NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Monday, March 10, 2008
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INCIDENTS
Appalachian NST
Pursuit And Arrest Of Car Clouter
On Saturday, March 1st, and Sunday, March 2nd, rangers from Harpers Ferry NHP, C&O Canal NHP and the Appalachian Trail Project Office conducted an operation targeting car clouters at the Keys Gap parking area, an NPS-owned lot along the Appalachian Trail near Harpers Ferry. On Sunday, rangers saw M.C. break into a car, remove a purse, then quickly flee the scene in his vehicle. A lengthy, high-speed, multi-state (West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland) pursuit ensued that was eventually joined by units from many surrounding police agencies. M.C. eventually abandoned his car and a foot chase followed. M.C. eventually flagged down a car and obtained a ride back towards West Virginia. The act was observed by another motorist, though, and reported to rangers. The vehicle was stopped by assisting police agencies and M.C. was arrested. Rangers took custody of M.C., who had numerous outstanding warrants against him from nearby jurisdictions in West Virginia and Virginia. Field training ranger Dan Johnston (C&O Canal) and trainee Dan Kiger (Everglades) are leading the investigation. Numerous stolen items were recovered from the suspect vehicle, including electronics, and an array of charges are being considered in several jurisdictions. [Brad Clawson, Acting Chief Ranger, C&O NHP]
Sequoia and Kings Canyon NPs
Explosion, Structural Fire At USFS Concession Dorm
On Wednesday, February 27th, the Grant Grove structural fire brigade was called to respond to the Montecito Sequoia Lodge, located on adjacent Forest Service lands, to deal with an explosion and fire that occurred in an employee dormitory. The explosion flattened the two-story employee shower house/dorm building, threw debris (some pieces as large as half-sheets of plywood) hundreds of feet from the site, and left the remains on fire. Rangers determined that the burning remains posed no exposure danger to adjacent structures because of the snow levels (exceeding six feet). The area was secured and the scene turned over to USFS and Tulare County Fire units. Rangers treated one employee for minor injuries sustained during the explosion. The employee said that he'd been sleeping in his bed in a room on the second story when the explosion occurred and awoke to the building collapsing. He said that he “rode the building” as the second story fell into the first story, then crawled through the rubble into the snow. Had the explosion occurred just a half hour earlier, other employees likely would have been injured, as several were using the showers and preparing to go to work. Tulare County Fire and USFS are conducting the investigation. [David Schifsky, Grant Grove Subdistrict Ranger]
National Capital Parks
Pair Arrested For Climbing Statue
On the afternoon of February 18th, Park Police officer Enrique Wong was patrolling Lafayette Park when he saw two people attempting to climb over the fence surrounding the Andrew Jackson statue and then onto the statue. Wong ordering the climbers to come off the statue and back over the fence. The first person was taken into custody without incident, but the second fled. Wong left the first person with an assisting agency officer and chased the second on foot. She was located on a nearby parked bus. When he attempted to detain her, a struggle ensued, but Wong eventually handcuffed her. Neither was injured in the scuffle. The pair were arrested for violating CFR regulations against statue climbing, and the woman who resisted arrest was charged with assaulting a police officer. [Officer LM Weisbaum, US Park Police]
Lassen Volcanic NP
Injured Teen Rescued In Nighttime SAR
Rangers responded to a vague satellite phone report of an injured person approximately two miles inside of the park, possibly in the Manzanita Lake District, around 7 p.m. on March 4th. They eventually determined that the injured person was a member of the Wilderness Recovery group home based in Redding, and that the party of seven was camped approximately three miles in from the trailhead on the Manzanita Creek trail. A hasty search of their probable camping area by helicopter led to the discovery of a flashing emergency strobe. Ground teams eventually reached the campsite and treated a 17-year-old for an orthopedic knee injury. The teenager was then evacuated by over-snow tracked vehicle. Rescue efforts were hampered by minimal available ranger staff (just two rangers), the cold weather, darkness and deep snow. [Ron Martin, Ranger Operations Supervisor]
Grand Canyon NP
Protestors Cited For Failing To Obtain Permit
J.A., 27, and S.P., 29, both from California, were cited for failing to obtain a permit for public assemblies (36 CFR 2.51) as a result of a protest that took place on February 25th. Rangers were dispatched to a report of protesters at the Bright Angel Lodge, with one protestor described as being dressed like a rat. They'd already left the area when rangers arrived, and were reportedly following a chartered tour bus towards a hotel in Tusayan, just south of the park. When the rangers arrived at the hotel, they saw passengers getting out of the bus, J.A. talking into a megaphone, and S.P. videotaping and approaching the passengers. J.A. was shouting that the AlliedTPro tour company mistreated its employees and that the passengers should go home and not use the company. J.A. and S.P. claimed to be union members who'd worked for the AlliedTPro tour company and said that they were striking against the company. Both admitted to protesting in the park. They also produced a business card from a law enforcement ranger at Montezuma's Castle who had already told the two about the requirement for a permit to demonstrate and provided information on how to obtain one earlier that day. A follow-up investigation revealed that J.A. and S.P. had been following this bus tour since Los Angeles and had also been contacted by law enforcement officers in Blythe and Scottsdale, Arizona. [Chief Rangers Office]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories (among others) can be read on InsideNPS:
National Capital Region - The NPS has issued the forecast for the range of dates for the much-heralded cherry blossom bloom. This year, the event should occur from March 27th to April 3rd.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6277" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6277
Risk Management Division - The Division of Risk Management has created a website on InsideNPS to house documents about accidents in which employee fatalities have occurred. A link is included.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6279" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6279
Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the National Park Service.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6278" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6278
NPS Alumni - Joe Miller, who worked in many parks and retired as an associate regional director in 1992, died on February 13th. Joe and his father were both longtime NPS employees, with more than 83 combined years of service between them.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1845" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1845
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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).
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