Tropical Storm Send Off

For the final time, Welcome back blog fans! As my final week came upon me, I did everything in my power to make it the absolute best it could be. The internship proved that every available moment and opportunity has educational value. The week began with some familiarity, but new faces. I rode with Ranger Williams for the first time and we primarily patrolled the beaches and conducted fish checks. Once again, there were not any fish to check. We ran into some “Sea Robins” but their capture is not of much concern to rangers as that resource is plentiful. Ranger Williams took me on the trek out to North beach and the very tip of Sandy Hook. The walk from the parking lot to the beach itself is 1 mile. While the area is patrolled regularly, it is not seen as often as some areas in the park. Perhaps I mentioned in my first blog that on busy days, rangers really must focus on the big picture. Answering calls for service, substantial violations, and public safety for example. This is part of the difficulty in patrolling North beach. If you are needed elsewhere in the park, you are easily one mile away from even getting to your vehicle to respond. On the walk out we stopped at an elevated bird watching stand to overlook the closed area of the beach and we noted some vandalism that had occurred to the stand. As we continued onward, we had plenty of time discuss the resource and much more. We discussed emergency medicine, orienting a career with the N.P.S., fitness, and the police academy. He had some great insight on the importance of fitness in this profession. We made contact with a few groups that were fishing and one individual who was fishing in the closed area. “Dredging” had been mentioned a lot during my time at Sandy Hook, but I was never sure of where or why. While in the closed area, Williams pointed out where the dredging occurs, and that the area is dredged so that shipping vessels can get in and out of New York city. Once we worked our way back, we made a few traffic stops. This was one of those stand out, educational moments even in my last week. Ranger Williams conducted his stops with some safety measures that I had not seen before and I really liked it. I plan to bring those ideas with me in my career to take into consideration. The following day was an exciting one with my supervisor, Ranger Lyle. Our much-anticipated ride on the boat came to fruition. Unfortunately, our excursion was a must as our neighbors at the United States Coast Guard base told Ranger Lyle that all of the boats needed to be removed from the water due to the impending Tropical Storm. Taking the boat for a maintenance run on the water before removing it ensures everything is functional. We attached the boat trailer to a patrol unit, ensured everything was in working order, and headed to the boat. Before leaving the dock, Ranger Lyle familiarized me with the boat, and we conducted a G.A.R. assessment. The G.A.R. (Green, Amber Red) is a risk assessment performed by Rangers prior to a potentially hazardous event which aims to determine and mitigate risks. After discussing the risks, we determined we were in the Green and off we went. It was my final week and I was seeing a whole different view of the park; it was awesome. Additionally, the view of the New York City skyline was equally awesome. We traveled up and down the ocean side and the bay side of the peninsula. Through the channels and under the Sea Bright/Highlands bridge leading into the park. Upon return, we power washed the boat and moved it to high ground for weathering the storm. Yes, “high ground” is arbitrary when the park is a peninsula.

Views of Sandy Hook from the boat.

The boat loaded onto the trailer.

Powerwashing the underside of the boat.

As scheduled, Tropical storm Isaias made land fall on Tuesday. Chief Heuser comically commented on me being there day, night, or even hurricane. The park had already been closed for the day at midnight. Sure enough, there were still plenty of people looking to visit. The only excitement of the day came when two vehicles drove past the barricades and the rangers were off to find them. Before the high winds, rain, and power loss I went through each of the patrol vehicles to document their mileage and to collect fuel receipts for Ranger Whithers. The storm proved what the ProRangers have been told, “Rangers do it all”. The Law Enforcement rangers were picking up and moving storm debris all day as they patrolled.

Fighting the wind as I gather vehicle information.

(Above)Raised dunes and rolled up mobility mats in preparation for the storm. (Below) This spot and a few others had sand and water coming across the roadway.

