The Morning Report for Friday, November 20, 2009

INCIDENTS

Blue Ridge Parkway
Rangers Save Life In Attempted Suicide

On the evening of Friday, November 13th, ranger Dustin Gunderson came upon a vehicle that appeared to be abandoned near the Lump Overlook on the parkway. Gunderson checked on the registered owner and learned that the family of the 27-year-old man believed that he might have harmed himself. A search was conducted and he was found a little after noon on Saturday about 100 yards down a steep and rugged embankment. He appeared to have overdosed on unknown types of pills and was semi-conscious and unresponsive. Ranger Colin Fisher provided immediate care until he could be flown to Baptist Hospital, where he was treated and is expected to make a full recovery. Personnel from Wilkes County Emergency Management and Wilkes County Volunteer Fire Departments assisted in the search efforts. [Submitted by Bruce Gagnon, Supervisory Ranger]

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Man Apprehended In Bull Elk Poaching Case

Charges are pending against a Granville County, North Carolina, man who is a suspected of shooting a bull elk inside the park. Rangers found the carcass of bull #21 lying along the edge of one of the pastures in the Cataloochee area on the morning of November 13th. The animal was believed to have been shot and was taken to the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine for a necropsy. That report is pending. An investigation was begun immediately by rangers, an NPS special agent, and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission officers. A vehicle description lead them to a man who subsequently confessed to the offence. The park is working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to develop the case. [Submitted by Bob Miller, Public Affairs Officer]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Servicewide
Upcoming Training Calendar

Please submit information on upcoming training courses to Bill_Halainen@nps.gov. New listings and revisions are in bold face. Please note that the calendar now includes ongoing on-line training offerings, which will be posted for about a month at a time.

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Online Training

NPS Fundamentals I: NPS Mission and History. A cornerstone for your NPS career. Learn online at your own pace about the history of the NPS, how the NPS is organized, and how the NPS fits into the federal government. Registration: DOI Learn https://doilearn.doi.gov/. Cost: free. Completion of this course is required for NPS Fundamentals II: Introduction to NPS Operations (training held at Grand Canyon for permanent and term NPS employees). NPS Fundamentals website: http://www.nps.gov/training/fund/index.htm. Contacts: Mark Harner, (928-638-7983, Mark_Harner @nps.gov) or Debbie Cox, (304-535-6277, Debbie Cox @nps.gov).

NPS Fundamentals III: NPS Career Management and Retirement Planning. Look ahead in your NPS career and eventual retirement. Learn online at your own pace about career and retirement planning, including sessions on advancing in your chosen career path, financial planning, insurance, and making healthy lifestyle choices.Registration: DOI Learn https://doilearn.doi.gov/. Cost: free. NPS Fundamentals website: http://www.nps.gov/training/fund/index.htm. . Contacts: Mark Harner, (928-638-7983, Mark_Harner @nps.gov) or Debbie Cox, (304-535-6277, Debbie Cox @nps.gov).

NPS Fundamentals IV: Managing Work Life in the NPS. What are the expected legal and ethical behaviors of NPS employees? Why should diversity matter to you? What can you do to ensure a safe work environment? Get these questions answered and more in this online course studying public ethics, diversity, and safety in the NPS. Registration: DOI Learn https://doilearn.doi.gov/. Cost: free. NPS Fundamentals website: http://www.nps.gov/training/fund/index.htm. . Contacts: Mark Harner, (928-638-7983, Mark_Harner @nps.gov) or Debbie Cox, (304-535-6277, Debbie Cox @nps.gov).

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Other Online Course Listings

EMS Training. The Branch of Emergency Services is announcing various levels of emergency medical services (EMS) training. This is offered to NPS employees at no cost by the Air National Guard. A list of offerings and dates are located under the "Training" link on the NPS EMS InsideNPS website (http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=177&lv=3). If you wish to attend one of the listed sessions, please contact Bob Wightman at 865-436-1261 or bob_wightman@nps.gov. He will provide additional details about the courses and will put you in touch with ANG Liaison.

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Scheduled Training

November 20 – Executive Leadership Seminar for Park and Public Managers. November 20th is the deadline for applying for scholarships for this course, which will be held from April 27th to May 7th at the Institute at the Golden Gate in San Francisco, UC Merced and Yosemite National Park. The context surrounding parks and protected areas is rapidly changing. Climate change, habitat loss, suburban and urban encroachment, increased fire severity, budget constraints and countless other problems pose challenges that require careful analysis and sophisticated solutions by leaders. There is an immediate need for effective leadership training for the stewards of the world’s natural and cultural heritage. Thanks to the joint efforts of the University of California, Merced, the National Park Service, the Institute at the Golden Gate, the Great Valley Center, and the National Parks Conservation Association’s Center for Park Management that need will soon be filled. These public agencies have created an 11-day intensive management seminar on leadership, innovation, and organization renewal that will provide valuable training for international executive-level managers of parks and protected areas. Participants will meet industry leaders and innovative thinkers with expertise in leadership and park management, and will be able to form a network of global public land management leaders. There is space for 24 participants and approximately half will be National Park Service leaders; early application is highly recommended. For information on applying and on scholarships, click on http://parkleadership.ucmerced.edu/

