Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Poacher Arrested Following Stand-Off
On November 22nd, rangers and special agents arrested E.A.J.,
31, of Livingston, Montana, following a citizen report of an
antelope poaching in progress in the Stevens Creek area of the park.
Ranger Doug Berringer and a park special agent were first to arrive on
scene and saw a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle
attempting to leave the area. The vehicle was stopped and a short
stand-off ensued. According to the criminal complaint filed in this
case, E.A.J. was repeatedly ordered at gunpoint to keep his hands in
view and to get down on the ground. E.A.J.E.A.J. instead opted to reach
repeatedly and aggressively toward his waistband, then reportedly told
the rangers to shoot him. He was ultimately taken into custody. A dead
antelope and a rifle were discovered in the front seat of the red Ford
Bronco he was driving. E.A.J. was booked into the Mammoth Hot Springs
jail for violating the Lacey Act (poaching), resisting and impeding
federal officers, using a weapon in a national park, operating a vehicle
under the influence of alcohol, possession of drug paraphernalia, and
operating a vehicle off of designated park roadways. A detention hearing
was set for November 25th. The investigation is continuing and the case
is being further reviewed by the United States Attorney's Office for the
possible filing of additional felony weapons charges. This was the sixth
known wildlife poaching case inside the park within the last two
months.M
[Submitted by Chris Fors, Special Agent]
Rocky Mountain National Park (CO)
Suicide in Park Campground
A 19-year-old boy from Brockton, Massachusetts, committed suicide in
the Moraine Park campground on the evening of November 16th. He
telephoned his sister in Massachusetts prior to the incident, and she
called the Estes Park PD and asked for help. Three Larimer County
deputies were dispatched to assist rangers in their search for the boy.
A deputy soon found him sitting in his car in the campground. As the
deputy approached the vehicle, the boy shot himself with a .45 caliber
pistol. Ranger Jan Pauley arrived on scene shortly thereafter and
determined that he was still breathing and had a radial pulse. Pauley
provided EMS until the arrival of an ambulance. The boy was transported
to the Estes Park Medical Center and later flown to Poudre Valley
Hospital in Fort Collins, where he was pronounced dead.
[Submitted
by Steve Spanyer, Law Enforcement Specialist]
Point Reyes National Seashore (CA)
Visitor Suicide
A ranger came upon a vehicle parked in an unusual location off
Highway 1 near the community of Dogtown just before 5 p.m. on November
23rd. He looked around the vehicle and found the body of a 38-year-old
man from Bodega Bay who had hanged himself with a garden hose tied to a
fence and stretched over a tree limb. A suicide note was found on the
body. The Marin County sheriff and coroners offices assisted in the
investigation, which remains open. Ranger David Bennett was IC.
[Submitted by David Schifsky, Acting Operations Supervisor]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Servicewide Training
Weekly Listing of Operations Training Opportunities
This calendar appears every Monday as an addendum to the Morning Report and a separate entry for InsideN*PS. 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 and revised 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.
**********************************************************************************************
January
January 13 — March 18: Criminal Investigator Training (CITP-412), FLETC, Glynco, GA. For a copy of the announcement, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. The announcement closes on December 5th. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC]
January 26 — January 30: Law Enforcement for Managers (LEM-401), FLETC, Glynco, GA. For a copy of the announcement, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. The announcement closes on December 12th. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC]
January 27 — January 29: National Emergency Medical Services Conference, San Diego, CA. This training will provide participants with the latest updates on contemporary standards of pre-hospital patient care, instruction in the application of NPS EMS policy, and the coordination of EMS programs within the parks. Specific topics to be addressed include Director's Order 51, Reference Manual 51, the NPS EMS field manual, EMS program coordination, NPS national standard protocol development, the National Registry of EMT's, EMS data management, patient care reports, the NPS white card, medical-legal issues, and a presentation by the national NPS EMS medical advisor. An EMS medical advisor meeting will preceded the training conference — it will take place on the afternoon of January 25th and all day on the 26th. Nominations must be received by December 29th. For more information, contact Randy Coffman, Chief, Emergency Services, WASO at 202-513-7093. [Randy Coffman]
February
No entries.