Once the storm passed it was time for more excitement. Wednesday started with a call from Resource about an “unidentified object”. I thought that could only be aliens or a bomb, and neither are good. However, given the year so far, neither would be surprising. I went with Supervisory Ranger Miller who is most familiar with E.O.D. operations and procedures. He determined that the “device”, a brass container that had washed up on the beach, was not an explosive and safe. I said it was time for some excitement, but admittedly, that call interrupted our mornings work of documenting the location of every arrest at Sandy Hook in the last twenty years. After wading through data, my last assignment for the day was going with Ranger Whithers to retrieve one of the parks new patrol vehicles from the emergency lighting installer. It`s a beaut. I was able to learn something from just radio traffic on that day too. There were motorized paragliders flying over a closed area in the park. This concerned the Resource division as they could disturb the birds. I was able to hear the call unravel in its entirety as the radio signal held out driving to and from the installer. Afterwards, I heard about it from the Ranger who handled the call too. Sandy Hook has cars, trucks, A.T.V.`s, and a boat. They don`t have a plane though, so making contact is impossible until they land. The Ranger ran into to a Sea Bright police officer at the park entrance and asked him to contact the paragliders as they appeared to be landing outside the park. I was shocked to hear that they did make contact and explained the reasoning behind the closure. Speaking to paragliders about why bothering birds is an issue is not the norm for municipal police officers. Plus, they have their own town and beach to worry about. That proved that going the extra mile is worth it and interagency cooperation is possible. At the end of the day, enforcement is the job. The day was over, but the night was young. That day I stayed for the night shift to experience a different aspect of the park. The night shift shares many of the same types of calls with day shift, but they tend to see more of the effects of alcohol. These rangers also must clear the beaches at closing, watch closely for impaired drivers, and secure buildings. Ranger Nash took me along for the evening. Ranger Nash had some great advice to share for bettering myself in my future career. He has a background in corrections which surely has some benefits in the transition into law enforcement. Throughout the night Ranger Nash initiated a number of stops for drivers showing signs of impairment. Two of the veteran Sandy Hook rangers are on nights as well and they are very well versed in detecting impaired drivers. The opportunity to see them work after hearing about them was a great experience. I was able to witness both of their D.U.I. arrests that night. Additionally, I was able to witness a C.D.S. search for the first time. During the search, several cars started to line of at the entrance, so I was sent to direct them. Some humor came when it was mostly other rangers coming back into the park.

(Above) Sitting with a vehicle, post inventory, awaiting a tow. (Below) Organizing arrest data.

In closing, my last day in the park came all too soon. It came with another first, a ride along with Ranger Buckingham. This was our first ride along but far from our first interaction. We returned to the location of my first foot patrol, Gunnison beach. It was only right to come and say goodbye. Throughout the day we made a few contacts on the beach. I was impressed by how Ranger Buckingham handled an alcohol contact where he was outnumbered by far. It showed the power of confidence and discretion. Later, I was able to witness another C.D.S. search. All the Rangers impressed me once again in how it was handled. Afterwards I was able to watch the evidence being processed and destroyed, one last time. To wrap up the day, I knocked off a Sandy Hook bucket list item. Climb to the top of the lighthouse. I have faint memories of climbing the Sandy Hook lighthouse as a child, but never the chance to stand outside at the top. Since my initial climb, some restoration work has been done. This served as a lovely reminder that protecting the park is worth it. As you can see in the attached photos, the view is beautiful. Far better than I imagined. Mission completed. Ranger Buckingham and I made our way down and returned to the Ranger station where I said my thank you`s and goodbyes. Despite a global pandemic my internship was carried out. I was a metaphorical sponge and absorbed all of the information I could. The Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area took me in as one of their own. I am forever grateful for the experience.

Views from the top of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse

Potentially next years ProRanger marketing material.

Off to P.R.L.E.A.

Knee Deep

“Hooked” on my blogs, are you? Well I am happy to welcome you back. Fortunately for both of us, I have been taking notes. A lot has happened. My assignment to the Operations division began on Saturday. Yes, I hung up my keys as "Traffic 593". The Operations division is similar to the Interpretive division but focused on special events. Additionally, they manage the campground and handle building leasing. Due to the pandemic, special events have not been planned, the campground remains closed, but the division lives on. One of my initial contacts was with Ranger Hagan, who is another ProRanger alum at Sandy Hook! In fact, I have now learned that she is one of three prior ProRanger`s at Sandy Hook. We began preparing for the passengers to disembark the ferry by inspecting the dock for tripping hazards and any suspicious packages. The ferry brings visitors from New York City to Sandy Hook once a day during the week and twice on the weekends. As part of Operations we encouraged social distancing, answered questions, and kept the line moving into the park. Law enforcement rangers are regularly assigned to ferry arrivals to perform alcohol checkpoints. Ranger Moleski invited me to aid her in checking coolers for alcohol and glass when the second ferry arrived. I believe the checkpoint is a great tool for crime and accident prevention. Every find has the potential to be a preventative for a call for service later in the day. Following a checkpoint on Sunday, Ranger Hayes showed me how to use the P.B.T. as a “Sniffer” to determine whether a beverage in question contained any alcohol content.

