Monmouth County Fire Dispatch Center advised that they were receiving calls reporting that the building was fully involved. Upon arrival, Sea Bright FD found fire issuing from one side of the building and also came upon a person who'd been burned by the blaze. A general alarm was transmitted which brought mutual aid fire companies from Monmouth Beach, Highlands, Sandy Hook, Rumson and Oceanport to the fire scene. Members of the Sandy Hook FD were with the Sea Bright FD on the first attack line through the second floor door, while other members went to work with the truck companies opening up ceilings, searching for fire extension, and conducting overhaul. Two members of the Sea Bright FD were injured - one was treated on scene and the other transported to the hospital and subsequently released. The Sea Bright Fire Marshalls Office is investigating the incident. [Frank DeLuca, Supervisory Park Ranger]
Five local juveniles were arrested by Park Police officers at Spring Creek, a wildland area of the park, on Monday, January 30th. They were charged with lighting a fire in an undesignated area. The youths, ages 16 to 17, were from Ozone Park, a community near Spring Creek. The park area directly adjoins the Howard Beach residential neighborhood in Queens. While patrolling the area during high fire danger conditions, park firefighters noticed the five acting suspiciously. After they entered park land, firefighters attempted to locate them, first by vehicle and then on foot. While walking the trails, firefighters saw and smelled smoke and headed in that direction. All five were standing near an uncontained fire on an ATV trail. They admitted to lighting the fire, which was being pushed by gusty winds toward tall stands of phragmites a short distance away. While extinguishing the blaze, firefighters detained the teens and contacted Park Police. Officers responded quickly and took the teens into custody, charging them with lighting a fire in an undesignated area (36 CFR 2.13(a)(1). Each was cited to appear in federal court and released to a guardian. Since last November, 16 fires have burned in Spring Creek. The largest of these fires burned five acres on December 17th. Gateway experienced 42 fires in 2011, making the urban park the third most active park unit for wildland fires in the National Park Service. [John Harlan Warren, Public Affairs Specialist]
The Sandy Hook Fire Department was dispatched to a reported working structural fire in Building 20 on the Coast Guard Station on Sandy Hook just before 1 p.m. on March 1st. The park provides primary response for all police, fire and EMS incidents on the base. Building 20 houses the Coast Guard's communications center, mess hall and dormitory facilities and is identified as both critical infrastructure and occupied living quarters. Eight members of the company responded in an engine and a rescue unit, with mutual aid provided by the nearby Highlands and Sea Bright fire departments. Park firefighters were first on scene and were advised by Coast Guard personnel that heavy black smoke had been issuing from the back of the building, that there was smoke inside the dormitory area, and that the building had been evacuated. Firefighters donned full PPE, established a large diameter hose water supply, and conducted a primary search of the building. They were subsequently joined in this effort by the local fire departments. No victims were found inside the building. The source was identified as a blower motor in the HVAC system inside a drop ceiling/void which had extinguished itself. Overhaul was conducted to ensure that the fire hadn't spread further. [Rob Louden, Chief of Operations, Law Enforcement Branch]
Park dispatch received a routed 911 call from Monmouth County dispatch on the afternoon of May 16th reporting a severely injured jet skier on the north side of Sandy Hook along the Atlantic Ocean. Rangers were immediately dispatched. Sandy Hook Fire Rescue was conducting a monthly training session and also immediately responded with six firefighters and three emergency medical technicians. Rangers soon arrived on scene and located the victim along the shoreline between North Beach and the tip of Sandy Hook. The park fire chief and two other EMT's arrived and also made contact with the man, who was complaining of severe pelvic pain, abdominal pain, and numerous other medical issues. The victim had been running his jet ski when he was hit by a large wave and thrown from the craft, with the jet ski landing on top of him in the surf zone at the water's edge. He was assessed, packaged, and transported off the beach in a pickup driven by park natural resource staff. EMT's asked that a New Jersey State Police medevac air ambulance be dispatched to the scene due to the mechanism of his injury as well as his chief complaints and overall basic assessment. Sea Bright First Aid met the truck transporting the injured man from the beach. Sandy Hook fire personnel and rangers set up the helicopter landing zone and awaited the medevac landing. Sea Bright Fire Department also arrived to support the helicopter landing. The victim was turned over to the medevac flight nurses and flown to Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, New Jersey. The park was able to have law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical units on scene within ten minutes of the initial call through the 911 system. [Tim Regan, Fire Chief, Sandy Hook Unit]
On the afternoon of June 11th, park dispatch directed all NPS Sandy Hook law enforcement and fire/EMS units to respond to the US Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook regarding a report of a major emergency (the NPS provides law enforcement, fire, EMS and public works services to this Homeland Security installation). The Coast Guard advised that they were responding to a report of a boat explosion 17 miles off Sandy Hook with over 20 people in the water and at least nine critical burn victims. NPS law enforcement and fire personnel cleared the scene of a vehicle leaking fluids call and responded to the USCG Station within two minutes. Upon arrival, the park's fire chief set up a unified command post on the vessel dock, while the chief ranger and operations chief reported to the Coast Guard and began to gather additional information as it was being received. The Coast Guard had already dispatched three patrol boats from Sandy Hook Station to begin rescue efforts. NPS rangers and fire staff began arriving and assembling at the USCG docks, while NPS traffic control units were assigned duties as staging managers. Based on the number of burn and trauma patients expected, the NPS IC asked that the Monmouth County mass casualty incident response plan be put into effect, bringing pre-designated emergency medical task force personnel to the USCG docks. As local, county, and state responders began arriving, units were staged a short distance away from the dock and given assignments by NPS and county fire coordinators. Continued USCG reports updated the number of injured patients, at one point totaling 29 casualties. It's still unclear where USCG was getting this incorrect information. In addition to park fire and rescue apparatus, local, county, and state resources on scene included fire, hazmat, basic life support, advanced life support units, and six medevac helicopters. Two separate hazardous materials decontamination lines were readied, one for anticipated patients arrive at the landing zone and the other at the USCG dock for those arriving by marine vessel. In all, approximately 200 emergency responders were on scene with 50 pieces of equipment from throughout Monmouth County and the state of New Jersey. At approximately 6:30 p.m., word began arriving that no vessel or wreckage had been found in the area by search parties. The operation was scaled back, with assets being released from the scene. At approximately 7 p.m. it was reported by USCG that this might have been a hoax. Federal, state and county law enforcement personnel began arriving for the subsequent criminal investigation. By 8 p.m., all emergency response activities had been shut down. All fire, EMS and mutual aid resources were terminated and focus shifted to the multi-agency law enforcement investigation. The incident is under joint investigation by numerous law enforcement entities, with USCG as the lead agency. At this time, the Coast Guard has posted a reward of $3,000 leading to a conviction in this case. Although the case was a huge strain on local resources, it provided a rare attempt for agencies to work together in a high stress situation, ensuring that resources and responders were prepared for the worst case scenario. [Rob Louden, Operations Chief]
