Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Seasonal Laborer Dies While Hiking To Job
Seasonal laborer Ricky , 50, of Newport, Tennessee, was
hiking with two other employees up the Snake Den Ridge Trail to begin
some tree-clearing work around 8:15
a.m. on April 22nd when he began lagging behind, then collapsed. His
coworkers reported the incident via radio and began CPR. Rangers arrived
around 8:40 a.m. and continued CPR until
they were relieved by paramedics from Allied emergency Medical Services.
Following consultation with the park's medical adviser, CPR was
terminated at 9 a.m. and Campbell was
pronounced dead. Rangers, paramedics and maintenance workers carried him
out on a wheeled litter to the trailhead, where he was transferred to an
ambulance for transport to Baptist Hospital in Newport. Ricky had been
employed by the park as a seasonal laborer assigned to maintain and
improve trails in Cosby area. He'd worked in various maintenance
operations at the Smokies for ten seasons, beginning in 1994. Acting
superintendent Phil Francis had this to say about his passing: "All of
us at the Smokies are in a state of shock over Ricky's death. Ricky was
extremely well liked by his coworkers. He had worked here so many years
and in so many different parts of our maintenance operation that he has
many, many co-workers and friends who are grieving along with Ricky's
own family."
[Submitted by Paul Winegar]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Risk Management Division
USCG and NPS Begin Boating Safety Drive
The National Park Service has announced its support of the United States Coast Guard's new public education and awareness initiative. This new initiative, entitled "You're in Command. Boat Safely!," asks all recreational boat owners and operators to take personal responsibility for their own behavior and the behavior of their passengers while on the water.
Nearly 900 boating-related accidents or incidents took place in national parks last year, and, according to NPS search and rescue reports, the number is on the rise. This month, the National Park Service and the Coast Guard will begin a collaborative venture to reduce boating-related accidents and fatalities in national parks.
"Most boating-related accidents and fatalities are preventable," says John Malatak, Chief, Program Operations Division for the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety. "By joining forces, we hope to convince those who boat in national parks to take responsibility for their safety by taking a few simple steps."
The NPS will promote the use of materials and information from the Coast Guard's "You're in Command. Boat Safely!" initiative by NPS employees, volunteers, concessionaires, and other park service contractors. "You're in Command" focuses on four key actions boaters can take to reduce accidents:
Always wear a life jacket.
Nothing would reduce boating fatalities faster than universal life jacket wear. Based on recent data, nationally it is estimated that more than 400 boaters would have survived if they'd worn their life jackets.
Never boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Waterborne stressors like wind, sun, vibration and noise multiply the effects of alcohol and drugs, as well as some prescription medications to a potentially dangerous level. Nearly 40 percent of all boating fatalities involve alcohol.
Take a boating safety course.
Eighty percent of all reported fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instruction from a nationally recognized provider, such as the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S. Power Squadrons, or local state-developed courses.
Get a Vessel Safety Check every year.
Having a free bow-to-stern inspection of your boat's condition and safety equipment is the best way to identify safety problems and possible violations before they become a problem on the water.
"The "You're In Command" initiative is one good way of bringing boating safety to the attention of the public," says Richard Powell, Chief, Office of Risk Management for the National Park Service. "We want our employees to use these resources in interpretative talks and to make them available to concessionaires, marina owners, our rangers on patrol, volunteers — anyone who deals with the boating public and at locations such as points of entry, where boaters launch, and local Web sites."
NPS employees are encouraged to view and download these materials by clicking on the "You're in Command" logo of www.uscgboating.org. The dangers of carbon monoxide are also available through the CO Information link on this homepage These attractive materials can be duplicated and most can be easily customized by placing an identifying logo in the space provided.
For more information on boating responsibly, contact:
U.S. Coast Guard Infoline - 1-800-368-5647
Boating Safety Courseline - 1-800-336-BOAT (2628)
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (HI)
Permanent GS-025-09 Law Enforcement Ranger
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is seeking interested and qualified permanent NPS candidates for a lateral reassignment to a GS-025-9 LE ranger position. This is a permanent, full time position. There is no park housing available, but there are rentals and homes for purchase in the area. The employee must live within a 10-minute response time to headquarters.
The person in this position is supervised by a GS-11 district ranger and works with five to six other permanent GS-9 patrol rangers. She/he will perform a variety of resource and visitor protection work, including law enforcement, emergency medical services, search and rescue, and fire management in both frontcountry and backcountry settings.
Hawaii Volcanoes NP is located 29 miles southwest of Hilo (approximate population 45,790) on the island of Hawaii. Headquarters and residential areas are at an elevation of 4,000 feet on the summit of Kilauea Volcano. Cost of living is 15-35% higher than continental U.S. depending on present residence. Temperatures vary from 47-76 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and 42-74 degrees in the winter. Rainfall averages 95 inches per year. Mountain View (15 miles NE) has an elementary school (kindergarten through 6th grade); Keaau (22 miles NE) has a middle school (7th and 8th grade) and a high school. Hilo has private schools, a four-year university and a two-year community college. Volcano Village (two miles NE) has two rural grocery stores, a hardware store and gas stations. Complete shopping, medical facilities and commercial transportation are available in Hilo.
