NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

BLACKBERRY EDITION

Monday, September 12, 2005

INCIDENTS

Hurricane Katrina Recovery

Cleanup Operations Continue

Today's summary follows...

Incident Documents

A new web site has been established as a repository for documents related to hurricane recovery operations. Here are some of the things you can find there:

The newly-released guide to controlling infectious diseases in responders (under WASO documents)

A copy of the NPS National Emergency Response Plan (under WASO documents)

Guidance on vaccinations and environmental health (WASO documents)

Incident management team delegations of authority, ICS 209s and incident action plans received to date (under respective team document folders)

Current reports on total resource commitments made through the National Interagency Fire Center (under NIFC hurricane response documents).

The web page is HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=15&lv=1" http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=15&lv=1

Park and IMT Updates

Everglades NP/Dry Tortugas NP

An Eastern IMT (Gordon Wissinger, IC) is at Everglades NP, assisting the park staff with repairs to damage at Flamingo and Dry Tortugas NP.

Effective Saturday, Dry Tortugas National Park reopened to visitors. A replacement communication system was successfully installed enabling the reopening. The park's campground was not damaged by the storm and is also available for public use.

Access to Flamingo via Everglades National Park's main road was restored on Sunday for day use only between the hours of 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. Visitors will be able to launch their boats and gain entry to popular fishing waters in Florida Bay and Whitewater Bay. All other visitor services in Flamingo remain closed, including the lodge, cabins, campground, fish cleaning station, and marina store.

The team is detailing the status of projects and responsibilities to determine completion dates and what is likely to be transitioned to the park. Several contracts are pending for major projects, but are expected to be issued this week. A summary follows:

At Flamingo -Grove pruning work and brush clearing along seven miles of the main road (both sides). The specialty equipment to perform the pruning work is not available until later this week. Replacement of the fish grinder at the fish cleaning house. The fish cleaner is a highly complex system and most of the electrical equipment is proprietary. The team, with park recommendation, is investigating other options for a replacement, very important to the high number of fisherman who launch their boats in that area. Repair of a research boat that was damaged when a heavy soil coring drill hit it. Design and replacement of the information desk at the Flamingo Visitor Center. Removal of damaged appliances from the housing area by a hazardous materials unit. Restoration of telephone service to Flamingo by Sprint, expected to take another several weeks.

At Dry Tortugas - Florida Power and Light representatives are providing their expertise and are developing a proposal and scope of work for the purchase of three 5,000-pound, 100-kw generators to meet the specific engineering and design requirements. The park expects to receive the proposal by Wednesday to review, and, if all goes well, delivery of the three generators to Key West could be as early as Friday. Arrangements will be made to transport the generators 70 miles from Key West to Fort Jefferson and to install the three generators. Incident personnel will work with park staff to disconnect the damaged generators. A contract will also be issued for relocating the fuel tanks and to dredge the moat around Fort Jefferson.

Elsewhere - A roofing contract will be issued to repair 11 buildings in Shark Valley and one in Flamingo. Screening work will also be done in other areas of the park.

Carpenters completed installation of all 16 screen doors in the housing area at Flamingo. Another major project in the housing area is the contract screen work. The contractor is 50 percent complete. The salt water inundated most electrical systems and components from wall plugs to machinery and light fixtures. Miscellaneous electrical work is being accomplished and will continue for some time in the housing area and the maintenance complex. Appliances are still being installed in the employee quarters. Trail assessments in the Flamingo area are being done. The Mingo crew continued in the campground to collect and stack picnic tables, demolish the campground amphitheater, and clear trails.

In response to a National Park Service's public health recommendation directive for emergency responders involved in Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts, IMT safety officer Tim Francis has arranged for diphtheria and tetanus immunization shots at local clinics. Field personnel who are currently working on hurricane recovery efforts and those who may be deployed in the future are being encouraged to get the free vaccines available in Homestead and Key West.

Gulf Islands NS

A second Eastern IMT (Rick Brown, IC) is at Gulf Islands NS working with that park's staff on recovery operations in the Mississippi District.

Report pending.

Jean Lafitte NHP&P/New Orleans Jazz NHP

The National IMT (JD Swed, IC) is in Houston, Texas. They are charged with both assisting the employees of the two parks and with overseeing the overall NPS response to the hurricane.

Report pending.

Employee Relief Fund

A relief fund has been established to assist National Park Service and cooperating association employees who have experienced catastrophic loss or damage from Hurricane Katrina. Donated funds will be distributed immediately to provide for basic, daily needs, such as food, water and temporary housing. Please help members of the NPS family by making a donation to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund today.Checks can be made payable to E&AA and sent to: E&AA, Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, 470 Maryland Drive, Suite 1, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please direct questions on this fund (applications or donations) to Jack Ryan or Chesley Moroz at 215-283-6900.

