Jewel Cave National Monument (SD)
Follow-up on Death of Employee Brian Evans
Maintenance mechanic Brian Evans, 38, the park's acting chief of
maintenance, passed away unexpectedly of a massive heart attack on the
night of December 19th. Along with an extended family and friends, Brian
leaves behind his wife, J., and two sons, M.B. and R."B."B.,
a seasonal fee collector for the park. Brian was
relatively new to the NPS, having begun work at Jewel Cave in January,
2001, but was extremely enthusiastic about being a part of the agency's
mission and goals and had recently signed on as a new NPS fundamentals
instructor. Brian was well-liked and respected by the Jewel Cave staff
and his smile and positive attitude will be sorely missed. A memorial
service was held at Community Lutheran Church in Hill City on Saturday,
December 27th. The family suggests that memorial donations be sent to
Yeldez Shrine Transportation Fund for Children, P.O. Box 1066, Aberdeen,
SD 57402-1060 (this fund is used to transport parents and children to
the Shriner Hospital for treatment and provide for their lodging during
the hospitalization). Condolences may be sent to: Family of Brian Evans,
c/o Jewel Cave NM, RR1, Box 60AA, Custer, SD 57730.
[Submitted by
Karen Rosga, Chief of Interpretation]
Appalachian National Scenic Trail (CT,GA,MA,MD,ME,NC,NH,NJ,NY,PA,TN,VA,VT,WV)
Death of Long-Time NPS Volunteer
Long-time NPS dam tender and volunteer Jim Robson suffered a fatal
heart attack and died on Christmas Eve. Jim and his wife P. lived in
an NPS-owned house near Nuclear Lake, an unusual location on the
Appalachian Trail near Poughquag, New York. The lake and surrounding
area were owned by a Cold War era plutonium processing company.
Following NPS acquisition, Jim assisted the NPS with site cleanup and
subsequent repair of the dam. He faithfully maintained and operated the
dam as a volunteer for many years thereafter.
[Submitted by Robert
Gray, Chief Ranger]
Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
Water Damage to Buildings
A series of bursting pipes and sprinkler system activations had
rangers on the South Rim scrambling on the afternoon of Sunday, December
28th. The first call came in from the park's unified school complex at
1:30 p.m. Rangers and the structural fire brigade responded; they found
neither smoke nor fire, but there was water in abundance. A pipe for the
sprinkler system had broken in the storage room in the new wing of the
high school and had flooded three classrooms and a hallway. The next
call came in from the park's community building at 4:30 p.m. Water was
found flowing from the building's attic from a rupture in pipes serving
the sprinkler system. The last call came at 5:20 p.m. when an alarm
sounded in the new park warehouse facility. Pipes serving the eyewash
station and other safety features had burst and the sprinklers had
activated. The buildings were being cleaned up at the time of the report
(last Monday). An investigation into the cause of the ruptures and
activations is underway.
[Submitted by Dawn O'Sickey, Public Affairs
Officer]
Natchez Trace Parkway (AL,MS,TN)
Theft of Government Property
Ranger Tim Lacy found the Port Gibson maintenance and ranger facility
gate unsecured on the morning of December 27th and determined that a
break-in had occurred the previous night. Maintenance property valued at
more than $8,400 was taken and a GSA pickup was stolen. The white 2003
Ford F-150 pickup (G42-52125) has been entered into NCIC. About 2,000
rounds of ammunition of various calibers was also taken. The case is
being investigated by the park, the FBI and the Claiborne County
Sheriff's Department.
[Submitted by Charles Cuvelier, Chief
Ranger]
Redwood National and State Parks (CA)
Apparent Suicide
On December 26th, off-trail hikers discovered a body south of Nickel
Creek campground. Rangers and county deputies responded and determined
that the man had evidently died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The
man had last been seen by family members four days previously and had
been reported as missing and possibly suicidal on December 24th. Because
of the late hour and difficult terrain, rangers secured the area for the
night, then recovered the body the following morning with the help of
Del Norte County SAR and a CHP helicopter.