Salary includes a 16.5% cost-of-living allowance (COLA). Applicants must currently be employed at the GS-9 level or have been a permanent GS-9 employee and be qualified for a law enforcement position.
Special consideration: The composition of volcanic fumes make them hazardous to people with respiratory or heart problems or infant children. This job requires frequent exposure to these fumes on the job The health hazard to persons in good health is unknown.
For more information, contact operations supervisor Gail Minami-Judd at 808-985-6033 (Gail_Minami@nps.gov) or chief ranger Paul Ducasse at 808-985-6030 (Paul_Ducasse@nps.gov) Send application materials (consisting of SF-171 or equivalent, most current SF50, and most current performance appraisal) to Melissa Heiser, Human Resources, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, P.O. Box 52, Hawaii National Park, HI 96718. This is a mandatory drug testing, 6(c) covered position.
[Submitted by Gail Minami-Judd]
Blue Ridge Parkway
Gene Parker to Retire
Supervisory Park Ranger Gene Parker's 30+ year career with the National Park Service will come to a close June 30th. Gene began his career as a seasonal Maintenance Laborer at the Peaks of Otter and James River areas on the Blue Ridge Parkway during the summer of 1966. The Parkway continued to benefit from Gene's work until June of 1968, when he was drafted into the U.S. Army to serve in Vietnam. Gene served his country from June of 1968 through 1971 at which point he returned home and back to the Blue Ridge Parkway as a seasonal Park Ranger and Fire Technician. In 1974 Gene achieved permanent status as a Park Ranger. From 1975 through 1980 Gene held the positions of Park Technician, Park Ranger (Assistant Camp Director YCC) and Supervisory Park Technician. In 1981 Gene's title changed to Supervisory Park Ranger where he was assigned to the Peaks of Otter District. Gene's current position is Supervisory Park Ranger for the Ridge District of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Over the course of Gene's career he has had many adventures, from wildland fire assignments in California to responding to the Exxon-Valdez oil spill in Alaska to details to Canaveral National Seashore performing beach patrols.
Gene and his wife Julie, who was also employed by the Parkway held administrative and dispatch positions from 1974-1977. Gene and Julie have been married for over 25 years. They have two daughters; Jamie Parker who is following in her father's footsteps as a Park Ranger on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Kelly Parker who is currently employed by Madison Marketing in Washington D.C.. Gene and Julie will continue to reside at their current home in Bedford where Gene will occupy his time farming and hunting. They plan to travel west for a well deserved vacation shortly after Gene's retirement.
Family, friends and co-workers will celebrate Gene's career with a Pig Roast at the Peaks of Otter maintenance area on June 26th beginning at 5:30 PM.Anyone that would like to send well wishes may send them to the following address:
Blue Ridge Parkway
85919 Blue Ridge Parkway
Bedford, Va. 24523
Attn: Bobby Miller
For further details concerning the Pig Roast, contact Zeph Cunningham, Jamie Parker or Bobby Miller at 540-586-4275 / 4496.
[Submitted by Zeph Cunningham, Zeph_Cunningham@nps.gov, 540-586-4357]
Northeast Region
John McKenna Named Superintendent of Fort McHenry/Hampton
The National Park Service (NPS) has selected John McKenna, a twelve-year veteran of the National Park Service (NPS), superintendent of two national parks in Maryland: Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore and Hampton National Historic Site in Towson, according to NPS Northeast regional director Marie Rust. Expected to begin his new assignment on May 30, he succeeds Laura Joss who in February was named superintendent of Arches National Park in Utah.
"John McKenna has the right combination of management excellence, personal commitment, and enthusiasm to lead these parks into a challenging and bright future," said regional director Rust. "He brings with him a solid background in park management along with outstanding abilities in community affairs and human relations—John is a real people person," she added.
McKenna is currently serving as deputy superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site in Pennsylvania. "It's certainly an honor and a delight to be selected as superintendent of Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine and Hampton National Historic Site," McKenna said. "I'm excited to be working with the staff, volunteers, friends and community leaders in the Baltimore area to preserve and protect these two national treasures for the enjoyment of current and future generations."
At Gettysburg since 1995, McKenna has been responsible for planning a major new partnership with the community to develop a first-ever public transportation system to serve park visitors and community needs. His leadership at Gettysburg has guided the implementation of partnerships to build a new museum and visitor center and to rehabilitate the Gettysburg battlefield so that visitors can see it as the soldiers did in 1863. He also re-engineered the NPS Northeast region's diversity recruitment program, and has been instrumental in developing a good community atmosphere in Gettysburg.
He joined the NPS in 1992 as associate regional director for Administration for the former NPS Mid-Atlantic Regional Office. He has held temporary assignments as deputy superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park (2001), and superintendent for four parks located in western Pennsylvania: Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, and Friendship Hill National Historic Site (1997).
Prior to working for the NPS McKenna was deputy comptroller, Naval Facility Engineering Command in Philadelphia.
McKenna holds a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Temple University, has a Masters of Business Administration from La Salle University, and is a certified mediator for workplace disputes. He is married to Jennifer Weaver, has three children: Ryan (27), Kerry (25) and Patrick (21) and one grandchild, Allegra (4).
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.