On Wednesday, October 15th, park dispatch received a call from a fisherman reporting a "smoldering log" at the very tip of Sandy Hook in a remote area on Coast Guard property. Protection rangers responded in four wheel drive vehicles and found the reported "log" to be a remnant of a large former military dock that had been buried under the primary dune and exposed by erosion. The portion of the dock structure protruding from the dune was an approximately five- by thirty-foot section of timber docking. The top of the dune with the burning former dock was the start of about forty acres of salt marsh. The park was in high fire danger and a fire that enters this vegetated area could threaten the structures on the Coast Guard base. Park firefighters were dispatched and responded via a four wheel drive pickup. The fire was declared under control after about two hours of utilizing hand tools and Class A foam. With continued high winds at the tip of Sandy Hook, the next day the fire reignited. Thick black smoke was visible for miles. Sandy Hook firefighters responded and were assisted by both the Middletown FD with two Type 6 engines as well as the Sea Bright FD with an Army surplus 6 x 6. After extensive overhaul, chain sawing and application of 250 gallons of water with Class A foam, the fire was finally extinguished. The fire was investigated and was found to have been started intentionally by fishermen using a portion of the dock as a makeshift camp stove. A law enforcement investigation is currently underway. [Tim Regan, Fire Chief]
Hurricane Sandy, a HYPERLINK "http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" Category 1 storm with current maximum sustained winds of about 75 mph, was southeast of Cape Hatteras this morning and continuing on its northerly course. It is expected to pass the Outer Banks at a distance of about 250 miles, further out than the 175 miles previously forecast. It's still expected to make landfall on the New Jersey coast around daybreak on Tuesday. At 11 a.m. this morning, the National Hurricane Center had tropical storm warnings posted for the area from Cape Fear to Duck in North Carolina and for Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. The center also issued this statement: "Hurricane-force winds are expected along portions of the coast between Chincoteague, Virginia, and Chatham, Massachusetts. This included the middle and upper Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, the coasts of the northern Delmarva Peninsula, New Jersey, the New York City area, Long Island, Connecticut and Maryland. Tropical storm force winds are expected north of Chatham to the Merrimack River in Massachusetts, in the lower Chesapeake Bay, and south of Chincoteague to Duck, North Carolina. Other coastal and inland watches and warnings are in effect for these areas. Please see statements from local National Weather Service forecast offices." National Park Service meteorologist Denver Ingram is also issuing daily updates with specifics pertinent to the NPS. Here are the key points from his Sunday morning update: Winds - The hurricane's wind field is large and extensive. Tropical storm force winds now extend outward as far as an unprecedented 520 miles from the center and hurricane force winds go out to 105 miles. Early this morning, winds were already gusting to 35 to 45 mph along the Outer Banks of North Carolina and these conditions will likely continue into Tuesday morning. The hurricane is expected to strengthen a bit before making landfall, at which time it should have winds of 80 to 85 mph. There are a number of locations from Maryland and Washington to Connecticut and Massachusetts that could see 40 to 50 hours of tropical storm force winds persisting into Wednesday. While these sustained winds are strong enough, wind gusts will be stronger. The eastern shore of Maryland may see wind gusts (not sustained) of 85 to 90 mph Monday night and Tuesday morning. Seas, Tides and Storm Surge - Due to its strengthening, the hurricane will bring higher tides and greater storm surges to areas along and north of the track. Strong winds will continue to create rough seas and elevated tides. Storm surges will vary by location, but if they coincide with high tide, areas from Maryland to Rhode Island could experience storm surges of four to eight feet. Long Island and Raritan Bay may see those values increase to as much as ten feet. Smaller surges of three to six feet are expected along the North Carolina sounds, and the Chesapeake Bay could see values from one to four feet with higher totals where it meets the sea. Rainfall - Totals of three to six inches will be common across eastern North Carolina today. Over the past 24 hours, Cape Hatteras has seen about two-and-half inches of rain. Most of the rest of the Outer Banks has received one to two inches since daybreak Saturday. The storm was producing a band of heavy rain this morning that extended from southeast Pennsylvania, across Delaware and eastern Maryland, into southeast Virginia, and into the eastern third of North Carolina. Flooding will be an ongoing threat. Rainfall totals of ten inches or more are expected near the area of landfall. New England in general will likely see totals of one to three inches, with some isolated totals close to six inches. Snow - The hurricane will combine with a strong trough of low pressure; when it does, cold air will pour southward, bringing snow to the mountains of Tennessee, the mountains of northwestern North Carolina, southwest Virginia, and eastern West Virginia. Strong upslope flow may produce one to four inches of snow in these areas on Monday and Tuesday, with some totals close to eight inches above 3000 feet. The following new reports have been received from parks in the hurricane's path: Gateway NRA (Sandy Hook Unit) - A mandatory evacuation has been ordered of coastal New Jersey areas, including Sandy Hook. It goes into effect at 4 p.m. today. Emergency preparedness staff in the three affected regional offices - Southeast, National Capital and Northeast - are working through the weekend. Three NPS Type II incident management teams - East, Intermountain and Midwest - are fully staffed and on standby for use as needed. Discussions are underway about prepositioning the teams so that they will be quickly available after the storm passes.
Hurricane Sandy, a HYPERLINK "http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" Category 1 storm with current maximum sustained winds of about 75 mph, was east of the Outer Banks early this morning and moving to the north at about 15 mph. It is expected to turn to the northwest today, with the center coming ashore along the New Jersey coastline this evening or tonight. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 175 miles, mainly to the southwest of the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 520 miles. The following hazards are expected: Winds - Gale force winds are being reported from coastal North Carolina to New Jersey and are expected to arrive along other portions of the coastline from Long Island to southern New England later this morning. Winds of hurricane force are expected later today. Surge - A combination of tides and "extremely dangerous" storm surge will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters. The water could reach the following depths above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide - 4 to 6 feet in North Carolina; 2 to 4 feet in southern Virginia and Delmarva, including the lower Chesapeake Bay; 1 to 3 feet in the upper and middle Chesapeake Bay; 6 to 11 feet in Long Island Sound, Raritan Bay and New York Harbor; 4 to 8 feet elsewhere from Ocean City, Maryland, to the Connecticut-Rhode Island border; 3 to 6 feet from there to Cape Cod; 2 to 4 feet from Cape Cod to the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border; and 1 to 3 feet from there to Canada. Rain - Rainfall totals of from 4 to 8 inches are expected over portions of the Mid-Atlantic states, including the Delmarva peninsula, with isolated amounts of up to 12 inches. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are forecast from New York to New England, with isolated amounts of 5 inches. Snow - Snow accumulations of from 2 to 3 feet are expected in the mountains of West Virginia, from 1 to 2 feet in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, and 12 to 18 inches in the mountains near the North Carolina/Tennessee border and in the mountains of western Maryland. The following park status reports are based on regional phone calls conducted on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and on email updates. Every park in the hurricane's very broad path has made preparations for downed trees, flooding, power outages and related problems; just about every park and office in the hurricane's broad path is closed today. Rather than list all of them, the summary below focuses on parks and offices that have been or are being impacted by the storm or that have substantial closures or other issues: Gateway NRA (Sandy Hook Unit) - The entire park has been closed and evacuated - the Sandy Hook unit following the evacuation order issued by the governor of New Jersey and the New York City areas following the mayor's issue of a HYPERLINK "http://project.wnyc.org/news-maps/hurricane-zones/hurricane-zones.html" Zone A evacuation order yesterday. Three NPS Type II incident management teams - East, Intermountain and Midwest - are fully staffed and on standby for use as needed. Two of the teams are currently being staged, the Eastern IMT in Hagerstown, Maryland, and the Midwest IMT in Columbus, Ohio. Other NPS offices and specialized teams are also on standby.