November 30 - December 2 - Retirement Planning for CSRS Employees TEL broadcast, 12:00-4:00pmET each day. Designed for Civil Service employees and CSRS Offset employees within 5 years of retirement eligibility to help employees better understand their federal benefits to make informed decisions regarding their retirement and insurance. This is a 12-hour class that runs for 4 hours each day. Apply through DOI Learn, course code is NPS-UNC6400. Additional websites for DOI Learn include DOI Learn Help Site and DOI Learn: NPS Guidance and News. Check the TEL website to download the participant guide and to get information about other learning and development opportunities.

November 30 – December 3 – Intermediate Carpentry Skills, William Penn Mott Jr. Training Center - Annex, Pacific Grove CA. Intermediate carpentry skills is a transitional-level training program designed to meet the needs of the semi-skilled park maintenance worker. Program content includes an introduction to plan reading, the Uniform Building Code, care and uses of stationary power tools, wall and roof system framing, installing doors and windows and the installation of common roofing materials. For information on the Mott Training Center and their curriculum -- which is accreted through the University of California -- click here: http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=21793 To apply employees must log on to DOI Learn (https://doilearn.doi.gov/). Click on the Catalog tab, then Catalog and search for "mnt4" (without the quotation marks). Supervisory approval is required so please let your supervisor know you have applied. The Servicewide Training and Development program will pay tuition ($1,200). "Tuition" includes all class costs plus lodging and meals from Sunday supper through Friday lunch. The only cost to your park is the travel to central California (the Monterey peninsula). Contact: Steve Hastings 301-663-8206 x134 or Dorothy Printup 301-663-8206 x101

November 30 – December 4 – Equipment Operator Safety, San Antonio Missions NHP, TX. This course will examine the risks of operating heavy equipment and steps required to minimize them. Topics include an in-depth examination of dangers of heavy equipment operations, pre-shift inspection, loading, unloading and transportation. Participants will demonstrate proper pre-shift inspection and safe operating skills in the field on equipment commonly found in park operations. Participants will gain insights on how to establish park practices and procedures that provide a framework for compliance and actions they should incorporate into their park’s operations. To Apply: Log on to DOI Learn and search the catalog for "mnt7" without the quotation marks to find the class; Contact: Steve Hastings 301-663-8206 x134 or Dorothy Printup 301-663-8206 x101

December 6 – December 7 – Operational Leadership Training, Wyndham Hotel, Gettysburg, PA. This Operational Leadership workshop will be held prior to the 2009 Ranger Rendezvous. Operational Leadership is a nationwide effort to transform the NPS into one of the safest federal agencies through an improved capacity to lead, assess risk and significantly reduce accidents, injury and fatality rates, thus improving morale, productivity and employee wellness. The course will begin at 1:00 p.m. December 6th and be completed by noon December 7th. The class will end in time for Rendezvous participants to take the afternoon tour of Gettysburg NMP. This course is open to all disciplines and can count toward the annual 40 hour supervisory requirements. Please contact Rebecca Harriett at (304) 535-6224 or e:mail rebecca_harriett@nps.gov to sign up. There is no fee, but phone or e:mail registration is required no later than November 20th.

December 7 – December 9 – EMT-B Refresher, Pinnacles National Monument, Paicines CA. This 24-hour course will provide all necessary NREMT EMT-B refresher requirements. The class will focus on meeting all the mandatory NREMT refresher requirements while getting as much hands-on, practical time as possible. Class will include presentations, individual and small-group practical exercises, and scenario-based exercises. The goal is to make the training as interactive as possible. Class will be both indoors and outdoors, regardless of weather. For more information or to register contact Pete Fonken (831-389-4486 x237) pete_fonken@nps.gov. Maximum 15 participants. Cost $50 for supplies & materials.

December 7 – Legal Update TEL broadcast, 12:30-4:30pmET. Four hours of legal update training presented by NPS and FLETC staff. This training is for any Law Enforcement Officer in the NPS. Apply through DOI Learn, course code is NPS-LAW2000. Additional websites for DOI Learn include DOI Learn Help Site, or DOI Learn: NPS Guidance and News.

December 7 – December 11 – Backcountry Tactics and Tracking Training, Carlsbad, NM. Students who successfully complete this training will be able to apply tactical tracking skills in remote backcountry settings and urban environments. These skills will aid in search and rescue operations, locating missing persons, border security, poaching, and fugitive apprehension. Tuition: $600, including meals, lodging, weapons, and tactical gear with the exception of personal gear. The program is offering tuition free training to agencies with 50 officers or less and a population of 50,000 or less. For more info, contact the program managers at 575-748-8088 or 575-746-5875 (phones), 575-748-8171 (fax), or FLETC-Artesia@dhs.gov (email).