Monitoring a visitor as he removes alcohol
 from his cooler.

Ranger Moleski, Ranger Hayes and I
prepared for the ferry checkpoint.

Incoming SeaStreak Ferry

Once the ferries were unloaded, I had the opportunity to speak with Ranger Hagan and Supervisory Ranger Pepper-Parker about their time in law enforcement. During the conversation I was reminded of what a small world it is, which we have been told time and time again. They are both familiar with other ProRangers who have gone through the park.  Following lunch, I conducted an educational patrol with Ranger Millin on the bay side. The objective was to improve visitor behavior and answer questions about the resource. Of no surprise, unfortunately, we encountered a lot of trash. We made a few contacts and recovered an abandoned fishing pole. Then we set up a kiosk at a bay side entrance to further our educational efforts. With plenty of time to chat, I learned that Ranger Millin had also worked in law enforcement with another agency.  ProRanger internships afford students the opportunity to develop their understanding of the law enforcement field. Hearing from well-established and successful rangers who found their best fit in another division has been one of the most important moments so far.

Ferry dock entrance

Have no fear, I will be at the academy on August 10^th.  The following day I primarily shadowed Ranger Bongiovi. He is a wealth of knowledge and positivity with a deep-rooted interest in the visitor experience. Despite the heat wave, upon my request, he took me to tour the campground without hesitation. I know he will be reading this. I will most certainly be visiting Thomas Edison National Historical Park after hearing about his time there. The only person who could possibly one up him is Ranger Hernandez who absolutely loves his job which is entirely based around improving the visitor experience. His mindset reminded me of works by Freeman Tilden. My time spent with operations was a reminder of how great the opportunity to work in a National Park is. Chances are you won`t find law enforcement sitting in the grass with a visitor just chatting. I was also fortunate to sit with Ranger McCarthy who leads Operations. We had shared a few words in passing before, but on that day we sat and discussed the ProRanger program in depth.  

The information kiosk 

Once I wandered back home to the Law Enforcement division, I found myself back on foot patrol with Ranger Patrick. Once again, we patrolled Gunnison beach. From a distance we discussed what to look for and how violations can be hidden. Back at the ranger station we also reviewed and practiced handcuffing methods. Much like my time with operations, this instance along with others like it have stood out from the internship as a whole. Seeing exactly what we have learned during ProRanger weekend activities being used in the field has been awesome. Fulfilling in a way. When I don`t have a ranger to ride along with I try to find ways to continue to be productive. Luckily, this week I found ways that included more than burying my head in RM-9. One morning I noticed our E.M.S. bag needed to be refilled after the overnight shift had a medical call. I walked to our fire station to gather a replacement oxygen tank along with some other miscellaneous supplies. There I had the chance to introduce myself to a park E.M.T. who is also headed to the seasonal academy soon. At one point Ranger Whithers sent me to the mechanic with a vehicle to be diagnosed. This is a collateral duty that I find interesting. Of course, there is always time for the books, so I read through some of our jurisdictional inventory.

S.H.U. Jurisdictional Inventory

New supplies for the E.M.S. bag

 Finally, I returned to patrol with Ranger Hayes. Much like Ranger Bongiovi, he had no problem showing me areas of the park which I was still not familiar with. We trekked out through Horseshoe Cove all the way to Battery Aerosmith. Resource violations are common in the salt marshes of Horseshoe Cove. We made a few visitor contacts there. Battery Aerosmith is a closed area on the bay side. We continued on to visit Battery Kingsman and Battery Mills. “Kingsman and Mills” is a commonly used term when rangers are describing the location of their traffic stop. Locations such as these help rangers orient themselves because the main road, Hartshorne Drive, runs through most of the park without cross streets. The road to these batteries is not open for visitors and I thought it was a closed area, but it is not. We drove through this very untouched area and we saw the Osprey refuge, which is a closed area. Next, we patrolled two beaches on foot. Ranger Hayes once again urged me to make my own tent contacts, I knew he would. I am a quiet individual, so I was hesitant initially. Before long I was contacting multiple visitors regarding their tents which are not allowed on the beach. I also made a few contacts with visitors playing music through speakers. The hardest contact was probably the one with a language barrier. I worked my way through it through with the help of Ranger Hayes who I have seen face the same challenge. During these patrols Ranger Hayes had me communicate all of our radio transmissions.