Hurricane Sandy has affected parks in all three regions along the East Coast. In order to provide assistance and support to these areas, the Eastern Incident Management Team staged in Hagerstown, Maryland, on Monday evening, and is now preparing to move to the New York Harbor area, possibly after the New York marathon this Sunday. The Midwest Incident Management Team has joined them and will also be heading to New York. Over 100 NPS employees have so far been committed to this response. As of Wednesday morning, 30 team members were at the ICP in Hagerstown. Another 45 were en route, including the Southeast Region's special events team, a saw team from Sequoia-Kings Canyon, three HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_incident_stress_management" CISM teams, 23 FMSS specialists, the Park Police helicopter "Eagle II" with flight crew, and one air operations manager. Another 20 people had been deployed in the affected area to begin gathering information and start work where possible. They were located at Fire Island, Gateway, and Morristown and included members of the Cumberland Gap and Northeast Region saw teams and the employee assistance team leader. The USPP New York Field Office has delegated authority to the Eastern IMT and provided a liaison to the team's command staff. A Park Police branch director has also been assigned to the general staff under the operations section chief. The team will begin work once delegations of authority are in hand from affected areas and assessments have been completed in order to determine needed resources. IC Zeph Cunningham closed the Wednesday evening organizational meeting by emphasizing that the team's top goal is employee assistance. Parks included in the delegation and currently closed are the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, Gateway, Governors Island, African Burial Ground, the six units of Manhattan Sites, Sagamore Hill, Fire Island, Morristown, and Thomas Edison. [Linda Friar, Incident Information Officer]
The Eastern and Midwest Incident Management Teams have merged into a single NPS incident management team to better support parks in need of help after Hurricane Sandy. The team moved to the New York Harbor area on Sunday. In addition to the core team, there are specialized support crews in the field supporting employee emergency needs, conducting damage assessments, and removing debris in the affected areas. Over 120 National Park Service employees from 26 states and the District of Columbia are working with the team and those numbers will increase as assessments of needs come in from the field. The team is responsible for Gateway NRA, the National Parks of New York Harbor, Sagamore Hill, Fire Island, Morristown, and Thomas Edison. Preliminary damage assessments and response to critical needs continue. The response is framed by the need to work safely and provide support for all NPS employees working in the parks. Fort Wadsworth in Gateway is serving as the staging area for field crews and as the incident command post for the team. A US Park Police helicopter, "Eagle 2," will be providing aerial assessments and support. Personnel have been divided into four branches for better logistical management of this very large urban area. In addition to branch managers, resources in the field on Friday included: Employee assistance team - The team has been working on the Service's first priority, ensuring that all NPS employees have been accounted for and their immediate needs met. A number of employee homes and vehicles have been damaged. Facility assessment teams - Fourteen facility assessment specialists, divided into three teams, are undertaking site assessments. Law enforcement teams - Teams from the Midwest and Southeast have been dispatched to areas identified as most in need of these resources - Fire Island, Manhattan Sites, Sandy Hook, and Morristown. Saw teams - Teams from the Northeast Arborist Incident Response (AIR) team, Stone's River, Natchez Trace, and King's Mountain have begun work at Gateway's Sandy Hook Unit, Manhattan Sites, and Morristown. Social media remain active. As of Friday, the Facebook site, "NPS Superstorm Sandy Response," had been visited by over 4,000 people from 19 countries and the United States. The twitter site, "SandyResponseNPS," continues to re-tweet incoming information from the parks and other agencies. Sties that were still closed as of Friday were as follows: National Parks of New York Harbor (which includes all of Gateway), Sagamore Hill, Fire Island, Morristown, and Thomas Edison. [Linda Friar, Incident Information Officer]
The National Park Service incident management team overseeing the response to Hurricane Sandy yesterday completed its second day of operation from its command center operation at HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/gate/historyculture/fort-wadsworth.htm" Fort Wadsworth, part of Gateway National Recreation Area. Specialized support crews are continuing their work supporting employee emergency needs, conducting damage assessments, and removing debris in the affected areas. At present, 253 National Park Service employees from 38 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia are working with the team, with more staff continuing to arrive. National park sites assigned to this team are widespread and include all of national parks in the New York Harbor area - the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Governors Island, African Burial Ground, Castle Clinton, Federal Hall, Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace, General Grant, Hamilton Grange, St. Paul's Church, and Gateway. The team is also supporting parks on Long Island and in New Jersey, including Sagamore Hill, Fire Island, Morristown, and Thomas Edison. Preliminary damage assessments and response to critical needs of the parks continue. The response is being framed by the need to work safely and provide support for all NPS employees in the affected areas. Yesterday, a meteorologist arrived on site to forecast the nor'easter predicted for Wednesday night. In preparation for the storm, field operations are developing an inclement weather contingency plan. The following actions were also undertaken: Gateway National Recreation Area Jamaica Bay Unit - Crews are working on acquiring HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conex_box" Conex boxes, identifying locations to place roll off dumpsters for debris collection, and identifying and securing an open pit well. Staten Island Unit - Teams worked to remove debris and placed 24 pallets of sandbags to secure breeches in the northwest, northeast and southwest areas of Battery Weed. Maintenance workers assessed Building 6 and the historic hangar in Miller Park and found that work will be needed. Sandy Hook Unit - FMSS teams have continued assessment of damage at Sandy Hook; detailed assessments will follow. Traffic on the road to the Sandy Hook Unit has increased. Crews are starting to weatherize for winter months ahead. Public health specialists have assessed the wastewater treatment plant and crews began pumping it dry so repairs could begin. As one of the member agencies of the National Interagency Fire Center, the National Park Service is also involved in NIFC hurricane recovery operations. As of yesterday, eleven incident management teams had been committed to the recovery - three HYPERLINK "http://www.nifc.gov/nimo/nimo_summary.htm" NIMO teams, two Type 1 teams, and six Type 2 teams. They are variously engaged in managing staging areas or emergency operations centers, clearing roads, or otherwise providing support in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Fifteen NPS employees were committed to this effort. More information on the Hurricane Sandy response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" listing of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. NPS Superstorm Sandy Response - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. SandyResponseNPS - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. [Linda Friar, Incident Information Officer]
The National Park Service incident management team overseeing Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts in New York and New Jersey continued its work yesterday. Specialized support crews are continuing their work supporting employee emergency needs, conducting damage assessments, and removing debris in the affected areas. Currently, there are 320 National Park Service employees from 101 parks and 38 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia working with the incident management team, with more staff continuing to arrive. The following reports were submitted on yesterday's activities: Gateway - Crews secured equipment and as much debris as possible in the park's several unit in anticipation of high winds. The Sandy Hook Unit is currently closed due to weather conditions. Social media remain active. Visitation to the Facebook site has been reached nearly 27,311 individuals to date. The Twitter site continues to re-tweet incoming information from the parks and other agencies. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. NPS Superstorm Sandy Response - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. SandyResponseNPS - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response.
The National Park Service incident management team overseeing Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts in New York and New Jersey continued its work yesterday. Specialized support crews are continuing their work supporting employee emergency needs, conducting damage assessments, and removing debris in the affected areas. Currently, there are 320 National Park Service employees from 101 parks and 38 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia working with the incident management team. The following reports were submitted on yesterday's activities: Gateway - Three light towers were brought the Riis Park bathhouse and another to Floyd Bennett Field to permit extended work hours. Today, Fort Tilden will receive a chipper to chip wood debris, the New York Police Department heliport will be cleared, and the team will work on fencing at North 40 at Floyd Bennett Field. Five thousand interagency relief workers are now based at the field. A tree was found on the roof of one of the buildings at Millers Field and will require a bucket truck to remove. The tree has punched a hole in the roof of the building. Great Kills Park was assessed for sand movement and sand removal needs. Crews working in the Sandy Hook Unit are regrouping in preparation for continued cleanup following the recent nor'easter. Social media remain active. Visitation to the Facebook site has been reached nearly 30,556 individuals to date. The Twitter site continues to re-tweet incoming information from the parks and other agencies. A growing Flickr library now has photographs available for the public and media. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response.