[Nancy Gray, IO, IMT, EVER]

Cape Lookout NS

Hurricane Ophelia

The park has implemented its emergency weather evacuation plan as a result of the hurricane watch issued for the area. All passenger ferry services to the islands were terminated at 3 p.m. on Saturday and overnight guests were evacuated. The park is closed to all visitors from Beaufort Inlet to Ocracoke Inlet and all services have been shut down. [Wouter Ketel, Chief Ranger]

Lake Mead NRA

Multiple Incidents, Fatalities on Labor Day Weekend

Despite gasoline prices at an all time high, visitation to the park was high over the weekend, registering only a minor drop (189,219 people visited). Rangers managed the crowds with the continued help and support of numerous local agencies. Over the course of the weekend, rangers responded to 1,482 incidents, issued 69 citations, and made 4,107 visitor contacts. Significant incidents for the weekend included four fatalities, multiple arrests, multiple emergency service medical responses and multiple search and rescue incidents. Among them were the following:

September 3rd - A 64-year-old man who was boating with friends drowned on Lake Mohave after he got out of the boat to take a swim. Witnesses said that he was not wearing a life jacket at the time and that he was unable to hold on to a boat fender that was thrown to him when he started to experience trouble. Alcohol is not believed to have been a factor.

September 4th - A 30-year-old man who was recreating with several of his friends drowned when he attempted to swim to an off-shore peninsula. He was reported to be a poor swimmer and was not wearing a life jacket at the time.

September 4th - A 14-year-old girl from Bullhead City who was being towed behind a boat was hit in the head by a jet skier estimated to be traveling at 40 mph. She remained unconscious on scene. She was intubated and airlifted to University Medical Center, where she later died as a result of her injuries. The operator of the jet ski was arrested for boating under the influence and transported to Laughlin.

September 4th - A 45-year-old man who had consumed 18 beers climbed up a cliff and jumped off. He landed on the outdrive of a vessel and sustained multiple propeller cuts to both arms and legs, including a laceration over the femoral hip/groin area. A visitor on scene placed a tourniquet on the wound using a bungee cord and metal barbeque tongs. The man was air lifted to University Medical Center.

September 4th - Members of an interagency law enforcement team met at Placer Cove to conduct a saturation patrol in the area, including Aztec Wash. Law enforcement rangers and officers from the National Park Service, US Forest Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service made numerous educational contacts and issued citations for possession of controlled substance and fishing violations.

Proactive patrols and aggressive enforcement and education for boating and water use activities continued to be a high priority for park service personnel throughout the weekend. [Mary Hinson, Deputy Chief Ranger]

Grand Teton NP

Injured Climbers Rescued in Two Separate Incidents

Rangers responded to two separate climbing accidents on Labor Day weekend. The first rescue occurred on Mt. Owen's Serendipity Arête, a technical climbing route on the west face of Mount Owen; the second took place on Lower Exum Ridge of the Grand Teton, another technical climb. Both accidents involved climbers who took leader falls and sustained serious injuries, and both incidents required helicopter evacuations. The first rescue occurred on the afternoon of Friday, September 2nd. P.E., 23, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and J.O., 23, of Breckenridge, Colorado, were climbing the 12,000-foot Serendipity Arête - a climb rated 5.7 on the Yosemite decimal scale - when P.E. pulled off a loose rock and fell about 20 to 30 feet, sustaining serious injuries to a leg and an arm. J.O. placed a 911 cell phone call to the sheriff's office in Rigby, Idaho, which notified Teton interagency dispatch of the accident at approximately 12:30 p.m. Rangers immediately began to coordinate a rescue response. Due to the climbers' remote location, the difficult terrain, and the extent of P.E.'s injuries, rangers requested the assistance of the interagency contract helicopter. The helicopter ferried three rangers and rescue equipment to a landing zone in Valhalla Canyon at the base of Mount Owen, then inserted one ranger to the scene via short-haul. This ranger provided emergency medical assistance to P.E. and prepared him for transport by placing him in an evacuation suit. After being temporarily grounded due to a severe storm cell in the area, the helicopter was able to short-haul both P.E. and the ranger - who flew alongside P.E. and attended him - to the Lupine Meadows Rescue Cache at 4:30 p.m. P.E. was then transferred to a park ambulance for transport to St. John's Medical Center in Jackson, Wyoming, where he was treated and released. Both P.E. and J.O. are seasonal concessions employees in Grand Teton National Park this summer. On Saturday, September 3rd, rangers received another call for assistance after 24-year-old L.S., of Jackson, Wyoming, fell 20 to 30 feet while ascending the second pitch of Lower Exum Ridge (elevation 12,500 feet) on the Grand Teton - another 5.7 climb. A.H., 24, and also from Jackson, used his cell phone to call for help when L.S. fell at approximately 1:15 p.m. As with Friday's rescue, the location, terrain and severity of the climber's injuries necessitated the use of the interagency contract helicopter to shuttle rangers to the scene and to evacuate the injured climber. Rangers coordinated another rescue, using the helicopter to bring rangers and equipment to a landing zone at the Lower Saddle. An Exum guide who was climbing in the area provided assistance to L.S. until rangers could arrive at the scene. From the Lower Saddle, the helicopter short-hauled two rangers to the location on Exum Ridge at approximately 3 p.m., where they assessed L.S.'s condition and provided emergency medical assistance. The helicopter then transported two more rangers to the saddle and brought an evacuation litter to L.S.'s location. Rangers situated L.S. on the litter and short-hauled her to the Lower Saddle. From there, they placed L.S. inside the helicopter and flew her down to Lupine Meadows, where a park ambulance transported her to St. John's Medical Center. Both P.E. and L.S. were wearing helmets at the time of each accident. [Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Officer]

