Olympic National Park (WA)
Storm Causes Multiple Road Closures
A strong storm brought high winds and heavy rain and snow to the Washington coast and northwest interior of the state last week, knocking out power and causing road and area closures. A number of roads were soon closed on the west side of the park so that trees could be removed and damage could be assessed:
- Hoh Road - The Hoh Road was closed at the park boundary.
- Quinault Valley Roads – The North Shore Road was closed due to downed trees and electrical lines, and the Graves Creek and the North Fork Roads were closed while awaiting assessments. There was also no electrical service along the north shore of Lake Quinault.
- Lower Queets Road – The road was closed due to water on the roadway.
- Hurricane Ridge Road – The Hurricane Ridge Road was closed due to snow. Park crews worked on clearing two slides.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
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Regional Harry Yount Award Nominations Solicited
Nominations are now being sought for the 16th annual regional Harry Yount awards for excellence in the art of rangering.
Do you know a ranger who embodies the standards displayed by recipients of this award – initiative, professionalism, imagination, perseverance, competence, creativity, resourcefulness, dedication and integrity? If so, then be sure to submit a nomination for her or him.
This peer recognition award is given to a ranger whose overall impact, record of accomplishments and excellence in traditional ranger duties have created an appreciation of the park ranger profession on the part of both other rangers and the public.
There are two points that we would like to emphasize for this year's nominations:
1. The Harry Yount Regional and National Park Ranger Awards are not intended to be solely lifetime or length-of-service awards. Rather, they are intended to recognize individuals who meet the established award criteria whether at the beginning, mid-term, or end of their careers.
2. Eligibility for the awards is extended to any NPS employee who meets the criteria. The award is not limited to law enforcement park rangers only.
Following are some of the particulars. Full details and copies of the needed forms can be obtained by clicking on “More Information” below:
- Nominations are to be submitted directly to the regions by January 31, 2010. Because this is a peer nomination process, no supervisory approval is needed.
- You may nominate deserving rangers who work in regions other than your own.
- Each region will select a regional honoree who will receive a plaque and a cash award.
- The national honoree will be selected from the seven regional honorees and will receive a cash award and a bronze bust of Yount during a ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington in April.
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Clemson University
Peggy O’Dell Wins Fran P. Mainella Award
A part-time job for a college student turned into a career for Margaret “Peggy” O’Dell, regional director of the National Capital Region. Her innovative approach to park management earned O’Dell the Fran P. Mainella Award during Clemson University’s annual George B. Hartzog Jr. Environmental Awards program on November 11th.
The award is named for the 16th director of the National Park Service, Fran Mainella, and handed out every two years for sustained and innovative achievement by a woman in the management of North America’s natural, historic or cultural heritage. Mainella is a visiting scholar in the Clemson University Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management.
Brett Wright, chairman of the department, presented the award at the annual program and lecture series named for Hartzog, director of the National Park Service from 1964-1972.
O’Dell began her career as a seasonal interpreter at Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (the Gateway Arch) in St. Louis, while attending college at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has served the National Park Service at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Jewel Cave National Monument and Harpers Ferry Center.
She served a six-month detail to the Washington D.C.-based Council on Environmental Quality, where she coordinated the first White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation in 2005. She became superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington in 2007. Currently, O’Dell is regional director of the National Capital Region, where she was the senior executive responsible for the National Park Service role in the inauguration of President Obama.
[Submitted by Ross Norton]
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
GS-0025-11 Emergency Medical Services Coordinator
Yellowstone National Park is seeking a protection ranger to function as the park’s EMS coordinator. The ranger selected will be tasked with management of the parkwide emergency medical services program and a variety of other park wide emergency services, functioning as an overall emergency services coordinator within the Resource and Visitor Protection Division.
Yellowstone National Park has a very busy and complex emergency services program, annual responses to over 1,000 medical calls, 100 search and rescue missions, hundreds of structural fire calls, and ground ambulance transport revenues of close to $300,000 per year.
The Chief Ranger’s Office needs a motivated, creative, experienced field oriented law enforcement ranger for this position. The person selected will be responsible for both short term and long range planning, budget development and execution, quality assurance, hiring and supervising seasonal paramedics and other support staff, and coordination of training for approximately 200 field EMS providers ranging from First Responders to Paramedics. In addition, she/he will take a regular field leadership role in a variety of law enforcement and emergency operations, including mass casualty incidents, search and rescue, all hazard incidents, structural fire, continuity of operations planning, and special event security and operations planning. He/she will also assist the district law enforcement emergency service operations with coverage and response when necessary.
The EMS coordinator will be stationed in Mammoth Hot Springs, and will be required to live in park housing to assist in response to emergency operations. The position is currently announced on USA Jobs and closes on December 4th. The announcement is available at the link below.
For more information, please contact deputy chief ranger Bonnie Schwartz at 307-344-2103 or via email at Bonnie_Schwartz@nps.gov
More Information...
Death Valley National Park (CA)
GS-0303-6 Administrative Assistant
Death Valley has an opening for an administrative assistant. The announcement closes on December 4th. Click on the link below for both the governmentwide and public announcements.
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 the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.