The National Park Service incident management team overseeing Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts in New York and New Jersey completed its ninth day of operations yesterday. At present, 423 National Park Service employees are committed to the incident. Over the last nine days, employees from 114 National Park Service units have supported the response effort. Director Jon Jarvis, Deputy Director Peggy O'Dell, Comptroller Bruce Sheaffer, and Northeast Regional Director Dennis Reidenbach visited the greater New York area yesterday, seeing firsthand the impact of Hurricane Sandy on the parks and taking time to speak with park staff and incident personnel. Gateway - Debris, hazard tree removal and chipping operations were completed at Fort Tilden, but continued at Frank Charles Memorial Park. Debris removal and saw work continued at Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Debris cleanup and hazard tree removal have progressed to Tennessee Road on Staten Island; heavy equipment was used to remove debris at Battery Weed. The chapel at Sandy Hook was assessed for safety compliance. The headquarters building there is being cleaned out and items organized. About 4,000 gallons have been pumped out of lift station 47. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response.
The National Park Service incident management team overseeing Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts in New York and New Jersey completed its tenth day of operations yesterday. Currently working with the team are 435 National Park Service employees from 113 parks and 40 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, with more staff continuing to arrive. The following areas have reopened - St. Paul's Church, Sagamore Hill, Morristown, Edison, General Grant, Hamilton Grange, Federal Hall and African Burial Ground. Work continued at other sites; today's status reports follow: Gateway - Crews filled a 30-yard dumpster with debris at Frank Charles Memorial Park. Fencing was put in place to secure the bathhouse and open well at Riis Park. One hundred loads of woody debris have been removed from along North Carolina Road on Staten Island. Debris was removed from Battery Weed. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Uniform donations - Information on donating uniforms to employees can be found at HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=13059" this web page. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response.
The National Park Service incident management team overseeing Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts in New York and New Jersey completed its twelfth day of operations yesterday. Currently working with the team are 500 National Park Service employees from 117 parks and 40 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, with more staff continuing to arrive. The following areas have reopened - St. Paul's Church, Sagamore Hill, Morristown, Edison, General Grant, Hamilton Grange, Federal Hall, African Burial Ground and Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace. Work continued at other sites; today's status reports follow: Gateway - Trail and levee clearing is ongoing on East and West Trails in the Jamaica Bay Unit; resource advisors are working with crews on clearing other trails. Four loads of debris were removed from Frank Charles Park. Fencing and wall breaches have been repaired at Miller Field in the Staten Island Unit. Chipping has been completed at the Navy Lodge and debris were removed from along the North Carolina Road, within Fort Wadsworth (100 loads to date), and at Great Kills and Battery Weed. Assessments of park buildings, roadways and parking lots were conducted in the Sandy Hook Unit. Windows and doorways there are being boarded up, and crews are removing debris from park roads and buildings. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Uniform donations - Information on donating uniforms to employees can be found at HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=13059" this web page. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response.
Over the weekend, the Intermountain Incident Management Team took operational control of the Service's Hurricane Sandy response efforts in the New York Harbor Area from the National Park Service IMT. The National Park Service IMT, which was formed by the merger of the Eastern and Midwestern teams, led the planning and initial response as Hurricane Sandy made landfall on October 29th. Fresh energy and new ideas made possible by the transition to a new team will ensure the work continues to move forward safely and efficiently. The transition also reaffirms the resiliency of the National Park Service in its commitment to its employees and the resources affected by Hurricane Sandy. Ten of the 15 National Park sites initially closed due to the hurricane reopened over the past week; areas that remain closed include some of the National Park Service's most prominent and popular parks - the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Gateway, and Fire Island. During the first 21 days of the incident, the flood waters receded and the teams made considerable progress both in caring for the needs of affected park employees and in stabilizing park resources. The road to normalcy for these parks will be a long one, though, and the NPS teams will endeavor to complete the task before them using sustainable and forward-thinking solutions, following the lead of Director Jarvis, who said last week during his address to employees on site that "we need to be thinking about how we create sustainability in all of our structures and facilities" as we respond to Hurricane Sandy. Nearly every park and program in the system has contributed to the Sandy recovery efforts, which stretch the length of the eastern seaboard and west to the Appalachian Mountains. Parks in every region have donated people, resources, and uniforms to those affected by Hurricane Sandy personally and professionally. The dedication of all parks and the incident management teams to helping those parks affected return to fulfilling the mission of the National Park Service will continue until the work is complete. Currently working with the team are 526 National Park Service employees from 115 National Park Service units and 44 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, with more staff continuing to arrive. Regular updates on their work will resume tomorrow. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Uniform donations - Information on donating uniforms to employees can be found at HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=13059" this web page. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response.
The National Park Service IMT overseeing Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts completed its seventeenth day of operations yesterday. Currently working with the team are 480 National Park Service employees from 108 parks and 43 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Today's status reports follow: Gateway - Crews are working throughout the park's Jamaica Bay, Staten Island and Sandy Hook Units: Jamaica Bay Unit - Trail work is continuing at the refuge. Debris cleanup continues at Frank M. Charles Memorial Park and Hamilton Beach Park. A security fence was installed around the Canarsie Pier concessions area. Staten Island Unit - Woody debris removal continues along the USS North Carolina Road on Staten Island. Debris removal continues at Great Kills and Fort Wadsworth. Resource advisors are working on a sand redistribution plan. Parts were ordered for boilers at Miller Field. Saw and chip operations continue at Great Kills. Sandy Hook Unit - Crews started on clearing Holly Forest Trail, continued clearing sand and debris from the North Beach and Gunnison Beach bath houses and plazas, and worked on the Old Dune Trail at the visitor center, clearing downed trees and brush, rehabbing trail tread, re-grading and filling washouts, and removing trash and debris from the trail and surrounding woods. Crews are also working on the water system, isolating the water main, charging the system and flushing lines; continuing work at the sewage treatment plant; continuing to collect trash and debris around buildings and roadways; employing heavy equipment to push back road berms; working on removing equipment from the north maintenance complex; winterizing buildings, campground and bath houses; and facilitating transport of needed supplies and equipment to other crews. Cultural resources and interpretive staff are working on inventory, cleaning and drying of historical archives. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Uniform donations - Information on donating uniforms to employees can be found at HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=13059" this web page. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response.