Acadia NP

Search for Missing Man

S.C. of Newmarket, Maryland, was reported missing from the Ikes Point boat launch area along the shores of Echo Lake on Mount Desert Island on the evening of August 25th. Following a brief investigation and a ground search, searchers determined that all indicators pointed to a focused effort on searching the water. Acadia rangers and local volunteers assisted the Maine Warden Service as they conducted air and underwater searches through the afternoon of August 26th. Warden Service divers found S.C.'s body in about 60 feet of water and approximately 200 yards off shore from his suspected starting point. Rangers served as members of the overall incident command, as operations for ground searches, and as family liaison. [Neal D. Labrie, Backcountry Supervisor]

Western Arctic National Parklands

Rangers Rescue Four Hunters

On August 31st, the Alaska State Troopers requested assistance from the National Park Service in a search for four men. The group, all from Kotzebue, Alaska, were stranded in a remote location along the Baldwin Peninsula, approximately 20 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Their boat had been swamped by rough seas on August 28th. The men, who were hunting along the peninsula, were reported overdue two days later. A Civil Air Patrol pilot located the overdue party that evening but was unable to land in a fixed-wing aircraft due to the terrain and rough seas. A radio was dropped to the party by the CAP pilot, but shortly after communication was established the radio battery died. Assistance was requested from the park the next morning. The park currently has a contract helicopter in Kotzebue for fall law enforcement patrols. Rangers Dan Stevenson and Galen Howell were flown to the location and utilized the helicopter to extract the men and fly them to Kotzebue. [Lindy Russell, Chief Ranger]

Cowpens NB

Break-In Into Ranger Residence

In the early morning hours between 12 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 30th, an interpretive ranger's residence and vehicle were broken into and entered while he and his wife were asleep in the house. No confrontation or injuries occurred. The ranger awoke around 7 a.m. for work to find his carport storage door and his vehicle car door open with his wife's purse missing. The carport storage room, which is attached to the residence but inaccessible to the main living quarters area, was the only part of the home entered. The wife's purse, which was the only item taken, was located in the vehicle in the carport. The purse contained cash, debit/credit cards, a license and social security card, and personal items. The ranger notified his creditors, the division of motor vehicles and the Social Security Administration and reported the stolen items. Bank records showed that the suspects had already charged over $1,000 in merchandise on the debit card at a grocery store, gas station, lending institution and a pharmacy between the hours of 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. One suspect was apprehended and arrested around 2 p.m. after returning to the same gas station and trying to again use the stolen debit card. The other suspect was apprehended later. Both are incarcerated in the Spartanburg County Jail. The join investigation was conducted by Kings Mountain National Military Park, the Cherokee and Spartanburg County Sheriff's Department, and the Chesnee Police Department. [Pat Ruff]

JOBS

Biscayne NP

GS-025-9 Commissioned Ranger

The park is seeking a highly motivated, full performance, level one commissioned GS-9 ranger for a lateral transfer. We are seeking an aggressive, self-sufficient person who has the ability to work with little or no supervision. He/she may be involved in an array of duties in EMS, SAR, and law enforcement, including patrols conducted utilizing a variety of boats, vehicles and a scooter. Common enforcement activities include but are not limited to fisheries, boating safety, boating under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, commercial and recreational poaching, marine and terrestrial cultural resources, and drug and illegal immigrant smuggling/interdiction. EMS skills as well as boating skills including MOCC certification are preferred but not necessarily a deal breaker. The ranger selected will be assigned a 22-foot Mako patrol vessel, powered by a 250 horsepower outboard motor and equipped with radar, chart plotter and GPS. He/she will be responsible for the use, care and maintenance of the boat. Park housing may be available. The person will be on duty during weekends, holidays, and all hours of the day and night. Those interested in the position are asked to contact acting chief ranger Thomas Rutledge at 305-230-1144 (ext. 3068) or law enforcement specialist Didier Carod (ext. 3075). [Didier Carod, LES]

Glacier NP

GS-025-14 Chief Ranger

Glacier National Park has posted an announcement for a GS-025-14 chief ranger. The full announcement can be seen by clicking on "More Information" below. The announcement closes on September 28th. [Mark Foust, Chief, Branch of Ranger Activities, IMRO]

HYPERLINK "http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=33841401&AVSDM=2005%2D09%2D07+00%3A01%3A00&Logo=0&q=GLAC+MP-05-55&FedEmp=Y&sort=rv&vw=d&brd=3876&ss=0&FedPub=Y&SUBMIT1.x=64&SUBMIT1.y=17" http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=33841401&AVSDM=2005%2D09%2D07+00%3A01%3A00&Logo=0&q=GLAC+MP-05-55&FedEmp=Y&sort=rv&vw=d&brd=3876&ss=0&FedPub=Y&SUBMIT1.x=64&SUBMIT1.y=17

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Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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