National Capital Region
President Reagan's State Funeral
As thousands of visitors come to Washington to pay their respects to President Ronald W. Reagan, National Capital Region staff quickly, yet quietly, pulled together and played a large role in helping assure that the ceremonies in the nation's capital went off without a hitch.
National Capital Region redirected 10 law enforcement and 30 interpretive rangers from other NCR parks to work in various locations on the National Mall and associated memorials. Staff from C&O Canal, Catoctin, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Harpers Ferry, Manassas, Rock Creek Park, President's Park and Wolf Trap pitched in to help the staff at the Mall.
Staff at the Mall directed all logistical support, shifting NPS personnel to sites where staffing was needed most. Law enforcement rangers were assigned specific locations on the Mall to help with crowd control for the casket transfer at 16th Street and Constitution Avenue as well as the caisson procession along Constitution Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue. Interpretive rangers — many of whom volunteered to work the overnight shift — helped in a variety of different positions and capacities, including helping with the crowds queuing in line to file past President Reagan's flag-draped casket in the Capitol.
Three separate queuing locations — all on National Park Service property — were set aside for the public to wait prior to viewing President Reagan's casket. They were cordoned off with police "bicycle racks" and/or rope and posts, forming zigzag patterns to best utilize the space. These areas include locations at 3rd Street and Jefferson Drive, 4th Street and Jefferson Drive and immediately west of 7th Street between Madison and Jefferson Drives. Together, the three areas had room for about 50,000 people to gather.
Maintenance staff from the Mall helped secure fencing along Constitution Avenue, removed all trash cans, and covered or secured other containers on the Mall and along the procession route. The maintenance staff provided additional fencing and other barricade devices to the U.S. Park Police and other agencies. About 20 employees worked from 2 p.m.on Monday through 10 a.m.on Tuesday in preparation for the security sweep at 6 a.m.on Wednesday.
NCR and the Mall provided 80 portable restrooms between 3rd Street and 7th Street on the Mall and arranged for 1,000 cases of water to be used for first aid (largely rehydration) purposes. A medical tent was erected nearby in the center of the Mall at 7th Street, with doctors and other medical personnel working in shifts around the clock, beginning on Wednesday morning. As of Friday, three patients had been transported to local hospitals, none with life-threatening injuries.
In addition to helping with crowd control and arranging for medical services, Mall staff coordinated EMS, including AED's, oxygen, medical bags and basic jump kits. Lost and found services were also performed, as groups of visitors separated from one another were reunited.
A 14-person maintenance staff from National Capital Parks-East guaranteed that the motor route along Suitland Parkway from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland into Washington was mowed and manicured.
The Park Police were the lead security agency on all NPS property, joining the other principal agencies involved in funeral security — the Secret Service, Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Capital Police and the Military District of Washington. Other local Washington area police agencies supplied personnel to help with the effort.
Park Police responsibilities were numerous and varied. Officers provided escorts for all visiting dignitaries, escorted motorcades, and supplied officers to patrol the crowds gathering on the Mall queuing to enter the Capitol.
On Wednesday, they joined with the above noted agencies in providing the motorcade that escorted the hearse, Mrs. Reagan and other family members down the Suitland Parkway, over the Potomac River, up the George Washington Memorial Parkway, over Memorial Bridge and down Constitution Avenue. They secured the area where the casket was transferred from the hearse to the caisson, then provided 150 officers as part of the security detail along the section of Constitution from 17th to 15th Streets.
On Friday, Park Police officers assisted with the funeral motorcade. Other Park Police officers, rangers and officers from 40 local enforcement agencies rendered honors as the motorcade passed the World War II Memorial. It continued on to National Cathedral for the funeral ceremony. Officers then assisted with the motorcade from the cathedral to Andrews AFB.
Also assisting in the management of this major event were the city's
health, emergency management, fire, EMS and publics works divisions, the
U. S. Public Health Service and the Red Cross.
NCR's Regional Communications Office and the Office of Park Programs
coordinated countless news media requests, among which was a nine-camera
television network "pool" feed that sent live images to all network
television stations in the United States and to international
broadcasters. The Communications Office also arranged a still
photograph "pool," with distribution of photo images to photo editors
literally around the world.[Submitted by Bill Line, Public Affairs,
NCRO; Commander, Planning and Development Unit, USPP HQ]
Gulf Islands National Seashore (FL,MS)
Tenth Annual Boaters' Rendezvous
The tenth annual Boaters' Rendezvous was held on West Ship Island in the
park's Mississippi District on the first weekend in June. The event
produced a smaller crowd than last year due to the weather.
Approximately 400 boaters participated in this year's event. Arrests for
public intoxication and disorderly conduct were made and one medical
incident occurred involving a swimmer who cut her foot on a propeller.
