Summer in SLETP

This past summer spent at the Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program at Ambler has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life.  Going into the Academy I was not entirely sure what to expect or what amazing people I was going to meet.  Throughout our weeks we spent long hours in the classroom, participated in some grueling PT, studied nonstop, and went through scenario after scenario to build our KITE.  

I was able to not only grow as an individual but was provided the opportunity to work with an amazing class of fellow recruits that I will remember for the rest of my career.  We were able to start out as complete strangers but finished as one solid team that would not have made it without each other.  Along the way we also had the privilege of meeting many top of the line instructors that did their best to prepare us and make sure we would become hard targets.

I know there is still so much to learn in the field but I feel as though I am as best prepared as I can be to start my new career.  I am so excited to begin this journey at my first park, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and can only imagine the many new experiences I am going to have.  I would like to thank every person who has helped me get to the point where I am today; the guidance I have received the past three years has made all the difference! 

Best of luck to all of my fellow ProRangers!

ProRanger Erin Langeheine

Final Weeks at SLETP

Hello Everyone!

The skid car in action.

It is extremely hard to believe it but we are entering our final week here at the SLETP Academy!  Our most recent training involved the Emergency Vehicle Operations Course in which we learned many different driving skills that will be utilized when responding to emergency calls. 

We drove through an emergency response course with both a Crown Victoria and SUV, drove a skid car to help us learn the different ways a car can skid out of control and how to correct them, and a night driving course to acclimate ourselves to the challenges of driving in the dark.  The courses taught us how to use our pivot points when taking sharp turns, how to use our mirrors and looking through the back window while backing up, and what it means to apply steady, even pressure to the brakes when traveling at high speeds.  It was a very fun week filled with great instructors that taught us very valuable skills that we will use everyday both on and off the job!

We had the pleasure of ending our week with OC Spray Exposure; it was as great as it sounds!  Being sprayed with the pepper spray was unlike anything any of us have ever experienced.  It is imperative that we as law enforcement officers be exposed to the spray so we understand what it feels like.  We now all know that in the unfortunate case that we may be exposed to it in the field, we can continue to fight through the pain until the subject is subdued.  

This makes my eyes water just looking at it!

This summer has been such an incredible experience and I have learned so much.  It has been extremely rewarding to watch every single recruit grow and develop their skills throughout the summer and I would be honored to work with every one of them.  It has been a roller coaster ride of non-stop action, nights filled with studying, stressful PE’s and written tests, but it will all pay off next Monday night at graduation.  Our class has grown into one unit and we have met some great instructors that will impact us for the rest of our careers.  

I hope everyone is finishing out their internships positively and that you all enjoyed your summer as much as we have.  I look forward to seeing you all and catching up at the After Action Review!

ProRanger Erin Langeheine

Farewell to Mount Rushmore National Memorial

My final week at Mount Rushmore National Memorial certainly did not disappoint.  The fire danger within the area was still at an extreme high.  About every two hours or so rangers would drive to the high lookout points to check for any smoke around the park.  We made it through most of the day without sighting anything.  However, at about 5 in the afternoon a large smoke funnel was spotted a few miles outside of the park boundary.  The local Forest Service Dispatch was contacted and they notified us that six fire engines were already en route along with a few helicopters responding as well.  In the meantime the decision was made to close the Presidential Trail in case the fire spread in the park’s direction.  Once everyone was escorted off the trail we closed and locked the gates so visitors could not gain access.  Luckily the fire was under control and put out by the next morning without getting much larger.

All Summer I had been working on the proper techniques for holding, handling, and holstering handguns and the day had come to put all those skills together.  Ranger and Firearms Instructor Darin Oestmann took me down to the park’s firing range to work with the handguns.  I first shot from the five yard line to get a feel for the weapon.  Ranger Oestmann also gave me tips for switching out the magazines and making sure to always practice proper techniques to build good habits and muscle memory.  He also told me the importance of being able to shoot one handed in both dominant and non-dominant hand in case one gets injured during a fire fight.  I feel much more confident when working with firearms and now have a better understanding of how they work and should be handled.

