REPORT FORMAT

As far as possible, all reports should contain the following information. Exceptions are noted.

Subject: Name or description of incident.

Time and Date: Time and date of occurrence.

Location: Brief description of incident location.

Summary: Brief description of incident. Attention should be placed on making the report simple, clear and inclusive. Many reports omit critical information or contain confused narratives. A simple, chronological narrative works best.

Names/Titles: First and last names and titles of persons involved if appropriate - both NPS employees and victims. If victim names must be withheld, please at least specify gender, and, if possible, approximate or specific age.

Status of Case: What's being done and/or will be done next. Optional in routine cases. It's presumed that investigations will always take place when appropriate. The status is important only in major incidents in which extensive follow-up will occur.

Agencies: Other Federal, State, local or other agencies involved or to become involved in the incident. Optional if deemed immaterial to the report.

Media: The level of media interest and involvement.

Contact: Name and telephone number of the park person who can be contacted for additional information, or a 24-hour contact number.

Submitter: The name and title of the person submitting the report, which should appear on the report itself (not in a cover cc:Mail message).

• Reporting parties should be judicious regarding inclusion of names of law enforcement rangers and investigators and/or confidential investigative or enforcement techniques in incident reports. The Morning Report is posted on the web; email transmissions are also passed along to many other readers. It's safe to presume that anyone might read it.
• All reports are considered to be public information unless otherwise indicated. Reports that are wholly or partly confidential and meant for internal review in Ranger Activities only should be so marked!

Each of the following Level 1 and Level 2 reporting SOP's explains how to submit reports. The basic rules are nonetheless worth reiterating:

• Level 1 reports and some particularly significant Level 2 reports are called immediately to Shenandoah NP dispatch, then followed up with written reports sent via cc:Mail within three working days.
• Level 2 reports are submitted via cc:Mail within three working days.
• All Level 1 and 2 written reports are submitted to Dennis Burnett in WASO Ranger Activities and to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA.
• Copies of each should also be sent to your regular regional/system office contacts.

Report immediately by phone; follow-up on cc:Mail within three working days.

• Call Shenandoah 24-hour dispatch at 1-540-999-3422.
• If for some reason Shenandoah dispatch can not be reached, call Dennis Burnett via pager at 1-888-992-5811 and follow the instructions on leaving a message.
• Submit follow-up reports via cc:Mail to Dennis Burnett in WASO Ranger Activities and Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA.
• Reports should also be sent to your regular regional/system office contacts.

1.1 Employee Fatalities: All employee deaths from any cause, whether on duty or off duty.

1.2 High Property Damage: Any incident resulting in property damage in excess of $100,000.

1.3 Officer Fatality or Life-Threatening Injury: The death or life-threatening injury to any law enforcement employee while in the performance of his or her duties.

1.4 Serious Crimes: Serious crimes which occur in any park area.

1.5 Drug Incidents: Major or unusual drug seizures or drug-related arrests in which the circumstances, value, and/or the amount of the seizure could attract media or political attention.

1.6 Political Officials: Serious incidents, major events or serious accidents involving senior political officials of state, Federal or foreign governments or their immediate amilies.

1.7 Terrorist Activity: Actual, attempted or planned terrorist activity, sabotage or other hostile acts against NPS property.

1.8 Significant LE Events: Significant law enforcement events other than planned special events which have required or may require the dispatch of specially-trained teams to augment normal enforcement capabilities.

1.9 Disasters: Major natural or man-caused disasters which cause significant injuries, resource or property damage to or impact on visitor use of an NPS-administered area, including major structural fires, dam failures, floods and storms. Wildfires are excluded; they should be reported to the NPS Fire Director in Boise.

1.10 Weapons Discharge: The discharge of a weapon by an employee toward another individual or any discharge of a weapon at any employee.

1.11 Use of Force: Any use of force by a law enforcement officer which results in serious injury or death to another individual.

1.12 Aircraft Accidents: Any aircraft accident causing a death or hospitalizing injury.

1.13 Multiple Injury, Work-Related Accident: Any incident that results in the hospitalization of three or more employees due to a work-related accident.

All incidents under these criteria are to be reported to WASO Ranger Activities via cc:Mail within three working days of the incident's occurrence. Incidents of exceptional significance - Level 2+ incidents, i.e., those that have or will likely draw major media coverage - should be reported immediately following the procedures for Level 1 reports.

Reports should be sent via cc:Mail to Dennis Burnett in WASO Ranger Activities and Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA. Copies should also be sent to your regular regional/system office contact.

2.1 Visitor Fatalities: Visitor fatalities, except by natural causes. Heart attacks are not reportable incidents unless they involve other Level 1 or Level 2 reporting criteria.

2.2 Employee Injuries: Serious injury to any employee, either on or off duty. For purposes of this reporting system, serious injuries are defined as those which require advanced life support and/or lead to overnight hospitalization.

2.3 Employee Arrest: Arrest or detention of any employee on felony charges, regardless of arresting or detaining agency.

2.4 ARPA Incidents: Any incident which will likely lead to an Archeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) prosecution.

2.5 Wildlife Incidents: Wildlife attacks or incidents which result in serious injury (the definition is the same as in 2.2) or death to persons.

2.6 Drug Incidents: Drug seizures in which the value of the drugs exceeds $5,000, or major drug cases which are investigated by other agencies but which were initiated by the NPS or in which the NPS assisted.

2.7 Missing Persons: Confirmed missing persons where foul play is suspected.

2.8 Felony Arrests: Multiple felony arrests.

2.9 Demonstrations: Demonstrations or other hostile acts (planned, purported or actual) on or adjacent to parks.

2.10 Malicious Destruction: Significant malicious damage to cultural or natural resources.

2.11 Theft and Burglary: Monetary losses in excess of $10,000 through theft or burglary (excluding vehicle thefts).

2.12 Search and Rescue: Major searches and/or rescues, generally defined as any SAR requiring a significant call-out of resources or a prolonged or difficult search.

2.13 International Events: Any significant event involving foreign nationals or international cooperation.

2.14 Arson: Any incident of known or suspected arson.

2.15 Poaching Incidents: Any significant animal, plant, mineral, paleontolgical or other park natural resource poaching incident.

2.16 Multiple Injuries: In-patient hospitalization of five or more NPS personnel or non-NPS personnel in any single incident.

2.17 Structural Fires: Structural fires involving any NPS-owned property.

2.18 Special Events: Any event in a park which requires significant mobilization of resources, attracts substantial media attention, and/or has particular relevance to the National Park System or Service or its cultural, historical and natural assets.