Biscayne National Park (FL)
Two Rescued, Two Drown in Boat Capsizing
A group of six people in two open 17-foot boats left Black Point
Marina on the afternoon of March 30th and headed for Elliott Key Harbor,
a distance of about ten miles. J.C. and N.C. were in a
bayliner; L.V. and A.V. and their two sons — Ri.V.,
three and Ro.V., one — were in a homemade boat. An arctic cold
front passed over the area while they were at Elliott Key, dropping
temperatures into the lower 50s and bringing a cold rain. The V.s
and C.s. decided to return to the marina. Meanwhile, winds had
increased to 40 mph, seas increased to five to six feet, and darkness
fell. The two boats became separated; the bayliner returned to Black
Point Marina, but the V.'s boat did not appear. After two hours, the
C.s reported it as overdue. Rangers headed out into the bay from the
islands and quickly found that conditions were too dangerous for small
boats. The Coast Guard searched by helicopter after the winds dropped,
but called off the effort at 2 a.m. The search resumed at first light
and the V.s were found in the ocean around 9 a.m. Their boat had
capsized during the night. The parents had weak pulses and were taken to
the hospital, where they both recovered without ill effects. The boys
had breathed in too much water, however, and succumbed.
[Submitted
by Holly Rife, Chief Ranger]
Amistad National Recreation Area (TX)
International Assistance with Body Recovery
On the afternoon of March 31st, authorities from the Republic of
Mexico requested assistance from rangers in the recovery of the body of
an apparent drowning victim on the Mexican side of Lake Amistad. Due to
the late hour and the required coordination with the Mexican consulate
to enter Mexican waters, recovery efforts took place the next morning.
Attempts to pinpoint the body's location using the park's recently
acquired underwater camera were unsuccessful due to heavy hydrilla plant
growth in the area. Rangers Dennis Anderson and Greg Garetz scuba dove
to a depth of approximately 26 feet, where they quickly located the body
of the 26-year-old man. He reportedly dove into the water from a
four-foot-high cliff and never surfaced. Mexican authorities are
conducting the investigation.
[Submitted by Bruce Malloy, Chief
Ranger]
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park (AL)
Special Event: Battle Anniversary
The 189th anniversary of the battle of Horseshoe Bend, the last,
decisive battle of the Creek Indian War, was commemorated on the last
weekend in March. Over 2,500 visitors attended the two-day park event.
There were 54 living history participants — 16 American Indians and
38 soldiers of the period. The Cherokee and Creek camps demonstrated
many features of early Indian life, such as basket-weaving, cornhusk
doll-making, flint-knapping, and arrow-making. Hundreds of trade goods
and items of woven, beaded clothing were on display. The soldiers
presented musket and cannon firing demonstrations and gave presentations
about life on the early frontier. In consideration of the current threat
condition, the park brought in extra law enforcement staff from
surrounding parks and coordinated with the local sheriff's department.
The only serious event was the report of a car stolen from an elderly
visitor — who subsequently remembered that he had driven his wife's
car to the park.
[Submitted by Mark Lewis, Superintendent]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Interagency Fire Center
NIFC Situation Report - Friday, April 4, 2003
Preparedness Level 2
Initial attack was light to moderate on Thursday, with 127 new fires reported. There were four new large fires, but another 13 were contained.
Three Type 1 teams and two Type 2 teams are currently committed to the Columbia Response recovery effort. Bennett's Type 1 team has replaced Anderson's team.