The National Park Service IMTs overseeing Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts completed three full weeks of work at New York area parks yesterday. Currently working with the team are 448 National Park Service employees from 103 parks and 39 states and the District of Columbia, a reduction from a high of 546. External resources are gradually being replaced by local NPS staff. Today's update follows: Gateway - Crews are working throughout the park's Jamaica Bay, Staten Island and Sandy Hook Units: Jamaica Bay Unit - Frank Charles Park and Hamilton Beach reopened on Saturday. Electrical repairs in several buildings at Fort Tilden have been completed; about 15% of the debris on the beach there has been removed. All debris has now been cleared from the beach at Riis Park. An engineering assessment of Canarsie Pier is pending to determine if the area can safely be reopened. Staten Island Unit - Great Kills is open up to the ranger station. A new ferry service to Manhattan is to begin today. Beach cleanup and sand redistribution continue at Miller Field. Debris removal continues at Seabee Park. Sandy Hook Unit - Damaged tree removal and debris clearance from several park houses have been completed. Debris removal is ongoing in some basements. Bathhouses and beach plazas are being cleaned. Repairs are underway to the sewage treatment plant; assessments are being conducted of HVAC, boiler and electrical systems. Historical archives are being inventoried, cleaned and dried. A collapsed section of the multi-use trail has been removed. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response. Note: National Park Service employees have overwhelmingly supported the request for uniform donations for employees affected by Hurricane Sandy. So many have been received that there is no longer a need for donations. The employees affected by the hurricane greatly appreciate your generosity.
Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts enter their 23rd day today. Currently working with the team overseeing operations are 442 National Park Service employees from 98 parks. Today's update follows: Gateway - Reports have been received on the following areas: Jamaica Bay - Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Frank Charles Park and Hamilton Beach have all been reopened. Debris has been cleared from the parking lot. Fort Tilden - Electrical repairs have been 45% completed in five buildings. Road and trail clearing is 40% complete. Riis Park - Road and trail clearing is 40% complete. Great Kills - Ferry service has begun; 250 people visited on Monday. Debris removal from parking lots is 60% complete; sand redistribution is 25% complete. Miller Field - Sand redistribution at Miller Field is 40% complete; debris removal from parking lots is 60% complete. Work continued on water heaters and water lines. Fort Wadsworth - Debris removal at Seabee Park is 65% complete. Sandy Hook - Crews are working on providing heat to sewer treatment plant buildings, repairing water system and sewage pump stations, removing debris from basements, and removing piles from roadsides and the Gunnison Beach/Plaza area. Teams are conducting HVAC/boiler and electrical assessments in buildings. Cultural resources and interpretive staff are working on inventory, cleaning and drying of historical archives. A sand relocation plan is being developed with assistance from resource advisors. An inspection of damage at Ferry Landing area was conducted. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response. Note: National Park Service employees have overwhelmingly supported the request for uniform donations for employees affected by Hurricane Sandy. So many have been received that there is no longer a need for donations. The employees affected by the hurricane greatly appreciate your generosity.
The National Park Service incident management team completed its 24th day of operation yesterday. Currently working with the team are 457 National Park Service employees from 102 parks and 38 states, down from a high of 546. Today's update follows: Gateway - Reports have been received on the following areas: Fort Tilden - Road and trail clearing is now 60% complete. Sand redistribution has begun. Riis Park - Road and trail clearing is now 65% complete. The maintenance storage building and horse barn for the Park Police Marine Unit were assessed. Great Kills - Debris removal from parking lots has been completed; sand redistribution is 25% complete. Miller Field - Sand redistribution at Miller Field is 40% complete. Water heater and water line work was completed in Buildings 6 and 26. Fort Wadsworth - Debris removal at Seabee Park is 65% complete. Sandy Hook - Crews began a survey for unexploded ordnance on the beach, worked on providing heat to sewer treatment plant buildings, continued work on water system and sewage pump stations, continued to remove debris from basements, continued removing piles from roadsides and the Gunnison Beach/Plaza area, completed boarding doors and work on roofs as needed, and conducted HVAC/boiler and electrical assessments in buildings. Cultural resources and interpretive staff worked on inventory, cleaning and drying of historical archives. A contractor is now on site, removing tree debris, asphalt, and damaged appliances. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response.
Hurricane Sandy came ashore in the New York-New Jersey area a month ago yesterday and NPS incident management teams have been engaged in recovery operations at area parks for almost as long - four weeks as of this Sunday. A total of 467 NPS employees are currently committed to the operation. Today's update follows: Gateway - Reports have been received on the following areas: Fort Tilden - Road and trail clearing and sand redistribution continued. Riis Park - Road and trail clearing and sand redistribution continued. Great Kills - Sand redistribution continued. Miller Field - Sand redistribution continued. Fort Wadsworth - Debris removal continued at Seabee Park. Sandy Hook - Crews continued removing debris piles from road sides and beach plazas, building and placing shutters on exposed windows and doors, assessing boilers and developing a scope of work for an oil burner repair contract, surveying for unexploded ordinances on beach, working on water systems and sewage pump stations, removing debris from building basements, and assessing and repairing electrical systems. A contractor in on site removing tree debris, asphalt, and damaged appliances. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response.
It was a month ago last Friday when Hurricane Sandy made landfall in southern New Jersey after roaring up the East Coast, damaging roughly 69 national parks and affecting over 600 NPS employees in some way. In the New York metropolitan area, every NPS site was affected, from Gateway's Sandy Hook Unit to St. Paul's Church (part of Manhattan Sites) and from Morristown to Fire Island Initial work has been completed at many sites and the following park service units are now open - African Burial Ground, Federal Hall, General Grant, Hamilton Grange, St. Paul's Church, Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace, Sagamore Hill, Morristown (including New Jersey Brigade, Cross Estate, Fort Nonsense, Washington Headquarters Museum and Ford Mansion), Thomas Edison, Hamilton Beach and Frank Charles Park, Great Kills Park and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. National Park Service employees across the agency have responded. Since the beginning two incident management teams have overseen the response and have been stabilizing parks. More than 925 personnel from 160 parks and from all 47 states, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, have helped with cleanup and stabilization in the parks and in some cases employee homes. Currently, there are 328 employees working on the incident. To date, approximately 70 local park staff have also been assigned to the incident. NPS staff not only answered the call to assist with the recovery efforts by physically coming out to help but also responded overwhelmingly to the uniform donation request. The uniform crew stopped counting after they reached 2,000 shorts and pants, mounds of boots and shoes, and much more. Thank you for your generosity but please STOP sending uniforms. Your efforts have clearly shown how members of the NPS family support one another in a time of need. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response.
Hurricane recovery operations continue. The Pacific West IMT will transition into management of the incident on Thursday. Currently, there are 321 National Park Service employees from 101 parks supporting the recovery efforts, a reduction from a high of 546. There are also 37 contractors and 47 local national park employees on the incident. The following National Park Service sites are now open: African Burial Ground National Monument, Federal Hall National Memorial, General Grant National Memorial, Hamilton Grange National Historic Site, St. Paul's Church National Historic Site, Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, Morristown National Historic Park (including New Jersey Brigade, Cross Estate, Fort Nonsense, Washington Headquarters Museum and Ford Mansion), Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Hamilton Beach and Frank Charles Park, Great Kills Park and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. The National Park Service continues to repair and stabilize the following parks which remain closed until it is safe to reopen: The Statue of Liberty National Monument and the Ellis Island Immigration Hall remain closed as well as Governors Island; several sites within Gateway National Recreation Area (Fort Wadsworth; Miller Field; Ryan Visitor Center; Breezy Point; Fort Tilden; Jacob Riis Park; Floyd Bennett Field; Bergen Beach; Canarsie Pier; Sandy Hook Visitor Center; and Fort Hancock); Castle Clinton; and Fire Island National Seashore. Today's report is as follows (if a park or site is not listed, that's because there's no new information to report): Gateway - A cultural resource advisor worked on mapping wrecked boats and coordinating upcoming board removals. The following actions were also reported at park units: Fort Tilden - Road and trail operations, building utility repairs, and sand redistribution continued. Jacob Riis Park - Road and trail clearing and sand redistribution continued. Great Kills - Debris removal operations and sand redistribution continued. Miller Field - Debris removal operations and sand redistribution continued. Fort Wadsworth - Debris removal continued at Seabee Park. Sandy Hook - Debris removal from road sides and beach plazas continued, as did replacement of oil tank gauges and the construction and placement of shutters on exposed windows and doors on buildings at Fort Hancock. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response.