Citations were issued for bow riding and under age drinking; law
enforcement rangers and officers also issued numerous warnings for
possession of glass containers and for walking on vegetation/dunes. This
event was managed under ICS with several agencies participating —
the NPS, Coast Guard, Harrison County SO, Biloxi PD, Ocean Springs PD
and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. The event ended at
3:30 p.m.and boaters were advised to
return to the mainland due to a severe weather warning. Several boaters
did not heed the announcement, became stranded in thunderstorms and
required assistance from the Coast Guard. [Submitted by J.D. Lee,
Chief Ranger]
Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River (NY,PA)
Foreign Visitor Drowns in River
The park was notified of a possible drowning near the Butlers Rift
rapid south of the Mongaup River confluence on the evening of Wednesday,
June 9th. S.B., an Israeli national, had been visiting friends
in the New Jersey area. He and a companion were paddling rental kayaks
from Kittatinny Canoes, a local outfitter, and capsized as they were
passing through the rapids. S.B. was last seen swimming below the
rapids. Both men were poor swimmers; neither was wearing a life jacket
at the time of the incident. Recovery operations were begun late in the
day, but were called off when severe thunderstorms struck the area.
S.B.'s body was found early the following afternoon. The recovery
operation was a joint effort by the park, New York State Police and
local rescue divers. Rangers and state troopers are investigating.
[Submitted by Al Henry, Chief of Protection]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Interagency Fire Center
NIFC Situation Report Highlights — Monday, June 14, 2004
Preparedness Level 1
NIFC reports only 73 new fires on Sunday, none of which escaped initial attack.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
Warnings and Watches
No warnings or watches have been posted for today.
National Resource Commitments
| Day |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
Sun |
Mon |
|
Date |
6/8 |
6/9 |
6/10 |
6/11 |
6/12 |
6/13 |
6/14 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Crews |
74 |
83 |
89 |
63 |
--- |
41 |
44 |
|
Engines |
151 |
181 |
177 |
157 |
--- |
77 |
86 |
|
Helicopters |
31 |
38 |
130 |
34 |
--- |
18 |
12 |
|
Air Tankers |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
--- |
0 |
0 |
|
Overhead |
337 |
327 |
326 |
375 |
--- |
247 |
249 |
National/State Team Commitments
Newly listed fires (on this report) appear below in boldface. Fires are sorted by type of team; teams are listed in alphabetical order within each type by the IC's last name. Asterisks indicate state teams.
|
State |
Type |
Team IC |
Fire/Location |
Acres |
Acres |
Percent |
Est Full |
|
AZ |
T2 |
Kvale |
Three Forks Fire |
7,288 |
7,897 |
75 |
6/17 |
|
NM |
T2 |
Winchester |
Sedgwick Fire |
--- |
2,500 |
5 |
6/20 |
Further Information
This report is meant to present just highlights of the current fire situation. Two other NIFC sites provide much greater detail:
Full NIFC Situation Report (PDF file) — http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf
National Fire News — http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html
Information on the NPS Fire Management Program Center (FMPC) and on park fires can be found at:
FMPC — http://www.nps.gov/fire
Park fires — http://www.nps.gov/fire/news
OPERATIONAL NOTES
NPS Office at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Firearms Boards of Review: Lessons Learned
Intermountain Region has compiled findings from boards of review in their region regarding discharges of firearms into a Lessons Learned document. The NPS Law Enforcement Training Center believes this excellent document will be of value to all commissioned staff, and has posted it on its website. Click on "more Information" below to get there. To download it, you must be inside the NPS firewall.
[Submitted by Greg Jackson, Lead Instructor] More Information...
Servicewide Training
Operations Training Opportunities
This calendar appears in Monday editions of the Morning Report and InsideNPS. 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.
**********************************************************************************************
June
June 28 — July 2: Archeological Resources Protection Training (XP-ARPTP-405), Hot Springs, AR. Course applications can be obtained at www.fletc.gov/osl/registration.htm and should be faxed to Virginia McCleskey at 912-267-3464. Closes shortly — get your nomination in now. Questions should be directed to her at 912-554-5828. [Dennis Burnett, LE&ES/WASO]
July
July 20 — November 13: National Park Ranger Basic Law Enforcement Training (NPRI-407), FLETC, Glynco, GA. Closes on June 16th. For more info, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC)
July 27 — August 12: Law Enforcement Control Tactics Instructor Training (LECTITP-404), FLETC, Glynco, GA. This is an advanced program in which protection rangers are trained in the methodology of psychomotor skills development, defensive tactics, intermediate weapons, OC spray and arrest techniques at the instructor level. Closes on June 17th. For more info, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC)
August
August 9 — August 13: Fundamentals of Special Park Uses, Albuquerque, NM. Sign-up deadline on My Learning Manager is June 30th. [Lee Dickinson, WASO]
August 11 — December 11: Basic Law Enforcement Training (NPRI-408), FLETC, Glynco, GA. Basic NPS LE training. Closes on July 11th. For more info, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC)
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Big Cypress National Preserve (FL)
Fire Program Assistant
The park is looking for someone for a 30-day detail as fire program assistant in their Division of Fire and Aviation. They will pay base 8, travel and per diem. Candidates need to know payroll and travel; skills in working with AFS and EAGLES would also be helpful. For further information, contact Larry Belles at 239-695-1145.
[Submitted by Larry Belles, Chief, Fire and Aviation Division]
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.