December 9 – Commercial Services Program Monthly Chat: "Prospectus Development Project Definition - What Is It and How Will It Assist Parks." 3 p.m. EST. An hour-long workshop is held each month on a commercial services topic. For more information, log onto the NPS Commercial Services chat website: http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1197&lv=4 Questions or suggestions on these sessions should be directed to Doug Hawthorne (303-987-6908).

December 9 – December 11 – Multijurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force Training: Patrol Interdiction, Padre Island NS, TX. The training will focus on durg interdiction stemming from vehicle stops. Topics will include detecting deception, contraband concealment and vehicle searches. This course will assist officers in drug-related cases from inception to courtroom. Free. Travel and per diem will be the responsibility of attendees. If interested, please contact Matt Rosselot via Lotus Notes or at 361-949-9238. Email is preferred. Seating is limited, so reserve a spot early.

December 18 – NPS Facility Manager Leaders Program. December 18th is the deadline for applications for this program, which runs from May 17, 2010, through April 15, 2011. The objective is to develop facility managers to lead the NPS in the careful stewardship and protection of its assets. The curriculum is designed to develop and strengthen the knowledge and competencies of the selected NPS employees through a year-long education and training program that proactively builds capabilities in asset management, operations and maintenance, project management, resource stewardship, business management and supervision and leadership. No tuition. Travel and per diem to be paid by either a WASO or a regional account, to be determined after selection to the program. This is a competency-based training opportunity; it is not an intake program. The candidates selected for this program will be enrolled in a year-long study program involving 20 to 28 weeks of study, classes and activities. The required attendance dates are: May 17-21, 2010; October 18-29, 2010; and April 11-15, 2011. Candidates will be notified of acceptance or non-selection by March 1st. Apply on DOI Learn, where a URL for completing the on-line application will be provided. The class identifier is NPS-2010-0517-SACN-FMLP. The course is NPS-MNT5000. Applicants will be put on a waiting list (Wait List) until they are officially selected for the class. The course coordinator is Betsy Dodson, Park Facility Management Division, WASO (843-856-3531).

January 4 - LE Refresher TEL broadcast, 12:30-3:30pmET. Three hours of varied topics will be discussed. Check the TEL website or the Distance Learning website for the NPS Law Enforcement Training Center for topics to be discussed. Apply through DOI Learn, course code is NPS-LAW2010.

January 11 – January 15 – Basic CISM Peer Support Training, Albuquerque, NM. The basic CISM peer support training course is designed for those employees interested in helping their fellow employees deal with the emotional aftermath of a critical incident. The training program will encompass the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multi-component crisis intervention curriculum. The course will prepare participants to understand a wide range of crisis intervention services including pre and post incident crisis education, significant other support services, on-scene support services, crisis intervention for individuals, demobilizations after large-scale traumatic incidents, small group defusings and the group intervention known as critical incident stress debriefing (CISD). The training will prepare participants to provide several of these interventions, specifically demobilizations, defusing, and the CISD. The need for appropriate follow-up services and referrals when necessary will also be described. This course is open to any person wishing to know more about crisis intervention techniques. Emergency services and disaster workers, security, safety, military, industrial and school system personnel, EAPs, human resources personnel, psychologists, social workers, counselors, and others can benefit from the training. You must register by December 5th. To register, please visit the InsideNPS CISM website at http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=175&lv=3

January 13 – Commercial Services Program Monthly Chat: "Menus - Engineering, Core, and Sustainable." 3 p.m. EST. An hour-long workshop is held each month on a commercial services topic. For more information, log onto the NPS Commercial Services chat website: http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1197&lv=4 Questions or suggestions on these sessions should be directed to Doug Hawthorne (303-987-6908).

January 26 - LE Refresher TEL broadcast, 12:30-3:30pmET. Three hours of varied topics will be discussed. Check the TEL website or the Distance Learning website for the NPS Law Enforcement Training Center for topics to be discussed. Apply through DOI Learn, course code is NPS-LAW2010.

January 26 – January 28 – NPS Structural Firefighter Live Fire Recertification, Glen Canyon NRA, AZ. This 24-hour live fire based course satisfies the refresher requirements for NPS structural firefighters as outlined in Section 14 of Reference Manual 58, NPS Structural Fire Management. The course is designed to refresh previously certified NPS structural firefighting personnel with varied live fire scenarios, with special emphasis on engine company response. NPS live fire qualified instructors direct the training in compliance with NFPA 1403 and OSHA requirements. The closing date is December 28th. For further information, contact the Mark Gorman at 605-433-5230 or check the website at http://inside.nps.gov/waso/training.cfm?lv=3&prg=358.

