Quotes from the South: “If it ain’t p*ssin’, it ain’t coolin'!”

The National Park Service believes it prepared a future law enforcement officer for work on the water, but what it really did was bring me even closer to my dream of becoming a pirate. 

I spent the past week by Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge completing MOCC (Motorboat Operator Certification Course). If you need a new favorite hobby, I highly suggest this. 

The first day of the course covered navigation, basic boat maintenance, and safety requirements. By day 2 we were on the water putting what we learned into practice. 

The first thing you learn is that each boat's operation is extremely different, so it's vital that you spend time with your park's specific machine. We got a lovely crash course in both super-smooth new boats, and those that have had a little more wear and tear, preparing us for whatever condition our boats may end up in.  

MOCC offered more than just boating instruction. It was a chance to learn with our neighbors in Fish and Wildlife, with employees outside of law enforcement, alongside those who were refreshing their advanced boating skills and those who had never set foot on a boat, and with people of all ages. Sharing this experience, and each of their stories, was enlightening, motivating, and exemplified how these trainings are not just boring department classes, but a true representation of the culture of the Park Service and every organization dedicated to preserving our nation's history and resources for all. 

It's also just FUN. 

Quotes from the South: "Hotter than Satan's House Cat!"

This week an FBI SWAT liaison dropped by to follow up on a training scenario that played out a couple weeks ago. For some background, security in Charleston has been ever increasing as a result of the Charleston Church Shooting, and local law enforcement groups want to be sure they are prepared for anything. The nearby FBI SWAT team picked out Fort Sumter as a great terrorist/active-shooter training site, and made the scenario work with the support of the NPS. To say I was disappointed that I missed it would be an understatement, there were helicopters involved…

The FBI liaison took some time during our quarterly full-staff meeting to answer any questions employees had left regarding the scenario, and to clarify some best practices for a real-life active shooter event.

On another interesting note, Fort Sumter’s LE staff is responding to recent suspicious activity at the Aquarium. Staff reported a visitor giving repeated, unwelcome advances to employees and displaying other suspicious behavior. After communicating with local agencies and establishing that the subject has been previously noticed by law enforcement, the park inconspicuously distributed the subject’s photograph to the front line staff, who have been instructed to notify LE in case the visitor returns.

Quotes from the South: "He's a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket"

This Sunday, as the neighboring church bells rang throughout the morning, we began tackling the new LE Office. Organizing this is the clearest representation of what it means to put an LE unit together. Boxes fill the space, miscellaneous, leftover items from the previous users get in the way, gear returns and exchanges must be made, EMS supplies are needed, and everything from markers to proper gear racks must be bought. But it’s less of a challenge than a chance to make it perfect, which this division takes steps towards every day.

In our down time, Erin and I watched trainings on the GAP Analysis, which highlights the importance of understanding the reasons behind officer involved shootings, and advocates for policy change and more readily available emotional support throughout an officer’s career. The type of support an officer receives following a shooting of any kind can make or break their ability to continue their career. Chief Byrnes and I sat down over coffee to share advice and talk about his experience in the park service, his past in archaeology, his transition into a Chief position, and his excitement for the upcoming future of this park.

At Charles Pinckney (CHPE), I got a look at the Hurricane Preparedness Plan, involving tons of plastic wrap, sand bags, and artifact evacuation, carefully matched with specific tasks for each department. Inside the curatorial building, we talked about the significance in such an artifact-centered park. Without clearer records, and with a regular influx of donations, it’s hard to identify and properly catalog artifacts to determine if, and how, they should be displayed, especially when only one person is charged with handling the entire inventory. One lesson I learned about both LE and proper care and representation of artifacts, is that without these vital departments, serious park problems only gain attention once they become a crisis. The best plans we can make going forward are those that stop the crisis before it begins and come from the support of proper staff.

Later in the week, we toured the aquarium neighboring Liberty Square, which shares a perimeter in our jurisdiction. Besides being able to enjoy sea otters and jellyfish, we were able to foster a better connection with our neighbors who are the first to call in if they see anything suspicious in Liberty Square, and offer access to their security cameras when needed.

The week ended with Remembrance Day, an annual Gullah-Geechee celebration remembering and honoring those who lost their lives in the Middle Passage from Africa to the east coast.  They began with a vibrant guest speaker and slowly processed, drums in hand, to the beach for the first half of the ceremony. With music and dancing they made their way to the dock, prepared a beautiful offering of flowers and fruit, and released it into the water.

Quotes from the South: "How are you?" "Fine as frog's hair."

In the true style of southern hospitality, I received multiple emails welcoming me on board to Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park before I had even stepped in the office. My first day was smooth, most of the office had off for the holiday and most people spend Memorial Day on the beach, not at the forts, so we were able to tour around the park without the usual crowding. I saw the tunnels of Fort Moultrie, the visitor center covering the complex history of the site from the Revolutionary War until WWII, the center’s observation deck overlooking the shore, and the nearby docks where the maintenance and LE boats wait to sail to Fort Sumter.



Later in the day, I met Chief Ranger Ben Byrnes (Starbucks in hand) and Cavin Clark, an NPS retired ARPA (Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979) expert preparing for a training session later in the week. Thanks to them I got an in depth tour of the park, focusing on all of the specific concerns that come with a park that has so many historic structures and archaeological artifacts. Proper management and care of these sites is a tricky process, and it’s made more challenging by the risk of looters.

Going downtown into Liberty Square, a common ferry take-off point for visitors, we discussed the unique issues of jurisdiction in a park that traverses an ocean and borders a busy downtown. For example, while both the point of departure and arrival of the Ferry are NPS jurisdiction, the Ferry itself is not. Since this LE unit is still developing, there are some grey areas with jurisdiction that require communication with local law enforcement, coast guard, and the state DNR. So far I see that creating a new LE unit takes lots of planning, supply-ordering, attention to the unique needs of the park, and taking fellow unit’s considerations to mind. I’m excited to watch it all unfold.



While this is a small park, we still managed to have an interesting contact the second day I arrived. A visitor reported a man passed out face down in the brambles outside Fort Moultrie. Sure enough, a man had stumbled up from the nearby beach, likely overheated and having abused substances, and passed out. Ranger Erin called EMS, ensured the scene was safe, and proceeded to contact the man. While he was reluctant to receive any help from law enforcement specifically, and adamantly declared his name was “Good Citizen”, he was taken by EMS for treatment without a problem. This was a great opportunity for me to see how the local EMS responds, specifically on the challenging terrain near the beach, and to meet a couple of law enforcement officers from the local Charleston Police.

Later we made it out onto the Ferry and took a tour of Fort Sumter. It’s a powerful, beautiful fort, and it’s clear why it’s such an attraction. I had a chance to peek into the archives and artifacts in storage at the park at the Charles Pinckney House, which were outfitted with plastic hurricane protection and housed in a building lined with sandbags.

My week ended with specialized ARPA training given by Cavin Clark. The staff stayed after hours (with the help of a potluck) to learn about ARPA and view a film regarding the Effigy Mounds Site, followed by a discussion on how we can take these lessons and apply them to our specific case.