Shooting left handed.

Shooting with right hand only.

My last day at the park ended my summer just as it had started: on the mountain.  I worked the early shift with Ranger Oestmann and first thing we hiked up to the faces, the chins to be exact.  All the rangers had been telling me all summer of certain sites that were a must-see and being at the base of the faces at sunrise was definitely on the list.  It is absolutely breathtaking to be standing next to a sixty-foot carving of one of our Country’s leaders and feeling so small.  The view alone was worth the climb and will be an experience I will never forget.  

My summer went entirely too quickly and the experiences I had would not be traded for anything.  I learned so much from every single ranger I worked with and had opportunities that I never thought I would have been presented with.  It is unfortunately an end to another chapter in my life but I can only imagine what has yet to come.  See you all at Leadership Camp!!

ProRanger Erin Langeheine      

Week 10 at Mount Rushmore

View of Green Valley
behind the Memorial. 

This past week at Mount Rushmore has been all about fire and taking fire precautions.  There is still a smoking ban within the park and has been taken very seriously.  Earlier in the week I did a solo up and over patrol and while on top of the heads I looked for any visible smoke columns.  Quite often the local 1880 Train will be the culprit for many false reports of fires because it shoots out thick black smoke from its engine and every report has to be checked.

The next day Ranger Kimball and I did a back country patrol along the Southeast boundary of the park.  Due to the lightning storm the night before the Forest Service notified us of two confirmed lightning strikes along the boundary of the park and asked if we could check to make sure no fires had started.  Kimball and I were given a map of the Forest Service’s plotted strikes but we did not have exact coordinates.  We were also unsure if the lightning had hit the ground directly or something else such as a tree.  We used the GPS to follow the boundary line until we were in the general area of where the map said the strike should be.  After walking a bit further, we found a recently fallen tree with fresh splintering at the base where it had fallen.  We felt it safe to say that this was our lightning strike and luckily no fire or smoldering had been started.



Tree struck by lightning.



                                                                      The rest of the week I helped with various tasks that needed to be completed at the LE building including picking up the new patrol Tahoe as well as getting tires replaced on the older one.  I also did some more K9 training sessions with Ranger Grego and attended an EEO meeting reviewing the reporting procedures for an Equal Employment Opportunity issue. 

Area burned by Myrtle Fire.

Meanwhile, the Myrtle Fire had started in Pringle, South Dakota and was only a few miles from Wind Cave National Park(Wind Cave is about 40 miles from Mount Rushmore).  The Myrtle Fire has currently burned about 10,000 acres.  They had to evacuate the area including the park and will be closed until further notice.  Because the park has been evacuated, they began doing 24 hour patrols to make sure no one would be coming into the park that shouldn’t be there.  As a way of helping out, they asked if we could assist with these patrols by sending one or two rangers to cover their day shift.  Myself, Rangers Dave Woodcock, and Joe Turgyan patrolled on Sunday for a twelve hour shift.  We were briefed in the morning on our duties and to inform us that they would be starting a back burn just outside the West boundary of the park.  This back burn would help prevent the fire from moving into Wind Cave but would also make the fire look even bigger. 



Myrtle Fire back burn.

 

Bison skull



We spent most of the day driving around the park, informing visitors that the park was closed, and giving directions around the road closers.  Wind Cave is also known for the various kinds of wildlife living in the park; we were able to see large Bison heards, Elk, Prairie Dogs, Mule Deer, Coyote, and Pronghorn Antelope.  They also have a spot in the park where the place the carcasses of animals that die in the park, most commonly Bison.  It is pretty awesome to see the bones and skeletons of such huge creatures.  Rangers Woodcock and Turgyan also did an impromptu traffic stop training with me to give me a feel for the types of things we’ll be learning at the Academy.  I have a lot to work on but it was nice to get a little bit of a head start and understanding the key aspects of traffic stops.         

