RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Wednesday, October 30, 1991
INCIDENTS
91-586 - Big Cypress (Florida) - Follow-up on Search
D.D.T., the Miccosukee police officer whose body was found
on lands adjacent to the park on October 28th, apparently from accidental
drowning early that morning. Searchers found his swamped police airboat in
a flooded borrow pit adjacent to I-75. Rangers aboard an NPS helicopter
participated in the search along with aircraft and ground searchers from
the Broward and Metro-Dade sheriff's departments, U.S. Customs, Florida
Game and Fish Commission, the Coast Guard and a Miami TV station.
91-590 - Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) - Burglary Arrests
Following the recent arrest of S.M.W. by Modesto,
California, police officers on a local charge, evidence was discovered
which led to S.M.W.' linkage with thefts from Sequoia/Kings Canyon,
Yosemite, and the Stanislaus and Toiyabe national forests. Park and Forest
Service investigators determined that S.M.W. and E.B., both of
Modesto, had burglarized the Grant Grove Lodge, the Miwok ranger station in
the Stanislaus, and campground pipe safes in both parks and both forests.
S.M.W. and E.B. are currently in custody on state charges, and a
complaint for the Grant Grove Lodge burglary has been filed. Indictments
are being sought and charges against other involved persons may still be
filed. The investigation is continuing. [Pete Allen, LEO, SEKI, via
CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 10/28]
91-591 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Search and Rescue
On the afternoon of September 24th, S.B., a heat stroke victim, was
evacuated by park helicopter from the Tonto Trail about a quarter mile east
of Salt Creek. S.B. was on a four-day backpacking trip in a remote area
of the park when she became ill. The initial report received by ranger
Doug Paulson at Indian Gardens was that a 54-year-old female backpacker had
lost consciousness while hiking. Paulson and paramedic Nancy Mechan
responded and found that S.B.'s core temperature was 104.6 degrees. She
was cooled, then transported by helicopter and park ambulance to the Grand
Canyon Clinic. Upon arrival, her core temperature had dropped to 100.6
degrees. She was treated at the clinic, then taken by ambulance to
Flagstaff Medical Center. She was released the following day. Doctors
credit responding personnel with saving S.B.'s life. Nine park rescue and
EMS personnel were involved in the mission. [CompuServe message from Herb
Gercke, RAD/WRO, 10/28]
91-592 - Blue Ridge (North Carolina/Virginia) - Possible Suicide
Just before 9:00 a.m. on the morning of October 25th, two hikers reported a
car burning at Devil's Gordon overlook. Responding rangers found a car on
fire and a body about 30 feet away. Rangers, Allegany County sheriff's
deputies and Winston-Salem police officers are investigating. Suicide is
suspected. [Larry Freeman, BLRI, via telefax from Steve Alscher, LES,
RAD/SERO, 10/25]
91-593 - Gulf Islands (Florida/Mississippi) - Low-Flying Aircraft
Conviction
On August 12th, rangers observed a replica of a World War II German Stuka
dive bomber flying at an estimated 450 feet above Ship Island - well below
the 1,000-foot minimum altitude prescribed by FAA for flights over
populated areas. The pilot refused to submit to an administrative
judgement, so the FAA filed formal charges against him and the case went to
trail in New Orleans on October 25th. Rangers Jill Kinney, Todd Clark and
Andy Madden and lifeguard Pat Caviness were called as witnesses for the FAA.
The administrative law judge decided the case in favor of the FAA and
ordered a 120-day suspension of the defendant's pilot's license. The judge
stated that the two main reasons for this finding were the rangers' ability
to properly estimate the height of the aircraft and to determine the number
of people who were under the flight path during the incident. Since the
signing of an interagency agreement between the NPS and the FAA in 1984,
Gulf Island rangers have been providing the local FAA office with detailed
reports on low-flying aircraft incidents occurring over the park's four
off-shore islands. The local office has acted administratively on every
case submitted. [CompuServe message from Gene Phillips, CR, GUIS, 10/28]
91-594 - Herbert Hoover (Iowa) - Vice Presidential Visit
Vice President Dan Quayle and his wife, Marilyn, visited the park on
October 21st following other stops in Iowa. The Quayles attended a
reception for approximately 120 invited guests, then took part in a
graveside ceremony at the graves of President and Mrs. Hoover. Vice
President Quayle gave a short address, then placed a wreath on President
Hoover's grave. Security for the visit was coordinated by park personnel,
the Secret Service and the White House staff. This was the fist visit to
the park by a sitting vice president. [Kurt Topham, CR, HEHO, via telefax
from Rich Murphy, LES, RAD/MWRO, 10/29]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level I
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 10/29 10/30 Status
TN USFS Cherokee NF Polly Hollow - T2 135 500 NEC
KY USFS D. Boone NF Red Bird Comp - T2 1,500 2,000 CN 11/2
NOTES:
- Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported fire (on this report). T1 and
T2 indicate assigned Type I and Type II Teams.
- Status - The following abbreviations are employed:
NR - No report received MS - Modified suppression strategy
CL - Controlled MN - Being monitored
CS - Confinement strategy NEC - No estimate of containment
CN (date) - Expected date CND - Contained
of containment
3) ANALYSIS - Fire activity continues to increase in the South. The 2nd
Army has provided a transportation unit to a fire in Tennessee. Five
additional crews have been sent from the West to fires in the South.
4) PROGNOSIS - Fire activity is expected to continue in the South, but no
resource shortages are anticipated.
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0530 MDT, 10/30]
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Martin on oil spill review, PNRO,
Seattle, WA (10/28-10/31).
Branch of Fire and Aviation: Hurd at meeting of instructors for fire
management for agency administrators, Marana, AZ (10/28-11/1); Bristol at
InciNet committee meeting, Sacramento, CA (10/28-11/1); Norum at meeting of
prescribed fire analyst unit leaders and faculty, Denver, CO (10/29-10/31);
Clark serving as NPS representative at NWS advisory group meeting, Denver,
CO (10/30-11/1).
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: All Offices - FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
Telefax: Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-6756 or 202-208-6756
Branch of Fire - FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977
CompuServe: Branch of R&VP - WASO-RANGER
Branch of Fire - WASO-FIRE-WO
SEAdog: All Offices - 1/650