[Submitted by Scott
Wanek, Chief Ranger]
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 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 9 — January 11: National Registry EMT-Basic Refresher, Furnace Creek Inn, Death Valley NP, CA. $125 per student. For additional information, contact Laura_Wilvert@nps.gov, or call her at 760-786-3295. Or go to the NPS EMS web site at http://inside.nps.gov/programs/programcustommenu.cfm?menuid=1816&div=45&prog=177. [Dennis Burnett, WASO]
February
February 3 — February 6: EMT Refresher, Lassen Volcanic NP, CA. $50 per student. For additional information, contact Kelly_Roche@nps.gov, or call her at 530-595-4444. [Randy Coffman, WASO]
February 18 — June 11: National Park Ranger Basic Law Enforcement Training (NPRI-404), FLETC, Glynco, GA. For a copy of the announcement, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. The announcement closes on January 8th. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC]
February 23 — February 25: EMS Refresher, Shenandoah NP, VA. For more information, please go to the NPS EMS web site at http://inside.nps.gov/programs/programcustommenu.cfm?menuid=1824&div=45&prog=177.
[Randy Coffman, WASO]
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
Southern Arizona Group
Dwayne Collier Retires from NPS
After a lengthy and rewarding career spanning almost 34 years, Dwayne Collier hung up his Stetson on January 3rd.
Dwayne's introduction to the NPS began while pursuing a degree in wildlife management at New Mexico State University. His first job was in the summer of 1970 as a seasonal park guide at Carlsbad Caverns NP. He spent three years working seasonally as a cave guide and park technician with the research biologist at Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains NP.
After obtaining career status at Carlsbad Caverns, he was duty-stationed at White Sands NM (park ranger), Timpanogos Cave NM (chief ranger), Montezuma Castle/Tuzigoot NM (chief ranger), Walnut Canyon NM (superintendent), Whiskeytown NRA (chief, law enforcement and visitor services), and Southern Arizona Office (chief ranger, superintendent, and Arizona state coordinator).
Dwayne had this to say about his years with the NPS: "Not many folks have had the varied experiences or the rewarding opportunities that I have enjoyed. I don't regret a single day. It has been a good ride!"
Dwayne's career provided numerous opportunities for a variety of details, including public information officer on numerous fires in the west and media liaison at the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. He served as incident commander for the Western Region All Risk Team, with details including the water line break and flood at Grand Canyon, the transition of the Presidio from the Army to NPS, the flood recovery at Yosemite, a manhunt at Yosemite, the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Guam, the eviction of squatters at Kaloko-Honokohau NHP, and three presidential visits to Grand Canyon. The Department of Interior called him to Washington in the wake of 9/11 to assist in organizing their response to the tragedy and to prepare a plan for potential additional events. He was one of the primary authors of DO-9 and RM-9 on law enforcement policies.
Dwayne and wife, Sandy, will remain in Scottsdale near their children and grandchildren. Aside from seeking a (non-supervisory) part-time job to remain active, Dwayne looks forward to fishing and traveling.
A farewell party is planned in Phoenix on the evening of Saturday, January 24th, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. If you would like further details, contact Sara Quirarte at 602-640-5250 x229 or at sara_quirarte@nps.gov.
Rock Creek Park (DC)
Bob Ford Retires
Park natural resources manager Bob Ford retired on January 2nd after 37 years in the National Park Service. He will be greatly missed — no one knows as much about park resources as Bob Ford. Many rangers got to know Bob in the pre-FLETC days, when law enforcement rangers were assigned details in Rock Creek Park as part of their training. The park is assembling an NPS "memory book" to document his many years of service. If you have photos, stories, or anything else you would like to contribute, please send them by January 30th to: Laura Illige, Chief Ranger, Rock Creek Park, 3545 Williamsburg Lane, NW, Washington DC, 20008, or via email to laura_illige@nps.gov. If you have any questions, please call Laura at 202-895-6010.
Coronado National Memorial (AZ)
Administrative Officer
Dates: 12/24/2003 - 01/23/2004
The Administrative Officer position at Coronado National Memorial is currently advertised on USAJOBS under vacancy announcement SOAR-04-08 and closes January 23. This position is supervised by the superintendent and is responsible for the full range of administrative duties including personnel, budget, property, travel, and payroll. The administrative officer also coordinates the park housing and uniform programs and is responsible for the computer network and telecommunications systems. There may be a dual career opportunity as the park will soon be advertising for several park ranger (protection) positions and a chief of maintenance. Coronado National Memorial is located about 20 miles south of Sierra Vista, a city of 40,000, with amenities such as a variety of shopping facilities, medical facilities, and schools including a junior college and University of Arizona branch campus. For more information, contact the superintendent, Dale Thompson, at 520-366-5515, ext. 21.[Submitted by Dale Thompson, dale_thompson@nps.gov, 520-366-5515 ext 21] More Information...
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.