Two views of Battery Kingsman. You can see how it could have easily been missed from the air despite being such a monolithic structure.

The salt marshes of Horseshoe Cove.

Osprey

Communicating our location and actions.

To wrap up the day we responded to a call from the lifeguards about a disturbance with a visitor. There I witnessed my first arrest. It was great to see the rangers handle the subject without escalating the situation and being very conscious of their safety. A packed beach sure can seem silent when law enforcement is present. My week ended with my first ride along with Ranger Moleski. As previously mentioned, all of the seasonals have treated me well. We discussed the ProRanger program as well as the route she took to become a seasonal law enforcement ranger. I also had to defend the East Coast as what it is, the better coast. Have you had a New Jersey bagel? The excitement in that shift came in the form of a medical call on the bay side. We trekked out quite a way to the patient with lifeguards, E.M.T.`s and other L.E. rangers behind us. I was able to experience the interruption of bystanders. Fortunately, a U.T.V. was available and capable of accessing the bay side to transport the patient back to the awaiting ambulance. Approximately one hour later we were dispatched to the same area for a potentially violent disturbance. This was right at shift change and I was impressed by everyone`s willingness from both shifts to respond. Due to the nature of the call we attempted to avoid the long trek out and instead waded through the water. This only lasted  until we discovered the tide came in and we would end up swimming if we went any further. During this call I was able to watch the rangers navigate their way through a multifaceted scenario involving the wellbeing of a juvenile. Those last two calls really sent home the message of how important physical fitness is in this profession and that no scenario is beyond reality. Hopefully I kept you “hooked” and will see you for the next blog. 

Post incident. Do you enjoy long walks on the beach too?

Shore Traffic

Facing Northbound, from the bridge, a view of the park entrance
where traffic funnels in from Atlantic Highlands and Sea Bright

Welcome back Blog Fans! After reading my last blog, the term “Shore Traffic” ought to ring a bell, but I am not sure of how much significance the term carries in land locked states. Surely the core meaning is universal to anyone living near any type of attraction. Since we last spoke, I have become “Traffic North” at Sandy Hook, or as dispatch now knows me, “593”. That is right, the intern is moving up in the world. Traffic Ranger Savitt gave me a brief run down of what the role entails and commonalities in different parking lots. On weekdays, Ranger Savitt is usually helping visitors via jump starts, lockouts, and providing some emergency gasoline. He will also report any illegal activity that he runs into and will check on medical calls. On weekends when things get busy, things get tricky. Lots fill quickly and are counted almost constantly to give supervisors an idea of how close the park is to reaching capacity. Parking lots which are full are closed but still monitored so they can be reopened once a reasonable number of spaces are empty. Of course, on top of this, with more visitors, comes more visitor assists. As “Traffic North” I was able to ease the burden by patrolling lots L through M on the Northern end of the park which includes Gunnison lot. Gunnison is a very popular beach, so the Gunnison lots along with its overflow parking can fill rapidly. Fortunately, this assignment gave me plenty of opportunities to speak over the radio and it provided plenty of visitor contacts. Initially it was intimidating to determine whether or not to close the Gunnison lot, because the result is a change in traffic flow. Once the nearby overflow lot would fill, the traffic pattern would really change because I would have to shut down the road to both of those lots and send the visitors further North to less occupied beach parking lots. Closing the road prevents visitors from making a pointless trip down the road to only be met with closed parking lots. This is where I had most of my interactions with visitors. I am happy to report that they were overwhelmingly positive interactions. I was also able to assist a few visitors by providing jump starts and watched Savitt perform a lockout. Having a background in towing helped me there.

Closing the Fishing Beach parking lot early in the day.

Closure of Gunnison Road Westbound at Gunnison Rd. and Atlantic Dr.  due to overflow lot being full.

Making visitor contacts to aid in their navigation towards the closest available lot or another site.

A portion of the packet we reviewed in conjunction
with the slideshow.