  

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Coyote

Bison



Pronghorn Antelope



 

Prairie Dog

 ProRanger Erin Langeheine

Mount Rushmore- Weeks 8 & 9

I apologize for the delay in my weekly postings; I was put on an eight day (July 3 to July 9) fire detail as a driver which restricted my internet access!  My week started out by hanging smoking ban signs throughout the park to notify visitors of the park’s fire and smoking ban due to the extremely dry conditions.  I posted the signs at the entrances to the bathrooms, the Presidential Trail, the Information and Visitor Center, as well as the gift shop and park restaurant.  This smoking ban is still in effect. 





View of White Draw from the road.

By the end of the day I was informed that the local Northern Great Plains Dispatch needed additional drivers to help with the local fires in the area.  My Supervisor and Chief came to me to see if I’d be interested and I jumped at the opportunity.  When I reported to the expanded dispatch they updated me on the tasks that would need to be completed and what fire we’d be working with.  My eight-twelve plus hour days consisted of picking up fire crew at the Rapid City Airport and delivering them to the ICP in Edgemont, SD so they could begin their work on the White Draw fire.  We also were tasked with delivering various items that were needed at ICP.  For those of you who have been tuned into the fire updates, White Draw is the same fire at which the C-130 plane unfortunately crashed.  There was not much information given about the crash or how it occurred but it is an extremely unfortunate event that affects everyone.  By July 7^th the fire was mainly under control and we began picking people and rental cars up to take back to the airport.  It was a great opportunity and my first exposure to working with a wildland fire dispatch crew.  This experience showed me how important every single person’s job is when being involved with a wildland fire even if you are not on the fireline physically fighting the fire.

Once I was back on a regular shift at the park I spent my day doing a well needed ride along!  I rode with Ranger Kimball making our rounds through the park.  We came along an “abandoned” 18 wheeler trailer in one of the turnoffs in the park.  Commercial vehicle travel is prohibited through the park and can result in a $250 fine.  Kimball said that the driver most likely saw the signs for no commercial vehicles and decided to drop off the trailer while he drove the tractor up to the park.  We drove back up to the park entrance and saw the driver heading back down the hill.  We followed him back down to his trailer and then gave him a verbal warning informing him that he was still in the park and cannot drive the trailer on National Park Service land.  This stop prompted a conversation about Fourth Amendment rights regarding search and seizure.  Kimball gave me several scenarios about when a LE officer can or cannot search a car and/or driver while on a traffic stop.  She told me that this is one of the most important amendments to know as a law enforcement officer that will be used very often.

Ranger Joe Turgyan and I did a Chain Saws field day reviewing how to limb, buck, and fall trees.  It was both fun and a little nerve wrecking to finally be working with a chain saw.  If I were to be certified, I would be able to be a wildland fire sawyer for trees that are eight DVH.



Beginning the face cut.

Starting the back cut.

Hammering in the wedges.

Successful fall.

I also participated in visitor crowd control when there was the discovery of an unknown substance within park storage.  We had to clear the Presidential Trail until the substance could be identified.  It is very important to only reveal certain information when regarding events that could cause panic.  We could only tell visitors that there was maintenance on the trail so they would not panic and possibly turn a controlled event into a chaotic one.  Everything turned out fine and the substance ended up being Tellurium which is used in metallurgy and can be used as pigment in paint.        

The week ended with some unfortunate excitement.  We received a call of a one-person injury car accident with a possible heart attack.  However, the location of this accident was not very clear and it was several minutes before any rangers could respond.  Ranger Grego was the first on scene (in the park parking garage) and was informed that a man had had a heart attack while at the wheel of his car.  Grego got the man out of the car and immediately began CPR.  Ranger Kinkade and myself began directing traffic around the accident and also made room for the ambulance to arrive.  The visitor was given five rounds of the AED machine before the ambulance arrived and took the man away.  We were later informed that they called the man’s time of death en route to the hospital.  The rangers told me that there is usually a park fatality here once every other year or so and is usually related to some type of cardiac arrest or heart attack.  This was the first major medical that I have been to and it showed me the absolute importance of remaining calm and assertive while dealing with serious medicals. 

I cannot believe we only have two weeks left at our parks! I am looking forward to seeing everyone at Leadership Camp!

ProRanger Erin Langeheine