New River Gorge National River (WV)
Arrest for Assault with All-Terrain Vehicle
During an illegal all-terrain vehicle enforcement operation in the
Canyon District on January 15th, ranger Duane Michael was struck by an
ATV after the operator refused to stop when ordered. A district task
group working a problem ATV encroachment area attempted to stop a group
of three illegal ATV riders on the Cunard-Kaymoor Trail at approximately
4 p.m. that afternoon. The first ATV, operated by J.M. of
Cunard, West Virginia, attempted to accelerate past Michael, who had to
place his hands on the operator to push himself out of the way. The ATV
then fish-tailed into the ranger, striking him in the right leg and
knocking him to the ground. Michael was only slightly injured by the
impact. Once the following two ATV's were successfully stopped, the
identity and address of the first operator was obtained. J.M. was
arrested at his residence a short time later by Michael and other
rangers from the district and his ATV was confiscated. A container of
marijuana and what appeared to be several hawk talons were found during
the inventory search of the ATV. Special agent Chris Schrader is
assisting with the investigation and charges. The talons will be shipped
to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service laboratory for analysis.
J.M. will be charged with assault on a federal officer, possession of
marijuana, travel off roadway and illegal operation of an all-terrain
vehicle in a prohibited area; additional charges may be sought for
possible Lacey Act violations, pending results of the laboratory
analysis. [Submitted by Chief Ranger's Office]
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Fatal Motor Vehicle Accident
Park dispatch received a 911 call reporting an accident on the
northbound side of Highway 441/Foothills Parkway Spur just before
midnight on January 15th. Ranger Dale Culver responded along with
Gatlinburg officers and paramedics. They found that Angel J.S.,
30, of Sevierville, the driver and sole occupant, had been
killed in the accident. Investigation revealed that one of the vehicle's
wheels had dropped off the right side of the road, that J.S. had
evidently over-corrected, and that the vehicle had then spun around and
hit a tree on the left side of the roadway. The cause of the accident
has not yet been determined, but neither speed nor alcohol have yet been
ruled out. This was the park's first fatality this year; Great Smokies
normally records about six accidental deaths each year, half of them on
the five-mile-long spur. [Submitted by Rick Brown, District Ranger]
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (PA)
Second Fatality in Head-On Collision
A.A., 17, of Delaware Township, Pennsylvania, was killed last
December 11th, when his southbound Mitsubishi sedan crossed the
centerline of Route 209 near milepost three and ran head-on into a
northbound pickup truck. Although the driver of the pickup escaped
serious injury, passenger Chad Wagner was taken to St. Luke's Hospital
in Bethlehem and placed in intensive care. On December 23rd, Wagner
succumbed to an intra-abdominal hemorrhage from the blunt force trauma
received in the accident. [Submitted by Randy Seese, Park Ranger]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Fire and Aviation Management
Recruitment Announcement for National Area Command Teams
To: Geographic Area Coordinating Groups
From: National MAC Group
We are recruiting for individuals to serve on the National Area Command Teams. Buck Latapie's retirement has created a vacancy in the Assistant Area Commander Planning position. Several other members have reached tenure in their positions and will need to reapply for that position or may apply for a different position, if interested.
Nominations for all positions, including the trainee/developmental position, will be accepted.
Please give this wide distribution. Nominations are due back to me by February 18, 2005. We should have teams identified by the end of March.
/s/ Kim Christensen
National MAC Group Coordinator
[Submitted by Kim Christensen, kim_christensen@nifc.blm.gov, 208-387-5418] More Information...
Fire and Aviation Management
Technical Fire Management Recruitment Announcement
Dates: October 2005 - April 2007
Times: See Announcement
Location: Bothell, WA
January 12, 2004
Memorandum
To: Fire Management Officers
From: National Fire Management Officer /s/ Sue Vap
Subject: Career Training Opportunity - Technical Fire Management 2005-2007
The National Park Service (NPS) Fire Management Program Center (FMPC) is offering a training opportunity for three fire management candidates to attend Technical Fire Management (TFM) sponsored by Washington Institute and Colorado State University. This educational opportunity is designed to improve the technical proficiency of fire specialists beyond the level that may be attained through on-the-job training. The subject matter includes fire ecology, fire behavior, fuels management, data analysis, economics and finance.
TARGET AUDIENCE - This training is for current career and career-conditional employees that are fire management officers, fuels/prescribed fire specialists, and suppression specialists at the GS 5-11 levels and who intend to pursue a career in fire management. The full benefit of the program can only be realized by those who have experience in fire and fuels management. It is not intended for people with four-year resource, biological science or fire degrees or a significant number of credits in these fields.
COMMITMENTS - This program is demanding. It is approximately 18 months long, divided into five two-week modules and a final project report. Prior to the program starting, an optional unit is available for students to brush up on math and statistics skills, which we strongly recommend. In order to satisfactorily complete the course, students can expect to devote extra time to the course work, outside normal working hours. The focus of the final project is agreed upon by the home unit manager, the student and the responsible fire management officer.
The final project is a written report culminating the learning process and is often the most challenging part of the program. This project is accomplished by systematically describing, analyzing and solving the problems/subject selected. The student is required to make an oral presentation before a panel of interagency representatives to defend the decision criteria used in the analysis and solving the problem. This project must be completed within the established time frames.
FUNDING - All tuition for the Technical Fire Management program will be funded by the NPS National Fire Management Program Center. Tuition for this program is approximately $8,700 per student. Cancellation fee without replacement by July 29, 2005, is $2,500. If the student fails to show for Module 1, full tuition will be billed. Travel funding will be provided by the student's regional office from funds designated by the FMPC.
