New River Gorge National River (WV)
Three Implicated in Wildland and Structural Arson
On March 14th, rangers, local firefighters, and state forestry
department investigators responded to a wildland fire just inside the
park boundary adjacent to the community of Minden. The fire appeared to
be suspicious in nature to personnel on scene. Further investigation by
the field training ranger, the trainee ranger, West Virginia Department
of Forestry investigators, and a bloodhound handler revealed a complex
of 13 separate fire starts of varying size along a foot trail system.
Together, they totaled less than ten acres. Other evidence found on
scene pointed to arson. The community of Minden has been the scene of
approximately 20 structural arson fires since October, 2003. On March
29th, rangers, Fayette County sheriff's deputies, and Department of
Forestry investigators rounded up six Minden residents suspected of
being involved in or having knowledge of the incidents. During the
subsequent interrogations, one of them confessed to having been at the
scene of the wildland fires on public land, while two others, one a
juvenile, started them. He further confessed to having been involved in
setting two structural fires. The case is being handled jointly by the
park, the Department of Forestry, the Fayette County Sheriff's Office,
and the State Fire Marshal's Office.
[Submitted by Frank Sellers,
Park Ranger]
Buffalo National River (AR)
Employee Arrested for Theft from Government
A search warrant was served at the residence of Buffalo National
River maintenance employee T.A.J. earlier this week. Government
property was located within his house, and T.A.J. subsequently confessed
to stealing chainsaws, radios, a paint sprayer, and other government
equipment and to selling some of these items on Ebay. The sold items
have been recovered and serial numbers match those of missing government
property. The US Attorney's Office in Fort Smith has agreed to file
charges for theft and sale of government property. T.A.J.
employment with the NPS has been terminated. The Office of the Inspector
General for the US Postal Service has also been notified of the sale of
government property through the U.S. mails.
[Submitted by Bruce
Cunningham, LES]
Yosemite National Park (CA)
Rescue Response at Hetch Hetchy
On Saturday, March 20th, Yosemite's communication center received a
late-night 911 call from a man reporting that a member of his camping
party was unresponsive and not breathing and that other members of the
party had begun CPR. The reporting party had hiked seven miles to the
Hetch Hetchy trailhead to call for help. Rangers responded by boat,
using night vision optics to navigate the Hetch Hetchy reservoir to
reach the remote campsite at Rancheria Falls. When ranger medics reached
the 53-year-old victim, they found that he had died. The next six hours
were spent extricating the body by wheeled litter two miles down a
rugged trail to the lakeshore for transport by boat. A total of twelve
rangers were involved in the evacuation. An autopsy revealed the cause
of death to be sudden cardiac arrest.
[Submitted by Dave Lattimore,
Mather District Ranger]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Public Health
Hantavirus Update
In view of the untimely death of Glacier National Park Deputy Superintendent Jerry O'Neal on March 25th from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, we are issuing the following precautions and annual reminders.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a viral disease transmitted to humans primarily through the inhalation of airborne dusts laden with the virus from infected rodent droppings (urine and saliva may also be sources of infection). Although hantaviruses have been a threat to human health worldwide for at least 50 years, HPS was first recognized in the United States in 1993 around the Four Corners area of the Southwest. Since then it has since been identified throughout the United States. Although rare, HPS is potentially deadly — mortality rates between 40 and 50% are common.
With the coming of spring and the opening of structures that have been closed for the winter it is particularly important that proper precautions are taken to protect human health. While hantaviruses present a year-round hazard, employees engaged in seasonal opening and clean-up of NPS structures may be at increased risk of exposure to infected material. A sample hantavirus program along with a respiratory protection program can be found at Risk Management website. For further information and guidance contact your Regional Risk Managers and local safety office.
Taking precautions around the home and office are also important. Further guidance can be found at the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention website.