January 26 – January 29 – Retrofitting For Accessibility, Lake Mead NRA, NV. The National Center on Accessibility training course "Retrofitting for Accessibility" focuses on the application of the accessibility standards and proposed guidelines to the built environment and outdoor developed areas. The course is designed for planning, construction and maintenance professionals responsible for making existing facilities accessible to people with disabilities. For more information and particulars on the application process, click on http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=1662

February 8 – February 12 – Command and General Staff Functions for Local Incident Management Teams (H-337/I-300 and I-400), National Conservation Training Center (NCTC), Shepherdstown, WV. This 45+ hour course offers incident command system training to Department of the Interior (DOI) employees who may serve in command and general staff positions on local incident management teams involving a significant number of local and/or mutual aid resources. The course will provide opportunities for students to gain an understanding of how the National Incident Management System (NIMS) command and management components support the management of expanding incidents and significant events. Students will participate in the incident/event management process for expanding incidents and extended response as prescribed by the Incident Command System through scenarios, classroom participation and practical exercises. The course is intended for personnel who have completed basic incident command training and have expressed interest in participating in all-hazards incident management or who have incident management responsibilities in their position descriptions. The course will be delivered as “team training” to simulate local Incident Management Teams (IMTs) assembled and assigned to incidents and special events. Given the complexity of most incidents, training as a team is critical for effective coordination and decision-making under the dynamic stressful situations often experienced during emergency incidents and major events. Students will be assigned to teams during the course for the purpose of developing the skills required to perform in a team configuration of moderate complexity; completion of the course does not commit or qualify trainees to serve on designated teams other than as allowed or required by their individual agencies. Successful completion of the training will credit participants for a Command and General Staff course for local incident management teams AND I-300 and I-400. For additional information and an application, contact Lisa Branum, Department of the Interior/Office of Emergency Management, via phone (202-208-5673), fax (202-501-6139), or email (Lisa_a_branum@ios.doi.gov).

February 9 – February 11 – Advanced CISM Peer Support Training, Albuquerque, NM. This course is designed to provide participants with the latest information on CISM techniques and post-trauma syndromes. The program will emphasize a broadening of the knowledge base concerning critical incident stress interventions as well as post traumatic stress disorder that was established in the basic program and/or in publications. At the conclusion of this educational program, participants will have been exposed to specific, proven strategies to intervene with those suffering the ill effects of their exposure to trauma. The emphasis will be on advanced defusings and debriefings in complex situations, and will have been exposed to specific, proven strategies to intervene with those suffering the ill effects of their exposure to trauma. You must register by December 5th. To register, please visit the InsideNPS CISM website at http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=175&lv=3

February 9 – February 11 – Emergency Services Workshop, Albuquerque, NM. This three-day event is designed to update and continue the application of Director’s Order 51, Reference Manual 51 and Field Manual 51 and provide training to EMS providers, park EMS coordinators and NPS medical advisors. Some of the highlights of this workshop will include revisions to the NPS EMS protocols and procedures, training on the NPS electronic patient care record, tactical EMS protocols and procedures, developing a quality assurance program, and NPS EMS vehicle and aviation standards.. Continuing education credits will be issued to attending EMS providers. For more information see the NPS EMS InsideNPS website at http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=177&lv=3 .

February 10 – Commercial Services Program Monthly Chat: "Financial Management Hot Topics." 3 p.m. EST. An hour-long workshop is held each month on a commercial services topic. For more information, log onto the NPS Commercial Services chat website: http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1197&lv=4 Questions or suggestions on these sessions should be directed to Doug Hawthorne (303-987-6908).

February 22 – February 25 – Advanced Carpentry Skills, William Penn Mott Jr. Training Center - Annex, Pacific Grove, CA. This course provides continuing instruction in carpentry topics for experienced park maintenance personnel. Program content includes instruction in building and safety regulations, project planning and sketching, material estimating, complex roof framing, stair building, finish carpentry and shop woodworking. For information on the Mott Training Center and their curriculum – which is accredited through the University of California – click here: http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=21793 . To apply, employees must log on to DOI Learn (https://doilearn.doi.gov/). Click on the Catalog tab, then Catalog and search for "mnt4" (without the quotation marks). Supervisory approval is required so please let your supervisor know you have applied. The Servicewide Training and Development program will pay tuition ($1,200). "Tuition" includes all class costs plus lodging and meals from Sunday supper through Friday lunch. The only cost to your park is the travel to central California (the Monterey peninsula). Contact: Steve Hastings 301-663-8206 x134 or Dorothy Printup 301-663-8206 x101

March 1 – March 5 – Fundamentals of Special Park Uses, National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV. This course is being listed now due to its early enrollment deadline – December 18th. The course covers all aspects of special park uses, including First Amendment activities, commercial filming, still photography and rights-of-way. DO-53 and RM-53 are covered in depth, as well as 36 CFR and NPS Management Policies 2006. A draft agenda is posted on the special park uses page at http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=185&lv=3 . The DOI Learn code is NPS-VRP3021. For more information, contact Lee Dickinson, Special Park Uses Program Manager, WASO, at 202-513-7092.

