Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (AZ)
Conviction for Drug Smuggling and Assault
Last June, F.W., 32, a fugitive from justice from the North
Carolina Bureau of Prisons and the Kentucky State Police, illegally
entered the U.S. from Mexico in a Mercury Cougar with 164 pounds of
marijuana in hidden compartments. F.W. was stopped by rangers and Border
Patrol agents at a checkpoint on Route 85. When asked to get out of his
car, F.W. stepped on the gas, dragging a federal officer about ten feet.
Hen then fled south into oncoming traffic. Rangers and agents pursued
him at speeds of 100 mph for 14 miles before F.W. ran off the road. He
was arrested at gunpoint while an Arizona Army National Guard helicopter
hovered overhead. On February 20th, F.W. pled guilty to assaulting a
federal officer and to possession with intent to distribute. He was
sentenced to 92 months in federal prison, and still faces charges in
Kentucky and North Carolina.
[Submitted by Bo Stone, Park Ranger]
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Head-On Collision with Fatality
Park dispatch received a 911 call just before 9 p.m. on March 12th
reporting a head-on collision on the northbound side of Foothills
Parkway Spur near Gatlinburg. Field training ranger Scott Kalna, trainee
George Lewis and ranger Melody Morrison responded and arrived on scene
within minutes of the collision. Both vehicles were blocking the
northbound lanes. The driver of a Nissan, later identified as
R.L.T., 57, of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, was unconscious, not
breathing and had massive head trauma. After unsuccessful attempts
at resuscitation by Gatlinburg Fire Department paramedics, R.L.T. was
declared dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt and his
vehicle was not equipped with air bags. Evidence at the scene indicated
that R.L.T.'s vehicle had been traveling southbound and had crossed over
at least two lanes of traffic into the northbound lane, hitting head-on
a northbound Mitsubishi driven by a 16-year-old woman with an
18-year-old male passenger. Both were wearing their seatbelts and
suffered only minor injuries due to the deployment of the Mitsubishi's
airbags. They were transported to a local hospital for observation and
later released. It's believed that R.L.T. may have had a stroke and/or
heart attack while driving. Gatlinburg FD, EMS and PD assisted.
The parkway was closed to all traffic for approximately 30
minutes. Kalna was IC and is the lead investigator for the
accident.[Submitted by Rick Smith, District Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
Buffalo National River (AR)
Lower Buffalo Wilderness RX (Prescribed Fire Treatment)
An 11,284 acre prescribed burn was completed last week from March 10-13, 2004, at Buffalo National River. The project area was within Marion County, Arkansas, approximately 7 miles southeast of Flippin. Favorable weather conditions with temperatures in the low 60's and relative humidity in the upper teens, allowed crews to treat interior areas much faster than anticipated. Firing operations have ended and crews will continue monitoring the area over the next several days. The area remains closed while the monitoring is in progress, and park staff will determine when the area will be opened back up to the public. It is anticipated that this will occur within the next week. (full report)
Status
To ensure public safety, the area where the prescribed fire is to take place has been closed to the public March 10 through April 10, 2004. Use of the river will not be affected. Canoes and john boats will be allowed on the river, and camping will be allowed on gravel bar areas. Park staff will determine when the area will be reopened for public use.
Acreage: 11,284 acres
Estimated containment date: April 10, 2004[Submitted by Mike Johnson, J_Michael_Johnson@nps.gov, 402-221-3478]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Fire and Aviation Management
Memorandum: "2005 Wildland Fire Apprenticeship Basic Academy Slots"
P86
March 12, 2004
To: Regional Fire Management Officers
From: National Fire Management Officer /s/ Sue Vap
Subject: 2005 Wildland Firefighter Apprenticeship Basic Academy Slots
If parks in your region are interested in sponsoring an employee through a 2005 Basic Academy of the Wildland Firefighter Apprenticeship Program you must notify Mark Koontz, National Apprenticeship Coordinator, of the number of slots you wish to encumber by April 5, 2004. The Academy Coordinator will use this information to determine the number of academies needed in 2005 and in turn the tuition for each employee.
Parks will not be held accountable for the cost of these encumbered slots until October 25, 2004. All cancellations must be received prior to October 25, 2004. Actual billing will be done at a later date. The estimated cost for the 2005 Basic Academy is $3,500. This figure covers lodging while at the academy, meals Monday through Friday, and all course tuition. Additional costs incurred at the Basic Academy include travel to and from the academy, per diem on each Saturday and Sunday, and any miscellaneous overtime incurred (approximately 15 hours). Regions should make apprenticeship program costs a line item request.
Employees hired as apprentices in the Wildland Firefighter Apprenticeship Program will be required to attend the Basic and Advanced Academies in successive years as well as 283 hours of additional training over a period of up to four years. Most of the Required Supplemental Technical Training can be conducted at the home unit as it consists primarily of 200 and 300 level National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) classes. A minimum of 500 Work Process hours must be completed in the Fire Suppression and/or Fuels Management Work Process Subject Categories prior to attending the Basic Academy.
The program requires a total of 4,000 Work Process hours. Up to 45 hours of training must also be completed prior to attendance at the Basic Academy. This program is intended to allow parks to hire at the GS-3, 4, or 5 levels and ensures that new employees receive a diverse range of experience and training in an accelerated fashion. Full performance level for apprentices is GS-5. Therefore, no NPS unit shall hire an employee for the Wildland Firefighter Apprenticeship Program unless they are filling an unencumbered GS-5 position with the apprentice. In other words, you may hire a GS-3 with full performance level of GS-5 only if the GS-5 is vacant at the time of hire. Positions must be guaranteed a minimum of 13 pay periods per year in pay status.
It is possible to send an employee to the Wildland Firefighter Apprenticeship Program as a "non-apprentice" to receive the training. The employee must attend the Basic Academy in year one before attending the Advanced Academy in year two. Non-apprentice students are subject to the same academic and disciplinary standards which apply to apprentices.
If you have questions, or would like a copy of the National Apprenticeship Standards for review, contact Mark Koontz at 208-387-5090 or Mark_Koontz@nps.gov.
Submit academy slot requests in the following format:
| Region | Park | # of Basic Academy Slots |
Apprenticeship Program Q&A
[Submitted by Mark Koontz, mark_koontz@nps.gov, 208-387-5090] More Information...
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Rick Brown Named National Yount Award Winner
Richard E. "Rick" Brown, district ranger for the North District at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has been selected as this year's winner of the Servicewide Harry Yount Award for excellence "in the art and science of rangering."
Rick is a 25-year veteran of the National Park Service. He started as a GS-4 ranger at Fredericksburg, then went on to Buffalo and New River Gorge before moving to the Smokies. Rick is also the incident commander for one of the Eastern Incident Management Teams.
Rick's nomination spoke to his dedication, passion for resource protection, leadership, work ethic, and expertise in a broad spectrum of traditional ranger skills — and particularly his ability to build and maintain relationships.
The recipients of the seven regional Yount Awards, noted below, were the candidates for the national award.
Alaska Region - James Ireland, Chief Ranger, Kenai Fjords NP
Pacific West Region - Billy J. Watkins, Ranger, Whiskeytown NRA
Intermountain Region - Rick Nolan, Chief Ranger, Pecos NHP
Midwest Region - JD Swed, Chief Ranger, Indiana Dunes NL
Northeast Region - David J. Redding, Chief Ranger, Lowell NHP
National Capital Region - Martin Gallery, Ranger, C&O Canal NHP
Southeast Region - Rick Brown, District Ranger, Great Smoky Mountains NP
[Submitted by JT Townsend, Midwest Regional Office]
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.