My next highlight would be following along with Taser training which was provided for one of the new seasonals as she works towards earning her commission. Once again, it has been great to talk to yet another new seasonal about their experience so far with the National Park Service. Everything about the Taser training was shocking, no pun intended. The presentation itself was very in depth and I learned of so many factors to be considered in its deployment, of which I had no clue about beforehand. One being targeting. Beyond body parts to avoid, the user must consider the distance from the target to achieve a wide enough probe spread. Removal the probes is also something I was introduced to. As an E.M.T. in New Jersey I had not learned that before. Tasers are relatively rare in New Jersey. The Taser itself records a lot of user data. After drawing on still targets, Supervisory Ranger Antczak had Ranger Casanova practice some rapid reloading drills and drawing on an approaching target. I have heard of both types of drills with firearms so it was cool to see it in action.

Inspecting the emergency lights during our vehicle check.

Most recently, I have been doing ride along`s with Ranger Hayes. We would start the day by conducting a vehicle check, which I had only done once before. Checking your patrol vehicle in the morning ensures that all your equipment is functional, clean, safe, and ready for work. A full tank of gas is ideal along with proper tire inflation. Emergency lighting and sirens are tested. The backseat is checked for cleanliness, damage, and any loose items. The firearms are checked. Typically, rangers will grab a P.B.T. (Preliminary Breath Test) along with an A.E.D. (Automated External Defibrillator) at least, if not more medical supplies. In relation to the vehicles, I learned that some vehicles at Sandy Hook should have under inflated tires. 4x4 vehicles that are used on the beach will have under inflated tires because that provides more surface area to travel over the sand better. Vehicles that are pursuit rated also require pursuit rated tires. I did not know that pursuit rated tires existed! Also, there are Department of Interior vehicles and G.S.A. vehicles which basically impacts their maintenance and lifespan. Once we were on the road, we conducted a few traffic stops. The weekdays following this weekend brought us very few visitors, so our eyes had to be peeled for potential violations. Ranger Hayes does a great job of sharing what he has recently learned and has provided me the opportunity to learn from his past mistakes. We discussed driving behavior which could be an indication of impairment. Now I find myself paying close attention to every time someone hits the white or yellows lines. However, I find it impressive how much the rangers see happening inside a vehicle with just a passing glance. At one point we got out of the vehicle and patrolled the beach on foot. We made plenty of contacts, advising visitors of the tent ban on the beach, along with confiscating alcohol. As the days went on, Ranger Hayes learned that I had not been exposed to any type of resource violation yet, so we headed over to Fishing beach. Before hitting the beach, he described some of the local ocean life, the limitations, and where illegal activity usually takes place. Unfortunately, no one was catching anything! Despite this we were able to educate visitors and ourselves through contacts as we checked for their “Salt Water Registry”. Along with all of the activity recently there has been some down time as well. With an approaching court date, the law enforcement rangers and supervisors alike spent a lot of time writing and reviewing reports. Hopefully, I will get the chance to learn more about this and I.M.A.R.S. soon, but I did not want to slow them down with a deadline ahead. Instead I opened one of the new employee binders and read over some of RM-9, the Superintendents Compendium, and a Sandy Hook Field Collateral list. These readings might not be as exciting as physical experience, but they are crucial to a well developed understanding of the park and it`s law enforcement division.

Patrolling Fishing Beach in the latest 2020 beach attire with the "Fish Stick"

Reviewing RM-9

There is more to come so check back soon,

ProRanger Boyce

East of Mead

Welcome back, loyal blog fans! I concluded my last blog post with “Coming soon to a park near you”. Unfortunately, that statement did not come true due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I have since arrived at a park near me. As the world changed around us, I remained optimistic about the situation despite the grim circumstances. My Westward travel became impossible and I was reassigned to Gateway National Recreation Area in my home state of New Jersey. Specifically, the unit known as “Sandy Hook”. The rangers at Sandy Hook have referred to it as “The Far East Division of Lake Mead”.

Gateway N.R.A.-Sandy Hook Unit Entrance Sign

COVID-19 Social Distancing Sign

My supervisor and ProRanger alumni, Ranger Lyle, gave me a tour of the park during my first week. Program Manager Greene has also spent time here! Throughout the day I was introduced to supervisors, seasonal rangers, traffic control, and fee collection rangers. I was impressed by how kind and welcoming each ranger was. Scattered throughout the park are retired missiles, anti-aircraft guns, and the concrete structures which housed them. When I visited as a child, I thought they were simply the coolest things I had ever seen. Now returning as an adult and N.P.S. intern, I have come to understand the major role Sandy Hook played in defending the East Coast. From 1874 to 1919 the Army used Sandy Hook as a proving ground to test new weaponry. For this reason, ordnances have been found on the beach. As technology developed, Nike Missiles were housed here from 1954 to 1974. Supervisory Rangers Lyle and Miller showed me where the missiles were stored, fueled, and assembled. They also explained the layout of Fort Hancock.

