Gettysburg National Military Park (PA)
Truck Hits, Seriously Damages Monument
The driver of a Ford pickup truck collided with a civil war monument
and two granite fence posts on the Gettysburg battlefield at East
Cemetery Hill on the afternoon of March 3rd. The driver was traveling
northbound on Baltimore Pike and lost control of his pickup in front of
Evergreen Cemetery. The truck swerved off the east edge of the roadway,
continued approximately 150 feet in a northerly direction, and struck
the Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry right flank marker and two granite
fence posts. The 1887 monument is about two feet high, is composed of a
zinc alloy cast to resemble carved stone, and was severely
damaged. Two granite fence posts were uprooted from their concrete
anchors but received minimal damage. The driver was not injured; there
were no passengers. Preliminary National Park Service cost estimates for
the damage are between $5,000 and $10,000, including a complete
recasting of the zinc monument, which cannot be repaired. Gettysburg
Borough PD is the investigating agency and charges are pending. This is
the third time since October 2003 that a vehicle has struck and damaged
a monument or cannon carriage within the park.
[Submitted by Katie
Lawhon, Public Affairs Officer]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Law Enforcement and Emergency Services
Law Enforcement Shields
Additional law enforcement commission shields have arrived at FLETC and are being issued to parks as quickly as possible.
JJ Martin is shipping shields to parks in alphabetical order (i.e. ACAD, APIS, ARCH etc.). They are currently working on those parks that begin with the letter 'F'.
Some employees have transferred/moved to other parks since the orders were placed last spring. This has slowed the process down, requiring multiple FedEx shipments to parks instead of just one.
If you have recently transferred to a "new" park, please contact JJ Martin by email or by calling 912-267-3554. Your patience and assistance are appreciated.
[Submitted by Don Coelho]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (CA)
GS-025-9 Protection Ranger
Sequoia National Park is seeking interested and eligible permanent NPS FLETC graduates for a lateral reassignment, particularly those fluent in Spanish. The duty station is located at Ash Mountain and is a required occupancy position. This is a permanent, subject to furlough position with a furlough of two pay periods a year. The ranger will perform a wide variety of visitor and resource protection duties, including law enforcement, emergency medical services, swiftwater rescue and structural fire. Ash Mountain rangers are actively involved in special operations to combat extensive marijuana cultivation. The park also has a Park Medic ALS program, an exclusive use helicopter, and is developing a short haul operation. Ash Mountain rangers may also participate in conducting snow surveys, spelunking, and horseback riding. Ash Mountain is located approximately six miles from the town of Three Rivers, a small town with a population of 2,500 people. Three Rivers has a variety of amenities and services, including a bank, grocery store, golf course, and a K-8 school. Visalia is a medium size city and is located 45 minutes away. There are many outdoor recreation opportunities available both locally and within several hours drive. Centrally located in California, Sequoia is within easy driving distance of the coast as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Ash Mountain SDR Dave Walton at 559-799-4917 or dave_walton@nps.gov by March 19th. The park intends to have the person selected EOD in this position by May.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (CA)
Former Director Bill Whalen Recovering from Surgery
Former NPS Director Bill Whalen suffered a fairly serious heart attack on February 19th and underwent major heart surgery on February 25th.
Bill's wife Mary reports that the surgery was successful and he is in good humor and recovering well. Bill would love to hear from members of his extended NPS family. Any notes of support may be sent to his home address:
Bill Whalen
11 Eugene St.
Mill Valley, California 94941
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.