Fire Danger
| State |
3/27 |
3/28 |
3/31 |
4/1 |
4/2 |
4/3 |
4/4 |
| Colorado |
VH |
VH |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
EX |
| Illinois |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
EX |
-- |
-- |
| Indiana |
VH |
VH |
-- |
-- |
VH |
VH |
-- |
| Kentucky |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
VH |
VH |
-- |
| Missouri |
-- |
-- |
-- |
VH |
VH |
VH |
VH |
| Oklahoma |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
VH |
VH |
VH |
VH — Very high EX — Extreme
National Resource Commitments
| Day |
3/27 |
3/28 |
3/31 |
4/1 |
4/2 |
4/3 |
4/4 |
| Crews |
160 |
161 |
160 |
176 |
167 |
177 |
182 |
| Engines |
59 |
37 |
15 |
49 |
42 |
77 |
63 |
| Helicopters |
6 |
3 |
1 |
7 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
| Air Tankers |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Overhead |
2,241 |
2,618 |
2,594 |
2,572 |
2,581 |
2,143 |
2,174 |
National Team Commitments
| State |
Type Team |
Team IC |
Incident/Fire |
Acres |
Percent Contain |
Est Full Contain |
| TX |
T1 |
Studebaker |
Columbia Response |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| TX |
T1 |
Bennett |
" |
" |
" |
" |
| TX |
T1 |
Gelobter |
" |
" |
" |
" |
| TX |
T2 |
Houseman |
" |
" |
" |
" |
| TX |
T2 |
Gray |
" |
" |
" |
" |
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Servicewide Training
Weekly Listing of Operations Training Opportunities
Operations Training Calendar
This calendar appears every Monday as an addendum to the Morning Report and a separate entry for InsideNPS. It is not meant to be replace the Learning Place; rather it is a quick summary of available training with links (as available) to relevant Learning Place pages. Please note:
- New entries are in bold face.
- Submissions for other training courses should conform to the style used here.
- Please include the URL to the web sites where readers can obtain the requisite forms and/or find out additional information about the training course. If a URL is not specifically listed, the announcement can likely be found on the Learning Place, the NPS training page found at http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc.
- Closing dates for applications are underscored.
**********************************************************************************************
April
April 24: Terrorism Training for NPS Personnel, Anacostia Operations Facility, Washington, DC. Training via Powerpoint presentation on terrorism threats for NPS maintenance employees, interpretive rangers, supervisors and other staff with frequent public contact. Participants will be trained to discern suspicious activity and report it. Presented by Capt. Kevin Hay. Superintendents and other managers are asked to collect the names of participants and send consolidated lists to Captain Hay via email or fax (202-610-6999). Closes on April 21st. [Scott Fear, USPP]
April 29 - May 1: Basic EMT Refresher, Zion NP, UT. Taught by Tod Levesh, a former parkmedic and current paramedic and FEM/A urban SAR team member. Tuition: $75. Lodging is at the Driftwood Lodge, 435-772-3262. For more information, contact Cody Cole, EMS coordinator, Zion NP, at 435-772-0163. [Randy-Coffman@nps.gov]
April 29 — May 9: NPS Certified Structural Firefighter, Wahweap District, Glen Canyon NRA, UT. The course presents students with a strenuous hands-on curriculum that includes extensive training scenarios and live-fire drills. Course graduates will be qualified as structural firefighters within the NPS. Nominees must be able to meet current structural firefighter medical standards and should have current medical certificates. Nominations must be faxed or mailed and received by course coordinator Lisa Ford (phone — 908-608-6250, fax — 908-608-6259) no later than April 11. [Harold_Spencer@nps.gov]
May
May 5 - May 9: High Angle Rope Rescue Training, New River Gorge, WV. The course will focus on basic to advanced high angle rope rescue techniques. All participants must be in good physical condition and be able to spend extended periods of time on fixed ropes. Climbing ability is not necessary. For more information, contact ranger Rob Turan at 304-763-3145 ext. 14. [Rob_Turan@nps.gov]
May 12: Park Medic Refresher, University Medical Center, Fresno, CA. Twelve hours of advanced life support continuing education. The course will cover a large portion of the NREMT mandatory core refresher requirements for EMT intermediates. To register, contact Donna Armijo at UMC (559-459-5105); for general information, call Debbie Brenchely at Sequoia-Kings Canyon NP (559-565-4334). [Randy-Coffman@nps.gov]
May 12 - May 23: Physical Security, FLETC, Glynco, GA. Physical security systems and procedures, physical security surveys. Closes on April 10. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]
May 27 - May 30: Instructor Training for Non-Lethal Training Ammunition, FLETC, Glynco, GA. Closes on April 22. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]
June
June 2 - June 13: Technical Investigative Equipment Training Program, FLETC, Glynco, GA. Closes on April 29. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]
June 9 — June 10: Root Cause Analysis for Incident Investigation, Phoenix, AZ. Root cause analysis is a critical element of the incident investigation and reporting management system. This course, presented by Apollo Associated Services, Inc, is designed to establish a cadre of practitioners within each region. Participants will learn to understand, and apply the problem solving and decision making process of root cause analysis to their "real world" problems by developing clear and quantified problem definitions, establishing the cause and effect relationships for the problem, and, most importantly, developing creative solutions that attack and eliminate the causes of the problems. Closes on May 9th. For further information and a nomination form, contact Shirley Rowley via email or at 303-969-2536. [Shirley_Rowley@nps.gov]
June 11 — June 12: Root Cause Analysis for Incident Investigation, Phoenix, AZ. Same as above.