March
March 1 — March 5: Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination (NWCG FI-210), FLETC, Glynco, GA. The FI-210 course is designed to provide the coursework portion of the task book requirements for red card certification as a Type III fire investigator (wildland fire cause and origin). The course is open to both commissioned law enforcement and non-commissioned fire and resource management employees who are interested in developing and/or refreshing skills in fire investigation. Fore more information, contact either John Carpenter at 912-267-2607 (John.Carpenter@associates.dhs.gov) or SA Alan Foster at 530-359-2108. [Alan Foster]
March 1 — March 12: Special Operations (SPECOPS-401), FLETC, Tucson, AZ. Training for personnel who are directly involved with special law enforcement operations in the National Park Service. It is intended for those who are actually engaged in such enforcement activities, including terrorism and security, counter-narcotics, and anti-poaching. Includes tactical firearms exercises and training in anti-terrorism concepts and planning, ground/aerial surveillance techniques, use of technical equipment, team building, resource violation scenarios, tactical tracking skills, physical fitness, and officer survival. For a copy of the announcement, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. The announcement closes on January 9th. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC]
March 30 — April 1: Colt M-16/AR-15 Rifle/Carbine/Submachine Gun Armorer's School, Delaware Water Gap NRA, Bushkill, PA. Those attending will be provided with a complete understanding of the design theory, nomenclature, dynamics, compatibility, interchangeability, detailed disassembly, assembly, maintenance and troubleshooting of the M-16/AR-15 family of weapons and certified for three years as a model-specific Colt law enforcement armorer. The course if for LE personnel only. Cost: $375. The closing date for applications is February 29th. For additional details, contact Mike Zirwas, park ranger, at 570-588-2436 or contact him via email. [Mike Zirwas, DEWA]
April
April 19 — April 23: Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination (NWCG FI-210), Colorado Springs, CO. The FI-210 course is designed to provide the coursework portion of the task book requirements for red card certification as a Type III fire investigator (wildland fire cause and origin). The course is open to both commissioned law enforcement and non-commissioned fire and resource management employees who are interested in developing and/or refreshing skills in fire investigation. Fore more information, contact either John Carpenter at 912-267-2607 (John.Carpenter@associates.dhs.gov) or SA Alan Foster at 530-359-2108. [Alan Foster]
May
May 10 — May 14: Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination (NWCG FI-210), Prescott, AZ. The FI-210 course is designed to provide the coursework portion of the task book requirements for red card certification as a Type III fire investigator (wildland fire cause and origin). The course is open to both commissioned law enforcement and non-commissioned fire and resource management employees who are interested in developing and/or refreshing skills in fire investigation. Fore more information, contact either John Carpenter at 912-267-2607 (John.Carpenter@associates.dhs.gov) or SA Alan Foster at 530-359-2108. [Alan Foster]
May 24 — May 28: Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination (NWCG FI-210), Redmond, OR. The FI-210 course is designed to provide the coursework portion of the task book requirements for red card certification as a Type III fire investigator (wildland fire cause and origin). The course is open to both commissioned law enforcement and non-commissioned fire and resource management employees who are interested in developing and/or refreshing skills in fire investigation. Fore more information, contact either John Carpenter at 912-267-2607 (John.Carpenter@associates.dhs.gov) or SA Alan Foster at 530-359-2108. [Alan Foster]
June
June 7 — June 11: Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination (NWCG FI-210), Missoula, MT. The FI-210 course is designed to provide the coursework portion of the task book requirements for red card certification as a Type III fire investigator (wildland fire cause and origin). The course is open to both commissioned law enforcement and non-commissioned fire and resource management employees who are interested in developing and/or refreshing skills in fire investigation. Fore more information, contact either John Carpenter at 912-267-2607 (John.Carpenter@associates.dhs.gov) or SA Alan Foster at 530-359-2108. [Alan Foster]
June 14 — June 18: Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination (NWCG FI-210), Boise, ID. The FI-210 course is designed to provide the coursework portion of the task book requirements for red card certification as a Type III fire investigator (wildland fire cause and origin). The course is open to both commissioned law enforcement and non-commissioned fire and resource management employees who are interested in developing and/or refreshing skills in fire investigation. Fore more information, contact either John Carpenter at 912-267-2607 (John.Carpenter@associates.dhs.gov) or SA Alan Foster at 530-359-2108. [Alan Foster]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Grand Teton National Park (WY)
Additional Information on Passing of Rich Spomer
As was noted in last Wednesday's Morning Report, long-time park district ranger Rich Spomer passed away at his home in Grand Junction, Colorado, on the night of Monday, November 24th. Services for him will be held on December 2nd at 11 a.m. at Callahan Edfast Mortuary (2515 Patterson Road, Grand Junction, CO), with burial at the city's military cemetery following at 1 p.m. Donations in lieu of flowers should be made to any one of the following three organizations:
- ALS association, PO Box 7964, Boulder, CO 80306.
- Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado, 2754 Compass Drive, Suite 377, Grand Junction, CO 81506
- George B Hartzog, Jr Educational Loan Program, c/o Bonnie Stetson, E&AA Membership, 470 Maryland Drive, Suite 1, Fort Washington, PA 19034.
[Submitted by Colin Campbell]
War In The Pacific National Historical Park (GU)
Passing of Facility Manager Ron Wilson
With great sadness War in the Pacific NHP and American Memorial Park in Saipan announce the death of Ronald (Ron) Wilson, Facility Manager.
Ron was duty stationed on Guam at War in the Pacific NHP, managing the maintenance program at both WAPA and American Memorial Park on Saipan. Ron's history with the Navy Seabees and National Park Service highlights a magnificent government career that culminated in his return for a second tour of duty at War in the Pacific NHP. Ron choose to return to Guam and Saipan because the land and its history was immensely powerful to him. In the words of his staff and his wife Colleen Wilson, he died doing what he most enjoyed, in one of parks he most wanted to work.
A local ceremony for Ron is tentatively scheduled to be held at the park's Asan Beach Unit on Friday November 21, 2003; at 1000 hours. The ceremony will include a Veterans Affairs Office color guard and services by US Navy. Flags from both American Memorial Park and War in the Pacific NHP that were flown on the day of Ron's death were retired and will be presented to his family. Colleen will return with Ron to Washington State for services and burial at the National Cemetery in Washington State.
Ron will be greatly missed.
More Information...
Rocky Mountain National Park (CO)
GS-025-13 Chief Ranger
The Chief Ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park vacancy announcement has been issued with a closing date of Friday, December 12, 2003. The Chief Ranger manages the Division of Resource Protection and Visitor Management with responsibilities that include law enforcement, backcountry and wilderness management, backcountry reservations system, fee collection, campground operations, search and rescue, dispatch operations, aviation management, visitor transportation system, and emergency medical services. The Chief Ranger directly supervises six full time positions including operation chiefs and support staff as well as work directly with external and internal cooperators. As a member of the park management team, the Chief Ranger develops the division's and the assists with the park's strategic long-term planning and short-term implementation actions. The Chief Ranger is responsible for a base operating budget, an alternative transportation budget, fee demonstration funds and multiple project and donated funds. Please see www.usajobs.opm.gov for detailed vacancy announcement. For additional information on application process, contact Jan Bowers, Human Resources Officer, at (970) 586-1210.[Submitted by Tony Schetzsle, Deputy Superintendent, (970) 586-1202]
Zion National Park (UT)
GS-025-11 Supervisory Park Ranger
Dates: 12/01/2003 - 12/12/2003
The park has an opening for a GS-025-11 Supervisory Park Ranger in the Division of Interpretation and Visitor Services. The announcement is open December 1-12. The person will coordinate the daily operation of the personal services interpretive program that includes the Zion Canyon Visitor Center; Zion Human History Museum, 42-56 interpretive activities a week (guided walks, shuttle tours, and evening programs), and special activities and programs. They will supervise two permanent GS-9 and 7-12 GS-4/5 seasonal front-line interpreters and plan, prepare, and present their own original interpretive programs.Please see www.usajobs.opm.gov for announcement ZION-MERIT-04-02.[Submitted by Tom Haraden, Assistant Chief of Interpretation & Visitor Services, 435 772-0161]
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.