Rodent exclusion continues to be the primary prevention strategy and rodenticides are not recommended for controlling infestations. The Biological Resource Management Division, Public Health Program, and Risk Management Division have coordinated efforts to provide in-depth information on the disease, rodent exclusion, and risk reduction. The most up-to-date documents as well as regional points of contact for each program can be found at the Zoonotic and Environmentally Transmitted Diseases (ZED) website.[Submitted by Capt. Charles L. Higgins, Director, NPS Office of Public Health]
NPS Office at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Notice to NPS Firearms Instructors
The NPS office at FLETC is planning an important mailing to all NPS firearms instructors. The firearms instructor roster has been updated and is posted on the NPS-LETC website (click on "More Information" below to jump to that page). Instructors are asked to confirm that their park listing is current in order to expedite this mailing.
Firearms instructors are reminded to contact Bruce Hasson at FLETC whenever their park assignment changes, or when they choose to drop from the firearms instructor ranks.
[Submitted by Greg Jackson, Park Ranger] More Information...
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Intermountain Region
GS-025-13 Southwest Border Coordinator
Intermountain Region has created and announced a new Southwest Border coordinator position. This is a law enforcement position and requires the incumbent to possess and maintain a Level I law enforcement commission. Previous primary or secondary experience as a commissioned ranger or special agent is required. The border coordinator will be stationed in Tucson and will be supervised by the Branch Chief of Ranger Activities, Intermountain Region. This position is being filled as a one year temporary detail and includes an operational budget with travel and reduced per diem. There is a possibility that the position will be announced and filled as a permanent position after the detail concludes. The incumbent will work extremely close with the border parks in Arizona and Texas. He/she will represent the NPS on interagency task forces, coordinate border-related LE activities, establish border operational standards, and LE training requirements. She/he will also assume a principal role as the NPS liaison with the Department of Homeland Security and other local, state, and federal agencies working on and around the US/Mexico border, will serve as the primary contact with the Department of the Interior border coordinator, and will work to insure effective border programs are in place to protect the employees, visitors, and resources of the NPS units on the southwest border. The vacancy announcement will be open until April 19th. If you have questions about the position, please call the Intermountain Region Branch Chief of Ranger Activities Mark Foust at 303-969-2652.[Submitted by Mark Foust]
Intermountain Region
Alan Whalon Named Superintendent
DENVER — Alan Whalon, a 27-year veteran of the National Park Service, has been named Superintendent of Chiricahua National Monument and Fort Bowie National Historic Site in Arizona. The selection was announced on March 23 by Steve Martin, director of the National Park Service's Intermountain Region.
Whalon, who currently works at Chiricahua as chief of resource management, is expected to take on his new role as superintendent effective immediately. He assumes the position formerly held by Neil Mangum, who retired from the National Park Service in November 2003.
"What a thrill for me at this point in my career to be able to lead these two wonderful parks and work with the dedicated staff at these sites," said Whalon. "I feel reenergized and look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead. I have developed many friendships and associations here that will aid in my new role as superintendent, and I look forward to working with partners and local constituents."
Whalon holds a bachelor's degree in management science from the University of Connecticut and a master's degree in natural resource management from Yale University. During his career with the National Park Service, Whalon has worked in a variety of disciplines in sites throughout the Service including chief of resources management at Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico; resource management specialist at Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida; management assistant at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland; and superintendent at Hovenweep National Monument in Colorado, and Hampton National Historic Site in Maryland. For the past 10 years, Whalon served as the chief of resources management and education at Chiricahua National Monument and Fort Bowie National Historic Site.
During his tenure at Chiricahua National Monument, Whalon was instrumental in the establishment of a very successful partnership with the Ajos-Bavispe Forest Reserve in Sonora Mexico. His efforts have aided partnership programs and relationships between federal and state agencies throughout Arizona. He is also credited with the establishment of a very ambitious fire management program at Chiricahua and Fort Bowie.
"Alan's commitment to Chiricahua National Monument and Fort Bowie National Historic Site is exceptional," said regional director Steve Martin. "He brings a passion for heritage preservation and protection, and a commitment to connect with the citizens of Willcox and surrounding communities. His many years of work in Arizona make him uniquely qualified for this job."
Prior to his career with the National Park Service, Whalon served as a crypto specialist in the U.S. Air Force in the Philippines and Germany. He lives in Sunsites, Arizona with his wife, Glenda, who will soon retire as Western National Parks Association field manager for Chiricahua and Fort Bowie.
-- NPS --
[Submitted by Patricia Turley, patricia_turley@nps.gov, 505-988-6745]
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.