June 9 - June 20: Firearms Instructor Training Program, FLETC, Glynco, GA. Closes on April 29. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]
June 10 — June 19: Basic Law Enforcement for Supervisors, FLETC, Glynco, GA. This program provides trainees with the opportunity to develop and refined their supervisory abilities. The instructors are all current or former supervisory law enforcement professionals. Closes on April 29. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Assateague Island National Seashore (VA)
GS-025-12/13 Chief Ranger
The park is advertising for a GS-025-12/13 chief ranger. The position is designated as secondary (administrative) under 6c. The announcement number is GETT-03-21; it opens today and closes on April 18th.
[Submitted by Karen Burns]
Fee Management Program
WASO Fee Program Detail Assignment
Recreation Fee Management Program Detail Assignment
Washington, DC
General Information: The WASO Recreation Fee Program Office is seeking interested employees for a detail assignment at the 1201 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC address for a period of 120 days.
Grade: GS-05, 07, 09, or 11. Employee will be assigned unclassified duties at current grade level with no promotion potential.
Positions: 2 to be filled. Unclassified duties (see description below)
Funding: Salary, benefits, travel, and per diem will be paid by WASO.
Duties: Positions will be responsible for supporting the Recreation Fee Program office during the transition from the National Park Reservation Service to a new contractor - the National Recreation Reservation Service (NRRS). Individuals selected will have opportunities to work in all areas of the fee program and will gain a broad understanding of the program. Duties may include but are not limited to:
*Assist staff with the transition team activities for the NRRS by coordinating meetings, conference calls, site visits, performing research, gathering information and data, etc.
*Assist staff with the National Park Foundation and National Parks Pass Workgroup on National Parks Pass issues.
*Assist in preparing correspondence, reports and briefings, budget spreadsheets, accounting, data-entry, and record keeping.
*Develop logistics for transition team activities and meetings and the McKinsey Fee Study implementation.
Dates: 120 days from approximately May 2003 through November 2003
Nomination Process: Nomination forms should be submitted to Jane Anderson, WASO Recreation Fee Program Office at jane_anderson@nps.gov or fax to 202/371-2401 Attn: Jane Anderson, no later than COB, April 28, 2003. Look under InDepth on the Fee Management Program website (InsideNPS) for a downloadable nomination form and further instructions.
[Submitted by Jane Anderson, jane_anderson@nps.gov, 202/513-7087]
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor (NY)
GS-301-7/9 Program Specialist (Administration)
Dates: 03/28/2003 - 04/18/2003
There is one vacancy for a GS-7/9 Program Specialist and Office Manager for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor in upstate New York. The vacancy announcement number is: BOSO-03-05 and the USAJOBS Control number is IM0418 FM. This is an opportunity to join a new NPS operation and start up the administrative program. The person in the position will serve as the administrative officer and is an assistant and advisor to the Park Manager and program managers on a wide variety of issues related to administration, customer service and communications for the Erie Canalway NHC. The person in this position manages the Erie Canalway NHC funding partnership program. Serves as the principal administrative support position in the Erie Canalway and maintains and tracks the Erie Canalway budget. The position also manages the heritage corridor's Internet web site and designs new web pages and operates various computer software programs. Also serves as the assistant to the politically sensitive Erie Canalway NHC Commission, which is nominated by Congress and the Governor and appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. The position is based in the Albany, New York area, with some travel required throughout the 500-mile long heritage corridor. No government housing is available. There are numerous housing options available locally at moderate cost levels. Albany's Capital District area offers full community services and proximity to recreational and cultural resources in the nearby Adirondacks, Hudson Valley and New York City.[Submitted by Frank Dean, frank_dean@nps.gov , (518) 237-8643 x3274]
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.