March 1 – March 5 – Backcountry Tactics and Tracking Training, Capitan, NM. Students who successfully complete this training will be able to apply tactical tracking skills in remote backcountry settings and urban environments. These skills will aid in search and rescue operations, locating missing persons, border security, poaching, and fugitive apprehension. Tuition: $600, including meals, lodging, weapons, and tactical gear with the exception of personal gear. The program is offering tuition free training to agencies with 50 officers or less and a population of 50,000 or less. For more info, contact the program managers at 575-748-8088 or 575-746-5875 (phones), 575-748-8171 (fax), or FLETC-Artesia@dhs.gov (email).

March 10 – Commercial Services Program Monthly Chat: "Condition Assessments - How to Prepare." 3 p.m. EST. An hour-long workshop is held each month on a commercial services topic. For more information, log onto the NPS Commercial Services chat website: http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1197&lv=4 Questions or suggestions on these sessions should be directed to Doug Hawthorne (303-987-6908).

March 15 – March 18 – Basic Carpentry Skills, William Penn Mott Jr. Training Center - Annex, Pacific Grove CA. This course provides entry level park maintenance workers with an introduction to construction and woodworking. Program content includes an introduction to wood products and common construction materials, wood frame construction, simple shop woodworking, material handling and storage, handheld tool use and care, wood preservation, glazing, and safety. For information on the Mott Training Center and their curriculum – which is accredited through the University of California – click here: http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=21793. To apply, employees must log on to DOI Learn (https://doilearn.doi.gov/). Click on the Catalog tab, then Catalog and search for "mnt4" (without the quotation marks). Supervisory approval is required so please let your supervisor know you have applied. The Servicewide Training and Development program will pay tuition ($1,200). "Tuition" includes all class costs plus lodging and meals from Sunday supper through Friday lunch. The only cost to your park is the travel to central California (the Monterey peninsula). Contact: Steve Hastings 301-663-8206 x134 or Dorothy Printup 301-663-8206 x101

March 15 – March 19 – Command and General Staff Functions for Local Incident Management Teams (H-337/I-300 and I-400), National Indian Programs Training Center (NIPTC), Albuquerque, NM. This 45+ hour course offers incident command system training to Department of the Interior (DOI) employees who may serve in command and general staff positions on local incident management teams involving a significant number of local and/or mutual aid resources. The course will provide opportunities for students to gain an understanding of how the National Incident Management System (NIMS) command and management components support the management of expanding incidents and significant events. Students will participate in the incident/event management process for expanding incidents and extended response as prescribed by the Incident Command System through scenarios, classroom participation and practical exercises. The course is intended for personnel who have completed basic incident command training and have expressed interest in participating in all-hazards incident management or who have incident management responsibilities in their position descriptions. The course will be delivered as “team training” to simulate local Incident Management Teams (IMTs) assembled and assigned to incidents and special events. Given the complexity of most incidents, training as a team is critical for effective coordination and decision-making under the dynamic stressful situations often experienced during emergency incidents and major events. Students will be assigned to teams during the course for the purpose of developing the skills required to perform in a team configuration of moderate complexity; completion of the course does not commit or qualify trainees to serve on designated teams other than as allowed or required by their individual agencies. Successful completion of the training will credit participants for a Command and General Staff course for local incident management teams AND I-300 and I-400. For additional information and an application, contact Lisa Branum, Department of the Interior/Office of Emergency Management, via phone (202-208-5673), fax (202-501-6139), or email (Lisa_a_branum@ios.doi.gov).

March 15 – March 19 – Backcountry Tactics and Tracking Training, Carlsbad, NM. Students who successfully complete this training will be able to apply tactical tracking skills in remote backcountry settings and urban environments. These skills will aid in search and rescue operations, locating missing persons, border security, poaching, and fugitive apprehension. Tuition: $600, including meals, lodging, weapons, and tactical gear with the exception of personal gear. The program is offering tuition free training to agencies with 50 officers or less and a population of 50,000 or less. For more info, contact the program managers at 575-748-8088 or 575-746-5875 (phones), 575-748-8171 (fax), or FLETC-Artesia@dhs.gov (email).

March 16 - March 25 – Introduction to NPS Operations: Fundamentals II, Grand Canyon, AZ. NPS Fundamentals training is designed to help you build a foundation in NPS operations and procedures, expand teamwork and leadership skills, gain a big picture perspective and envision the NPS future, and develop a NPS employee support network throughout your career. Cost: Free! All travel and tuition paid for by Servicewide Learning and Development. All permanent, term, and SCEP NPS employees are strongly encouraged to attend. Learn more and find registration information at http://www.nps.gov/training/fund/index.htm . For more information, contact Mark Harner (928-638-7983, Mark_Harner@nps.gov) or Debbie Cox (304-535-6277, Debbie_Cox@nps.gov).