PRE-REQUISITES - Candidates MUST have completed S-390. In addition, the following skills are required: technical writing course or the equivalent, basic algebraic manipulation and a working knowledge of BEHAVE Plus, FIREFAMILY+, Windows (98, 2000 or XP), Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office Word, Excel (with data analysis tool pack) and PowerPoint.
Candidates may also want to acquire the following skills prior to beginning the program: knowledge of National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), field sampling and measurement, use of CONSUME, agency fire management budgeting process, KCFAST, WIMS, and knowledge of NFDRS processes. Staff at the FMPC will assist students in acquiring necessary skills and knowledge as needed.
PROGRAM INFORMATION - Tentative dates for each of the modules are shown below; locations and confirmed dates will be determined and announced at a later date.
Module IA, Math Review October 3-7, 2005
Module I, Statistics Oct. 31 - Nov. 11, 2005
Module II, Economics January 2-13, 2006
Module III, Fuels Management February 27 - March 10, 2006
Module IV, Fire Ecology and Fire Effects May 1-12, 2006
Module V, Fire and Land Management September 18-29, 2006
Module VI, Final Presentation and Review April 9-13, 2007
SERVICE AGREEMENT - Selected candidates will sign an agreement to complete this training. Failure to complete all six training modules, including the final project, may require repayment by the employee of the training costs. Both students and supervisors are reminded that this training requires a total commitment and dedicated time to satisfactorily complete the 18-month long program.
PROGRAM CREDITS - It has been determined that successful completion of this program will qualify the candidate for 18 of the 24 academic hours required to qualify for the Fire Management Specialist series (GS-401). The GS-401 series is a key component of the new Interagency Fire Program Management Qualifications Standards and Guide (IFPM). NPS personnel offices require students to present a certificate from Washington Institute in order to obtain this credit. The certificate will only be issued after completion and presentation of the final project. The student must complete all modules and earn a passing score of 70 percent on the mid-term and final examination.
The participant additionally has the option of buying credits (three per module) through Colorado State University. The rate is approximately $180.00 per module or $1080.00 for the full program. This cost is borne by the trainee; NPS will not pay for these credits. Colorado State University credits do not need to be purchased in order for TFM credits to be applied toward qualification in the GS-401 series.
NUMBER OF POSITIONS - Three positions are available to the NPS for this next session. Employees with a professional interest in Fire Management, but lacking a degree are urged to apply.
SELECTION PROCESS — The applications will be rated, ranked and prioritized by the Program Leader at the Fire Management Program Center. Recommendations for selection will be made to Regional Fire Management Officers for final selection.
HOW TO APPLY - Applicants must submit the following documents:
SF-171, OF-612 or resume including training records and/or college transcripts.
Application Statement, Recommendation and Approval form (attachment 1) through your appropriate Fire Management Officer.
Response to the Evaluation Criteria (attachment 2), not to exceed three pages for all criteria.
Staple documents in the upper left corner; and please, no covers or fancy presentation packages.
WHERE TO SEND APPLICATION PACKAGES - all materials must be received by February 25, 2005. Send to: National Interagency Fire Center, National Park Service, Fire Management Program Center, Attention: Mark Koontz, 3833 S. Development Avenue, Boise, ID 83705.
If you have questions about the program or would like to be put in contact with a current or past student please contact Mark Koontz at (208) 387-5090 or through email via mark_koontz@nps.gov.
Attachments:
1 - Applicant Statement, Recommendation and Approval
2 - Evaluation Criteria
3 - TFM Brochure
[Submitted by Mark Koontz, mark_koontz@nps.gov, 208-387-5090] More Information...
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Fire and Aviation Management
Sandy Cowin Receives National Fire Management Award
Sandy Cowin, fire program management assistant at Ozarks National Scenic Riverways, was honored with the first annual Jeanie Harris Award at the Midwest Region fire management conference held the week of January 10th in Omaha, Nebraska.
The award was established to honor Jeanie Harris' legacy of service. As the fire budget analyst in the Intermountain Region's Fire and Aviation Management Office, Jeanie exemplified professionalism, served as a mentor to many and was respected by all. This award was created to commemorate Jeanie, who passed away after a brief and sudden illness in 2004.
Nominated by her colleagues, Sandy's selection was based on her outstanding performance, impeccable work ethic, dedication to team and group work efforts, her upbeat attitude which is accentuated by her sense of humor and her ability to persevere in challenging situations with grace and dignity.
Although recognized for these exceptional qualities, Sandy's contributions to the national fire program were duly noted. Under Sandy's guidance, a web-based fire program management assistant (FPMA) reference handbook was developed, so that across the country, her peers could access critical information quickly and more efficiently. She also participated in developing FPMA training guidelines, serves as a charter member of the FPMA steering committee, has been a member of the national FirePro steering committee since 1995, and assisted with review, development, and modification of the FirePro budget analysis logic.
In summary, one of her co-workers said it best by stating: "Like Jeanie Harris, Sandy is a quilter — both literally and figuratively. She has stitched together integrity, innovation, a positive attitude, an incomparable work ethic, and a love of what she does and who she does it for to set an example for us all."
Additional information regarding this award, including the selection process and the required nomination form, may be found on InsideNPS at the NPS Fire and Aviation Management page located at: http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=674&lv=3
[Submitted by Sue Vap, sue_vap@nps.gov, 208-387-5225] 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 Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.