Recovery operations continue in New York City area parks. The Pacific West IMT will assume management of the incident tomorrow, replacing the Intermountain IMT. At present, there are 306 National Park Service employees from 99 parks supporting recovery efforts. Today's report is as follows (if a park or site is not listed, that's because there's no new information to report): Gateway - A cultural resource advisor worked on mapping wrecked boats and coordinating upcoming board removals. The following actions were also reported at park units: Fort Tilden - Road and trail operations, building utility repairs, and sand redistribution continued. Jacob Riis Park - Road and trail clearing and sand redistribution continued. Great Kills - Debris removal operations and sand redistribution continued. Miller Field - Debris removal operations and sand redistribution continued. Fort Wadsworth - Debris removal continued at Seabee Park. Sandy Hook - Debris removal from road sides and beach plazas continued, as did replacement of oil tank gauges and the construction and placement of shutters on exposed windows and doors on buildings at Fort Hancock. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response.
The Intermountain Incident Management Team continues to oversee the Hurricane Sandy response, but the Pacific West IMT will transition into the role today. Currently, there are 264 National Park Service employees supporting the recovery efforts. Today's report is as follows (if a park or site is not listed, that's because there's no new information to report): Gateway - A cultural resource advisor worked on mapping wrecked boats and coordinating upcoming board removals. The following actions were also reported at park units: Fort Tilden - Road and trail operations, building utility repairs, and sand redistribution continued. Jacob Riis Park - Road and trail clearing and sand redistribution continued. Work has begun on boarding the windows and doors of the bathhouse. Great Kills - Debris removal operations and sand redistribution continued. Miller Field - Sand redistribution has been completed, and equipment is being moved to Great Kills to support debris and sand removal there Fort Wadsworth - Debris removal continued at Seabee Park. Sandy Hook - Debris removal from roadsides and beach plazas continued, as did replacement of oil tank gauges and the construction and placement of shutters on exposed windows and doors on buildings at Fort Hancock. Work also continued on repairing the main waterline. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response.
The Pacific West Incident Management Team is now overseeing the hurricane response. There are 320 National Park Service employees supporting recovery efforts. Today's report follows (if a park or site is not listed, that's because there's no new information to report): Gateway - Resource advisors continue working on mapping wrecked boats and coordinating upcoming boat removals. The following actions were also reported at park units: Fort Tilden - Road and trail operations, building utility repairs, and sand redistribution continued. Jacob Riis Park - Road and trail clearing and sand redistribution continued. Work continues on boarding the windows and doors of the bathhouse. Great Kills - Debris removal operations and sand redistribution continued. Miller Field - Work has been completed and the field is now being used for staging private contractors and equipment. Fort Wadsworth - Debris removal continued at Seabee Park. Sandy Hook - Debris removal from roadsides and beach plazas continued, as did replacement of oil tank gauges and the construction and placement of shutters on exposed windows and doors on buildings at Fort Hancock. Work also continued on repairing the main waterline. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response.
Employees from all over the National Park Service are part of the response to Hurricane Sandy. Among them are four trainees from the Service's Historic Preservation Training Center, who are currently working on the bathhouse at Jacob Riis Park within Gateway NRA, restoring the facility. The trainees - exhibit specialist trainee and project manager Trevor Thomas, exhibit specialist trainee Mike Owens, work leader Tom Valentine, and staff carpenter Brian Crampton - are currently boarding up missing windows and doors to improve the building's security. They have also framed-in the stairwell and installed a locking door to secure the second floor lifeguard office and have stabilized damaged walls. Their long-term goal is to evaluate damage at parks affected by Hurricane Sandy and help develop a long-term rehabilitation plan. Along with a three-year training program for NPS exhibit and preservation specialists, the Historic Preservation Training Center rehabilitates NPS, federal, state, and locally-owned historic properties and holds extensive outreach training programs aimed at building the skills of personnel responsible for the maintenance and preservation of historic properties. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response. [Warren Bielenberg, Incident Information Officer]
Hurricane recovery operations continue in the New York area under the oversight of the Western IMT. At present, there are 194 National Park Service employees supporting the recovery efforts, a reduction from 320 on December 6th and a high of 546 last month. Due to stabilization and repair progress in affected park units, the incident response is being scaled back. Today's report follows (if a park or site is not listed, that's because there's no new information to report): Gateway - Resource advisors continue working on mapping wrecked boats and coordinating upcoming boat removals. The following actions were also reported at park units: Fort Tilden - Road and trail operations, building utilities repairs, and sand redistribution continued. A contractor has begun mold mitigation at residences. Jacob Riis Park - Road and trail clearing and sand redistribution continued - the project is now 80% complete. The process of putting clean sand back onto the beach is 15% complete. Work continues on boarding the windows and doors of the bathhouse. Great Kills - Debris removal operations and sand redistribution continued. The project is about 10% complete. Fort Wadsworth - Debris removal continued at Seabee Park. Eight to ten loads of debris are being hauled out each day; 204 loads are being hauled in daily. Sandy Hook - Debris removal from roadsides and beach plazas continued, as did replacement of oil tank gauges and the construction and placement of shutters on exposed windows and doors on buildings at Fort Hancock. Work also continued on repairing the main waterline. A contractor is clearing the wastewater treatment plant and the project is about 40% complete. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response. [Jason Wickersty, Incident Information Officer]
Hurricane recovery operations continue under the leadership of the Western IMT. Due to stabilization and repair progress at affected parks, the incident response is being scaled back. Currently, there are 128 National Park Service employees supporting recovery efforts, a reduction from a high of 546. Here's today's status update: Gateway - Resource advisors continue mapping wrecked boats and coordinating upcoming boat removals. The following actions were also reported: Fort Tilden - Road and trail operations, building utility repairs, and sand redistribution operations continued. Mold mitigation has been completed on all residences listed on the original task order. Jacob Riis Park - Road and trail clearing and sand redistribution continued (90% complete). Clean sand continues to be brought to the beach (80% complete). Great Kills - Debris removal operations and sand redistribution continued (approximately 65% complete). Cleanup of harbor debris has begun. Miller Field - Work has been completed and the site is now being used by response teams and for staging private contractors and equipment. Sandy Hook - Debris removal from roadsides and beach plazas, the construction and placement of shutters on exposed windows and doors on buildings at Fort Hancock, the replacement of oil tank gauges, and work on the main water line continue. Contractors are clearing the wastewater treatment plant (75% complete). More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response. [Jason Wickersty, Incident Information Officer]
Hurricane recovery operations continue under the leadership of the Western IMT. Due to stabilization and repair progress at affected parks, the incident response is being scaled back. Currently, there are 130 National Park Service employees supporting recovery efforts. Here's today's status update: Gateway - The following actions were reported: Fort Tilden - The first phase of mold mitigation has been completed. Jacob Riis Park - Road and trail clearing and sand redistribution continued (95% complete). Great Kills - Debris removal operations and sand redistribution continued (approximately 70% complete). Completion of the sand berm is expected by tomorrow. Miller Field - Sand restoration work should also be completed by tomorrow. Sandy Hook - Debris removal from roadsides and beach plazas continues. Fire Island - Stabilization work at the Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters and Sailors' Haven have been completed. Electrical work at the Lighthouse Annex has also been completed. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response. [Jason Wickersty, Incident Information Officer]