March 22 – March 26 – Special Park Uses “Train the Trainers” Course, National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV. The goal is to train instructors for the Fundamentals of Special Park Uses courses held annually around the country. The Fundamentals of Special Park Uses course introduces participants to special park uses administration through the knowledge of law, regulations and policy and the practical steps to issue permits that protect park resources, preserve high quality visitor experiences, avoid visitor use conflicts, and manage the uses in the best interest of the users and the American public. This course will take those with a demonstrated interest and experience in the special park uses through the laws, regulations, policies and guidance which govern special park uses. In addition participants will learn skills necessary to teach effectively. People who wish to be considered as future special park uses instructors should submit a letter of interest detailing their knowledge and experience in special park uses through their Superintendent (or Division chief in the case of regional office staff) to their regional Special Park Uses program coordinator by November 15th. Applicants should detail their experience with special park use, knowledge of laws, regulation and policy that apply to special park uses, experience as an instructor, and any special park use training they have attended. We need people with experience and interest in all facets of the special park uses program. Special park uses include First Amendment activities, commercial filming, still photography, special events, rights-of-way, agricultural uses, and some uses that superintendents deem necessary and appropriate, and for which no other permitting instrument exists. Participants who successfully complete the training may be asked to teach at one 40 hour course each year. Typically, each one week course is taught by three trainers and one or two subject matter experts.The WASO special park uses program will pay for travel and per diem, overtime and base salary for participants selected for the course. When selected as an instructor for future courses, the WASO program will pay travel and per diem and overtime. If you have any questions please contact your regional special park uses coordinator.

March 29 – April 9 – Certified NPS Structural Firefighter, Glen Canyon NRA, AZ. This 88-hour course will meet the current National Park Service training standards to be qualified as a structural firefighter. Course emphasis is on individual and engine company manipulative skills essential for personal safety and effective and safe fire ground operations including the initiation of offensive, defensive and transitional initial attack procedures. Students are presented with a comprehensive and strenuous hands-on curriculum that includes extensive training scenarios and live-fire drills. Students will be afforded numerous opportunities to develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to participate as a member of a park structural fire engine company. Knowledge and skills will be tested throughout the course and course graduates will be qualified as Structural Firefighters within the National Park Service. The close date is March 1st. For further information, contact the Mark Gorman at 605-433-5230 or check the website at http://inside.nps.gov/waso/training.cfm?lv=3&prg=358.

April 5 – April 9 – Backcountry Tactics and Tracking Training, Capitan, NM. Students who successfully complete this training will be able to apply tactical tracking skills in remote backcountry settings and urban environments. These skills will aid in search and rescue operations, locating missing persons, border security, poaching, and fugitive apprehension. Tuition: $600, including meals, lodging, weapons, and tactical gear with the exception of personal gear. The program is offering tuition free training to agencies with 50 officers or less and a population of 50,000 or less. For more info, contact the program managers at 575-748-8088 or 575-746-5875 (phones), 575-748-8171 (fax), or FLETC-Artesia@dhs.gov (email).

April 6 - April 15 – Introduction to NPS Operations: Fundamentals II, Grand Canyon, AZ. NPS Fundamentals training is designed to help you build a foundation in NPS operations and procedures, expand teamwork and leadership skills, gain a big picture perspective and envision the NPS future, and develop a NPS employee support network throughout your career. Cost: Free! All travel and tuition paid for by Servicewide Learning and Development. All permanent, term, and SCEP NPS employees are strongly encouraged to attend. Learn more and find registration information at http://www.nps.gov/training/fund/index.htm . For more information, contact Mark Harner (928-638-7983, Mark_Harner@nps.gov) or Debbie Cox (304-535-6277, Debbie_Cox@nps.gov).

April 14 – Commercial Services Program Monthly Chat: "Contract Amendments - How to Prepare." 3 p.m. EDT. An hour-long workshop is held each month on a commercial services topic. For more information, log onto the NPS Commercial Services chat website: http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1197&lv=4. Questions or suggestions on these sessions should be directed to Doug Hawthorne (303-987-6908).

April 19 – April 23 – Backcountry Tactics and Tracking Training, Carlsbad, NM. Students who successfully complete this training will be able to apply tactical tracking skills in remote backcountry settings and urban environments. These skills will aid in search and rescue operations, locating missing persons, border security, poaching, and fugitive apprehension. Tuition: $600, including meals, lodging, weapons, and tactical gear with the exception of personal gear. The program is offering tuition free training to agencies with 50 officers or less and a population of 50,000 or less. For more info, contact the program managers at 575-748-8088 or 575-746-5875 (phones), 575-748-8171 (fax), or FLETC-Artesia@dhs.gov (email).

