NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
NOTICE
Due to a technical problem, InsideNPS, the Morning Report and NPS Digest will not appear until later this morning, although article abstracts appear under “Other News” below.
INCIDENTS
Chiricahua NM
Investigation Continues Into Assault On Employee
On August 28th, Karen Gonzales, a uniformed maintenance worker at Chiricahua National Monument, was assaulted in the park and her government vehicle was stolen. Karen has been a seasonal employee at both Chiricahua and Fort Bowie National Historic Site for many years and has also worked at both parks as a park guide.
Law enforcement officials were able to track Karen's cell phone, which was in the vehicle when it was stolen, to Douglas, Arizona, where they found the abandoned vehicle that evening. The Cochise County Sheriff's Office investigators, National Park Service law enforcement rangers and special agents, and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents are working diligently together in the investigation and search for Karen's assailant.
The Cochise County Sheriff's Office is the lead agency on this investigation and updates are being issued by their office. On August 29th, they released a surveillance photo of a suspect in the assault to the media and posted it on their HYPERLINK "https://www.facebook.com/CochiseSO" Facebook page .
Karen has shown signs of improving over the last couple of days, but remains at the University Medical Center in Tucson, surrounded by family and friends. Karen has changed rooms and is now able to receive flowers at the hospital. They should be sent to Karen Gonzales, Diamond Tower ICU, University Medical Center, 1501 N Campbell Avenue, Tucson AZ 85724. The hospital has a gift shop that offers flower delivery and can be reached at 520-694-6027 during normal business hours.
Cards may be sent to the Gonzales family care of Chiricahua National Monument, 12856 East Rhyolite Creek Road, Willcox, AZ 85643. The family is in the process of establishing a fund where donations can be made to support the Gonzales family. Information on how to donate will be shared when it becomes available.
The National Park Service victim assistance program manager and an FBI victim assistance advocate have been working with Karen's family. They have arranged for hotel rooms and have assisted with travel arrangements for family to travel to Tucson. The victim assistance program is available to all victims of crime and is certainly helping the Gonzales family during this difficult time. Court fees collected in all judicial systems are used to fund services like the ones Karen's family is receiving.
A partial incident management team (Bob Love, IC) comprised of personnel from the area was established on the evening of August 28th to help investigate the incident, support the family and employees, and provide continuity of operations for the park. The Southeast Arizona Group, Saguaro National Park, Tumacácori National Historic Site, and the NPS Investigative Services Branch provided law enforcement, public information, and administrative support personnel. On August 31st, the incident was transitioned back to local park management.
“Our heartfelt thanks go out to all of you who have assisted the Southeast Arizona Group parks and the Gonzales family during this trying time,” says Superintendent Lane Baker. “We owe many thanks to the Cochise County Sheriff's Office, the US Border Patrol, the FBI, the NPS Investigative Services Branch, Southern Arizona Parks, the US Forest Service, and countless others. Thank you to those of you who have offered to donate leave to Karen; however, there's no need for the leave share program at this time.”
This was an on-the-job injury, so all of Karen's medical bills and time for physical recovery will be covered through the Office of Workers' Compensation. Karen will not need to draw from her accumulated annual or sick leave while she recovers from this injury.
The National Park Service is committed to supporting Karen and her family and the Southeast Arizona Group employees. Trained critical incident stress management peer supporters have been available to talk with staff there. Free, confidential employee assistance program staff are also available to National Park Service employees Servicewide. To participate, call EAP Consultants, Inc. at 800-869-0276.
Thank you for keeping Karen and the Gonzales family in your thoughts and prayers. The family wishes to extend their appreciation for all of the support.
[Michele Fidler, Information Officer]
Canaveral NS
Two Men Arrested For Auto Burglaries
On August 26th, protection ranger Doug Mullan received a complaint from a visitor who reported that her purse had been stolen from her husband's vehicle while visiting the park.
When Mullan advised her to cancel all her credit cards and to let him know if they were used, she replied that a card had also been used at two establishments, Panda Express and Red Lobster. During interviews with the managers of these two businesses, Mullan obtained descriptions of the two men who'd purchased food with the card.
While on patrol in the park the next day, Mullan saw two men who matched the descriptions he'd obtained and interviewed them. During the interview, he noticed that one of the men was drinking out of a Panda Express cup. Both men provided their licenses, which Mullan ran through Volusia County Sheriff's Office dispatch.
Mullan then contacted the sheriff's office and joined officers from that department in stopping their vehicle outside the park. Numerous items were found in the vehicle that appeared to have been stolen in vehicle burglaries. The two men then admitted to committing vehicle break-ins from Miami all the way up the East Coast. They were arrested.
[Edwin Correa, Acting Chief Ranger]
United States Park Police
Officers Support March On Washington Commemorative Events
August was a busy month for Park Police officers assigned to the Washington D.C. area due to two special events - the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, which was on Saturday August 24th, and the 50th anniversary "Let Freedom Ring" Commemoration and Call to Action, which was held four days later on August 28th.
Extremely large crowds attended each event. On Saturday, the weather was anything but typical for late August in Washington D.C., as it was sunny and in the low 80s with low humidity. August 28th brought back reality - clouds, temperatures in the 90s, high humidity and on and off showers. The heat was a factor for each event. There were numerous medical calls for heat-related illnesses, but none too serious.
Both events had entertainment, VIP speakers, celebrities and politicians. The 50th anniversary "Let Freedom Ring" event also had President Obama and former Presidents Carter and Clinton, as well as the King Family and other civil rights representatives. Security was extremely tight and Park Police officers worked long hours, not only on the day of the events but also the days leading up to the events.
These events could not have been successfully implemented if it were not for collaborative efforts of the National Park Service, Washington Metropolitan Police Department, United States Secret Service, the D.C. National Guard, and other state and local agencies.
[Paul Brooks, Public Affairs Officer]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/):
Office of Communications - In his Servicewide web chat on August 26th, Director Jarvis fielded questions from across the country and across disciplines on myriad subjects. A transcript of that video is now available online.
Park Facility Management Division - The July/August issue of Park Facility Management Division Update is now available online. A link is provided to both current and past editions.
Southeast Region - Southeast Region has issued an announcement for a regional chief ranger. It closes on September 20th.
Daily Almanac - Temperatures well above normal are likely for parts of the Great Plains today. This region may also see some scattered afternoon thunderstorms during the afternoon hours.
National Fire/Incident Situation Highlights - The daily national fire summary is posted around 8 a.m. EDT each day and can be found at either of the links above. For the most current information on the Rim Fire in Yosemite, click on this link: HYPERLINK "http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3660" http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3660
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The Morning Report is produced by the Office of Communications with the support of the Office of the Associate Director for Information Resources. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov).
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