Due to the progress made in helping New York Harbor area parks recover from the impacts of Hurricane Sandy, the Western IMT is significantly scaling back its efforts. This update comes from the team's last operations planning conference call. Further updates will be sent when progress warrants. Here's today's status update, focusing entirely on areas within Gateway NRA: Fort Tilden - The first phase of mold mitigation has been completed. Jacob Riis Park - Road and trail clearing and sand redistribution should be completed today. Great Kills - Debris removal operations and sand redistribution continued (approximately 90% complete). The sand berm should be completed today. Miller Field - Sand restoration work should also be completed today. Sandy Hook - Debris removal from roadsides and beach plazas continues. More information on the response can be found at these websites: Hurricane response and recovery - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1168&lv=3" webpage with current information on the NPS response to Hurricane Sandy. Resource needs shopping list - A HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1168&id=10935" "shopping list" HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/SHOPPING%20LIST%2011-5.pdf" of incident management team positions that still need to be filled, updated daily. Hurricane Sandy relief fund - E&AA has set up a HYPERLINK "http://www.eparks.com/" relief fund web page where you can make donations in support of employees who were affected by the storm. Facebook - A HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/HurricaneResponseNPS" Facebook page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Twitter - A HYPERLINK "http://mobile.twitter.com/NPS_Sandy?" Twitter page managed by the IMT with updates on the response. Flickr - A HYPERLINK "http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyresponsenps/sets/72157631954446291/" Flickr page managed by the IMT with images of the response. [Jason Wickersty, Incident Information Officer]
On the afternoon of October 30th, rangers from the park's Sandy Hook Unit received a call from park dispatcher Kim Eubanks regarding an unconscious man who'd washed up onto the shore at Echo Beach. Rangers Dustin Parker, Romale "Orlando" Lovelace, Adam Hubert, Ryan McLeod and Acting Fire Chief/Ranger Frank DeLuca responded. Lovelace, who arrived within three minutes of Eubanks' call and was the first on scene, advised that a sailboat approximately 25 feet long had crashed onto the shoreline. The NPS ambulance arrived on scene within six minutes. Mutual aid was also requested from Sea Bright Fire and EMS and from Monmouth and Ocean County paramedics. With the assistance of the bystander who reported the incident, Parker and Lovelace removed the man from the sailboat and onto the beach. They immediately began CPR on the victim and utilized an AED, but were unsuccessful in their attempts. Rangers worked with the Monmouth County medical examiner, US Coast Guard, and the New Jersey State Police Marine, Major Crime, and Crime Scene Units on the investigation. Preliminary results have shown that the death was caused by a medically-related issue prior to the vessel crashing onto the shoreline. [Ryan McLeod, Acting LE Operations Chief]
Early on the afternoon of Thursday, December 11th, park staff detected a strong odor of diesel emanating from Sandy Hook Bay and soon detected a large sheen of fuel on the bay's surface. The sheen spanned the bay's shore from Guardian Park Bay north to the Coast Guard station located at Sandy Hook. The Coast Guard launched two vessels and followed the sheen towards Naval Station Earle, but were unable to determine the source of the fuel spill. Monmouth County emergency management, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and New Jersey hazmat were notified. The sheen quickly moved north into the Coast Guard sector of the bay and at last light had not moved any further north. A fuel boom was deployed at the culvert leading into the Horseshoe Cove marsh area to prevent possible fuel pollution from entering the marshland. A Coast Guard spill response team returned the next day and met with NPS law enforcement/emergency services and natural resource staff. The Coast Guard contacted HYPERLINK "http://www.cleanharbors.com/" Clean Harbors to assist with the response effort. Clean Harbors deployed a fuel boom at the Horseshoe Cove marsh area and the marsh area near the false tip of Sandy Hook for containment purposes and cleanup operations. [Robert Louden, Acting Chief Ranger]
Rangers in the park's Sandy Hook Unit made several saves during the Memorial Day weekend: On May 24th, Ranger Hubert came across an unconscious and unresponsive man on Gunnison Beach while closing the park. Ranger Mike Antczak responded to assist along with Rangers Scott Shanker and Katherine Barrett. The park UTV was utilized to transport the man off the beach and to the park ambulance, during which time the man vomited continuously. Local paramedics arrived at the plaza and assisted with patient care. An IV was started and Zofran was administered. The man's condition began to improve and he was taken to a hospital. As a result of an investigation, Hubert arrested and charged the man with public intoxication. On May 25th, Ranger Ed Horn and Scott Shanker were travelling through Guardian Park in the park ambulance when they were flagged down by a visitor who advised them that her father was not feeling well. An initial assessment was conducted and the two EMT's promptly decided to transport the man to a hospital based on their findings. While en route, Horn saw the man display the telltale signs of an active stroke. The local hospital was notified and the man was transferred to doctors upon arrival. On May 27th, Rangers Ed Horn, Scott Shanker, Tom DiOrio, and Jeremy Zagrodski responded to a mutual aid medical request to a town that borders the park. The call came in as CPR in progress. They arrived and found a woman being given CPR. They provided assistance, and a local police officer administered nasal Narcan. The woman responded positively. The rangers continued to provide care and transported her to the hospital. [Rob Louden, Acting Chief Ranger]
During the past week, United States Park Police officers, NPS rangers and cooperating law enforcement and emergency services agency personnel responded to three water rescues, two of which resulted in drowning-related deaths. Strong rip currents were factors in all three incidents and all occurred on unguarded beaches or after hours on guarded beaches. On Monday, August 3rd, the Park Police responded to back-to-back water rescue calls in the Jamaica Bay Unit. Officers responded to a report of a drowning at Riis Park near Bay 9 around 6:30 p.m.. Sergeant Beck entered the water and assisted park visitors in bringing one of two women ashore. She declined medical attention and was able to leave the scene without assistance. The second woman was brought to shore by another park visitor. USPP Officers Balney, Cosgro, and Fajardo performed CPR on her. She was taken to Staten Island University North Hospital, where she was admitted in critical condition. She died three days later. Park Police officers responded to a second water rescue call in the area of Riis Park near Bay 5 around 8 p.m. Officer Gerdes, along with an NYPD officer, pulled a woman from the water; the woman's juvenile daughter was pulled from the water by park visitors. USPP K-9 Officer Connell assisted FDNY in performing CPR on the girl. She was airlifted by NYPD aviation to Staten Island University North Hospital. She subsequently regained consciousness. On the evening of Wednesday, August 5th, NPS rangers and lifeguards, along with cooperating law enforcement and emergency services agency personnel, responded to a water rescue call at Beach B in the Sandy Hook Unit. Rangers Antczak and Patrick arrived on scene and entered the water, but were unable to locate the man. An extensive search was started that involved water, land and air resources. The search went late into the night, but was finally suspended at 11 p.m. At 7 a.m. the following morning, search efforts resumed, with recovery efforts being concentrated in the most probable areas. Interagency search efforts were discontinued at 3 p.m., but park personnel continued to conduct periodic searches of the park's coastline. A fisherman spotted a body off Hidden Beach around 7 a.m. on August 7th. It was recovered from the water by Ranger Guiney and the chief of the Highlands Fire Department. The body was positively identified by a family member as the man who'd disappeared on August 5th. [R. Duane Michael, Acting Chief Ranger]
Shutdown Impacts Park Gateway Community — An opinion piece in the January 15th edition of the New York Times focuses on the impacts that the shutdown has had on businesses in one community abutting a national park — Estes Park, adjacent to Rocky Mountain NP. The government shutdown has "upended the economy of this town and created apprehension and uncertainty." Several business owners are quoted, all of whom express anger and frustration over what they see as a shutdown caused by one person. Closing observation by the writer: "[The] shutdown continues, with local residents and local economies held hostage to something as puerile and idiotic as a temper tantrum over a wholly unrelated issue. The calm, the silence and even the damned wind here seems more profound and beautiful now, like a shining light against the chaos and dysfunction of Washington." Source: Kelly Cordes, New York Times.