April 20 - April 29 – Introduction to NPS Operations: Fundamentals II, Grand Canyon, AZ. NPS Fundamentals training is designed to help you build a foundation in NPS operations and procedures, expand teamwork and leadership skills, gain a big picture perspective and envision the NPS future, and develop a NPS employee support network throughout your career. Cost: Free! All travel and tuition paid for by Servicewide Learning and Development. All permanent, term, and SCEP NPS employees are strongly encouraged to attend. Learn more and find registration information at http://www.nps.gov/training/fund/index.htm . For more information, contact Mark Harner (928-638-7983, Mark_Harner@nps.gov) or Debbie Cox (304-535-6277, Debbie_Cox@nps.gov).

May 3 – May 7 – Backcountry Tactics and Tracking Training, Capitan, NM. Students who successfully complete this training will be able to apply tactical tracking skills in remote backcountry settings and urban environments. These skills will aid in search and rescue operations, locating missing persons, border security, poaching, and fugitive apprehension. Tuition: $600, including meals, lodging, weapons, and tactical gear with the exception of personal gear. The program is offering tuition free training to agencies with 50 officers or less and a population of 50,000 or less. For more info, contact the program managers at 575-748-8088 or 575-746-5875 (phones), 575-748-8171 (fax), or FLETC-Artesia@dhs.gov (email).

May 12 – Commercial Services Program Monthly Chat: "Contract Transitions - Successes and What to Avoid." 3 p.m. EDT. An hour-long workshop is held each month on a commercial services topic. For more information, log onto the NPS Commercial Services chat website: http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1197&lv=4 Questions or suggestions on these sessions should be directed to Doug Hawthorne (303-987-6908).

May 17 – May 21 – Backcountry Tactics and Tracking Training, Capitan, NM. Students who successfully complete this training will be able to apply tactical tracking skills in remote backcountry settings and urban environments. These skills will aid in search and rescue operations, locating missing persons, border security, poaching, and fugitive apprehension. Tuition: $600, including meals, lodging, weapons, and tactical gear with the exception of personal gear. The program is offering tuition free training to agencies with 50 officers or less and a population of 50,000 or less. For more info, contact the program managers at 575-748-8088 or 575-746-5875 (phones), 575-748-8171 (fax), or FLETC-Artesia@dhs.gov (email).
June 7 – June 10 – Backcountry Tactics and Tracking Training, Carlsbad, NM. Students who successfully complete this training will be able to apply tactical tracking skills in remote backcountry settings and urban environments. These skills will aid in search and rescue operations, locating missing persons, border security, poaching, and fugitive apprehension. Tuition: $600, including meals, lodging, weapons, and tactical gear with the exception of personal gear. The program is offering tuition free training to agencies with 50 officers or less and a population of 50,000 or less. For more info, contact the program managers at 575-748-8088 or 575-746-5875 (phones), 575-748-8171 (fax), or FLETC-Artesia@dhs.gov (email).

Servicewide
Upcoming Events Calendar

Please submit information on upcoming events to Bill_Halainen@nps.gov. New listings and revision are in bold face.

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November 28 – Eighth Annual Visit, Canadian Pacific Railway Holiday Train, Steamtown NHS, Scranton, PA. The train will arrive between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. The Canadian Pacific’s goal is to stock food banks in local communities year-round, and especially at this time of year. Visitors are asked to bring along non-perishable food items or cash donations.

December 3 – National Christmas Tree Lighting, President’s Park, Washington, DC. The ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. EST. For the first time, the lighting will be broadcast nationwide on the Public Broadcasting System. It will also be available online at www.thenationaltree.org. The public is also invited to visit this interactive site now and throughout the holiday season to experience all the behind-the-scenes festivities of the event, from the story of the first National Christmas Tree to the one-of-a-kind ornaments made each year by ordinary Americans to hang on 56 trees – one for every U.S. state, territory and the District of Columbia. Visitors to the site may also create their own customized, interactive e-card for the holidays.

December 5 – “An Old Virginia Christmas: The Plantation Reacts to John Brown’s Raid,” Booker T. Washington NM, VA. From 3:00 pm- 8:00 p.m. This event is the beginning of many special programs at the park throughout the next several years commemorating the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. At this special event, visitors will learn how Christmas was celebrated on a small, slave-holding Virginia tobacco plantation in 1859 and how one abolitionist helped steer the United States towards a devastating Civil War. The afternoon programs will include children’s activities, farm programs, and storytelling by Royal Shiree Jones from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Walking tours with costumed interpreters will be held at 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. The event will conclude with a special reading of Booker T. Washington's "Christmas Days in Old Virginia.” Contact Booker T. Washington National Monument at (540) 721-2094 for more information.

December 6 – December 10 – Ranger Rendezvous XXIII, Association of National Park Rangers, Wyndham Hotel, Gettysburg, PA. The theme for the Rendezvous this will be “America’s History: Protecting The Past, Informing The Future,” and the keynote addresses, plenary sessions, workshops and breakout sessions will explore issues pertaining to the Service’s management, protection and interpretation of historic sites. They will also focus on current NPS operations and on the future of both the National Park Service and the Association of National Park Rangers. Here are some of the highlights of this year’s gathering:

The Rendezvous will open on Sunday evening with a reception at Gettysburg NMP’s spectacular new visitor center, which will be followed by special viewings of the park movie, “A New Birth of Freedom,” narrated by Morgan Freeman, and the fine restoration of the 1884 cyclorama painting of Pickett’s Charge
Monday will feature a three-hour-long afternoon field trip of the battlefield and the national cemetery (where the Gettysburg Address was delivered), guided by a park ranger. There will also be opportunities to see the Eisenhower Farm at the same time.
Director Jonathan Jarvis will be speaking at the Rendezvous.
Also speaking will be Deny Galvin, past deputy director and current member of the Second Century Commission, who will talk about the commission’s recommendations and the challenges facing the National Park Service in coming years. He will be joined by Tom Kiernan, president of NPCA.
Workshops, presentations and breakout sessions will include a session on doing Civil War and other types of historical genealogy led by professional genealogists, a panel on the challenges of managing cultural landscapes, a hands-on workshop for younger members on how to move forward in their careers, a session on an ANPR-sponsored oral history project collecting employee stories for the NPS centennial in 2016, another session on partnerships and how to make them more effective, a panel on interpreting controversial historical sites, and an overview of the Service’s plans and activities for the upcoming Civil War sesquicentennial.

Click on the following for more inf http://www.anpr.org/anprrr.htm

December 10 – December 12 – Bioblitz and All Taxa Biological Inventory Annual Conference, Gatlinburg, TN. The National Park Service and Discover Life in America (DLIA) are partnering in implementing the all taxa biological inventory (ATBI) within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This December, DLIA will be sponsoring its annual national conference in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and all NPS personnel are invited to participate. This conference will provide an opportunity for park managers to discuss and share information about Bioblitz and ATBI events within their parks and regions. An NPS side meeting is planned to discuss Servicewide all taxa biological inventories, with an emphasis on youth, tribal and senior engagement. The NPS continues to advance the development of ATBI’s and Bioblitz events throughout the United States and encourage partnerships with scientists and others interested in biodiversity, the discovery of new species, taxonomy, and wildlife conservation. This conference is an important opportunity for natural resource managers interested in establishing similar biodiversity discovery events within their own parks or regions and for those managers who already participate in these events to share their ideas and experiences about how to improve future NPS events. The conference will be held at the River Terrace Resort and Convention Center. For more information regarding the conference please follow the link to the announcements and calendar page located on the Sharepoint website: http://nrpcsharepoint/brmd/ATBI/default.aspx . Or you can view the DLIA website at: http://www.dlia.org/index.shtml . A conference registration form available to interested parties can be completed by following the link posted below: http://www.dlia.org/dlia/conference/2009ConferenceRegist.pdf . For more information concerning the National Park Service’s work with all taxa biological inventories and biodiversity discovery, please contact Kirsten Leong, NPS Human Dimensions program manager (kirsten_leong@nps.gov)

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
GS-0025-9 Protection Rangers

The Division of Resource and Visitor Protection at Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking to fill multiple GS-9 protection ranger positions.

Forty commissioned park rangers work in the three main visitor use areas – Little River in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Oconaluftee in Cherokee, North Carolina, and Cades Cove in Townsend, Tennessee. Outlying areas include Abrams Creek, Look Rock, Cosby, Big Creek, Cataloochee, Deep Creek and Twentymile.

The Smokies is world renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life and the beauty of its ancient mountains. Seventy-eight historic structures, including grist mills, churches, schools, barns, and the homes of early settlers, preserve Southern Appalachian Mountain heritage in the park. With more than nine million visitors annually, it is America’s most visited national park. The park provides an economic hub generating over $718 million a year for surrounding tourist communities.

Rangers are provided with the full spectrum of law enforcement and resource protection activities. With 10 front country campgrounds recording more than 350,000 camper nights annually, 11 picnic areas and a major highway corridor from Gatlinburg to Cherokee, rangers work extensive traffic law enforcement incidents, DUI’s and motor vehicle accidents. Incidents are consistently managed using the incident command system.

The park contains over half a million acres and has 800+ miles of trail including 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Rangers provide resource protection to over 1,500 black bears and a reintroduced elk population. Resource protection patrols focus on threats to poaching of plants and animals and there is an active ginseng marking program which runs annually from May through September.

The division has a dynamic emergency services program which includes park medics and National Registry EMTs. Rangers are trained in technical rescue, search operations and wildland fire. Being a ranger at Great Smoky Mountains is a challenging and rewarding experience. Career development and training opportunities include the field training ranger program (FTR), SETT team assignments, incident management and annual NLTA and TASER training.

For more information contact Tennessee district ranger Steve Kloster at 865-436-1268 or Cades Cove area supervisor Steve Spanyer at 865-448-4105.
More Information...

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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:

http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363

All reports should be submitted via email to Lane Baker in the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services in the Washington Office and to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with copies to your regional office.