The National Parks — Articles on the effects of the shutdown on several specific National Park Service areas — and the ad hoc and often inconsistent ways in which they're being managed during the shutdown: Gateway NRA — In an article on the impacts of the shutdown on New York City residents, including an NPS contractor for the park, note is made of the mounds of trash building up on Cross Bay Boulevard where it crosses Gateway NRA. "Furloughed workers are prohibited by law from setting foot in their places of employment during the shutdown," the contractor notes. "The rule has prevented National Park Service workers from voluntarily picking up trash at Gateway..." Source: David Brand, Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
A contractor working for the park punctured a sewer main at Floyd Bennett Field last month, causing roughly 700 gallons of raw sewage to leak into the soil. The spill occurred on May 9th at Enterprise Avenue and Floyd Bennett Field Drive in the northeast corner of the public park. The contractor was installing an underground electric cable and was unaware that the sewage pipe was there. The worker assumed full responsibility and the area was cleaned up. None of the sewage entered Jamaica Bay, a storm sewer, or any section of the park where ground water is converted into drinking water. Source: Scott Enman, Brooklyn Eagle.
On July 6, near the Breezy Point Co-Operative, at least one American oystercatcher egg was found to have been intentionally destroyed. The incident may or may not be related to a string of other intentionally destroyed egg incidents between mid-May and late June in the region, including those of piping plovers and American oystercatchers. Both birds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and piping plovers are also a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. A reward of up to $5,000 has been offered by the NPS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for information leading to conviction of the perpetrator(s). Source: Gateway National Recreation Area
On February 28, 2021, law enforcement rangers made a traffic stop of a vehicle in the Old Cathedral parking lot. An open beer bottle and open beer carton were observed in the vehicle. The individual gave their name to the officers, but refused to provide identification and did not keep hands on the steering wheel, as advised. The individual became "confrontational" and admitted to consuming alcohol. When rangers tried to handcuff the individual, they struggled, and resisted, including kicking rangers multiple times. Later, during a struggle in jail, the individual grabbed a different ranger by the throat. On December 19, 2022, the individual pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting an officer. They will face sentencing on March 23, 2023. Source: United States Attorney's Office: Eastern District of Missouri
Vandalism of government and contractor property has occurred at Spring Creek. The NPS and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were expected to begin studies into the reactivity of the area, which is a Superfund site due to being a dump in the 1940s. In 2017, a survey identified elevated levels of radium radiation and five "radiological artifacts" were recovered and removed from the park. The study has been halted due to the vandalism, and there is no timeline for resumption of activities yet. Source: Queens Chronicle
On May 28, a 15-year-old drowned in the waters off Sandy Hook. Six other people were rescued, four of whom were taken to local medical centers for care. There are no lifeguards at the beach and swimming is prohibited. Source: News 12
On July 28, a 19-year-old was swimming in the waves off Jacob Riis Park and failed to resurface. Others witnessed the incident and began an "exhaustive search." During the search, the victim washed up on shore unconscious. The individual was rushed to Coney Island Hospital, and passed away there later that evening. Source: NY Daily News On July 29, an individual became unresponsive in the water at Gunnison Beach in Sandy Hook. Other visitors pulled the individual from the water and performed CPR, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Source: NJ.com
On September 1, the park closed the beaches at Great Kills Park due to high bacterial levels in water samples. Source: Gateway National Recreation Area
On October 23, several dozen protestors gathered outside Floyd Bennett Field to rally against recent agreement between the federal government and New York City to house asylum seekers in the park (see 9/20/23 Coalition Report). Source: News 12 Brooklyn
On November 17, a human body missing its arms and its head washed up on a beach near the Silver Gull Beach Club at Rockaway in the park. It is believed to be the body of a 44-year-old who was reported missing on November 4 while riding their bike to the Rockaways. The individual's bike was found "double locked" nearby, and they were known to enjoy swimming in the ocean. Law enforcement suspect the deceased individual drowned and was dismembered by sharp rocks, waves, and wildlife. The Rockaway Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death and a DNA test is being conducted to confirm the individual's identity. Source: New York Daily News
On January 9, 1,900 individuals staying at Floyd Bennett Field at a camp for asylum seekers were relocated temporarily to James Madison High School in Midwood (part of Brooklyn, NY) due to predicted storms and wind speeds over 70 miles per hour. Source: NY Daily News
On May 24, the park closed the area of Bay 1 through Bay 5 of Jacob Riis Park due to significant erosion along the eastern shoreline of the beach. The erosion has exposed "deteriorating wooden groins, rockwork, and other structures" and also has significantly reduced the beach area. A multi-agency project provided 360,000 cubic yards of sand at the park in 2023. That sand was expected to last 4-6 years, but much of it has already washed away due to storms and high tides over the winter and spring. The closure is likely to remain in place through the 2024 summer season. Source: Gateway National Recreation Area
On June 7, NPS staff spotted a 54-year-old who had a nationwide warrant out for the suspected murder of their two siblings in Highland Park, Illinois, two days prior. The individual was arrested shortly thereafter by local law enforcement in St. Louis, Missouri. The suspect remains in custody. Source: KSDK
On June 21, two individuals, ages 16 and 17, disappeared under ocean waves while swimming at Jacob Riis Park. New York City Police Department Harbor Unit divers went into the water, and rescue boats and U.S. Park Police drones were dispatched to search for the individuals. As of June 23, the two individuals had not been found. Source: Daily News
In late July, the park began a 10-week project to demolish the T-9 building in Fort Tilden. The building was heavily damaged in a 2023 fire. The park had hoped to rehabilitate the structure, but "the impacts of the fire were too severe." Source: Gateway National Recreation Area
On August 22, the NPS closed swimming at the beaches at Great Kills Park due to bacterial levels in the water exceeding local, state, and NPS standards for recreational activity. Source: Gateway National Recreation Area
On September 7, a caravan of "more than 30 vehicles" and several dozen individuals held a rally outside Floyd Bennett Field to protest the lease of the site to New York City as an encampment for asylum seekers. The lease was set to expire on September 14. Protestors stated they were upset at increases in crime in the neighborhood, about immigration policies, and about their tax dollars paying for shelters. [Editor note: Later that week, the lease was renewed for another year; see "Around the Parks" section above.] Source: New York Post
On November 2, a visitor located an unexploded WWI-era explosive ordnance at South Gunnison Beach at Sandy Hook. NPS staff cordoned off the area, and an ordnance removal team from Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck, New Jersey, removed the device at 2:30 AM the following morning, during a low tide. Source: NJ.com | |