Retired Nike Missile along Hartshorne Drive

Continuing with things that were new to me, some of the park has changed post Superstorm Sandy.  Sandy occurred in 2012 and caused catastrophic damage to New Jersey. Looking closely at the picture attached you can see the water line on a booth in front of the old ranger station.  Sandy Hook has water on both sides of the park however the pictured booth is pretty far inland. Since the storm, the Ranger Station, Welcome Center, and other buildings have been moved elsewhere.

Superstorm Sandy water line

Early on, we spent time at fee collection as a park closure was anticipated, which has been common, due to full capacity. That day was a very busy day to say the least. The number of spots remaining in the parking lots are continuously counted. There is one bridge that leads directly into the park.  Traffic frequently backs up well beyond the bridge into the neighboring towns. This has brought up opportunities to discuss jurisdiction and neighboring agencies. Fortunately, so far, when we have reached mid-day, some visitors leave, and the park has been able to remain open to accepting incoming visitors.   I have also patrolled with Ranger Patrick. Ranger Patrick welcomed me to the park with a patrol of Gunnison Beach on foot. Gunnison Beach is a clothing optional beach, the only one remaining in the state. That experience is not one I had anticipated when joining the ProRanger program. Within the first few days I had learned about common violations without even needing to ask. This is a heavy law enforcement park and the rangers here recommend starting at a park like Sandy Hook to develop your skills. Ranger Fernandez has always reminded us that law enforcement is first and foremost in this career. Attached you can see the holding cells at Sandy Hook.  In this area I observed rangers as they processed evidence from an earlier arrest.

Holding cells at the ranger station

Here is a warning sign that will one day alert visitors to the nude beach ahead. This area is not optimal for blog pictures.
 

 In the time I have already spent here, I have been fortunate enough to have discussed the ProRanger program with some of the seasonal law enforcement rangers. We have been told before that not everyone is a fan of the program. Fortunately, each of them has treated me well. We have had an open dialogue about the pros and cons of the ProRanger program versus the seasonal route. I feel it is very important to respect their hard work and to remain aware of the opportunity I have. On one of my recent days off I came in to develop a better understanding of the roadways in the park and road my bike throughout the park.

I believe I can speak for the entire cohort in saying that the past few months have been tense, to say the least. Having the opportunity to complete my internship, despite a pandemic, at Gateway N.R.A. is one that I am very grateful for. 

Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook. United States Park Ranger Amber Hagan

It still feels surreal to see myself in this photo read my name in the subject line of this post with, "United States Park Ranger" in front of it. It has been almost one year since I arrived at Gateway to start my career as a United States Park Ranger for the National Park service and what a year it has been. As many of you know, I arrived in New Jersey the second week of October of 2012, just two and a half short weeks before a bit of a celebrity arrived. Most of you know her as Superstorm Sandy, but we have a few other names for her. I chose not to post any photos of the destruction and carnage that Sandy left in her path, because for many these photos are difficult to view. So many lives were taken and so many lives turned upside down. The morale of the Jersey Shore was at an all time low and many of us will never be the same. In circumstances as trying as the aftermath of the most destructive hurricane the Jersey Shore has ever seen, we do not look back, we only look forward. Last year after the storm, you would not have recognized the Jersey Shore for it's alluring beauty. For weeks we stood on a bridge for 12+ hour shifts and painfully had to turn residents of surrounding towns and park visitors away. Due to the unprecedented safety hazards, we simply could not allow people to enter their homes in the city of Seabright. Seabright was buried under heaps of sand and debris with homes barely recognizable and some no longer standing. Businesses were destroyed and power lines dangling. Windows were blown out and buildings flooded. Gas lines were buried under 10+ feet of sand. It was heartbreaking to see this once very alive town deserted with no resolution in sight. In the weeks that we kept people from the park and the town of Seabright, we saw a lot of intense pain and disappointment, but something else emerged as well. Through this natural disaster we saw the Jersey Shore residents come together and be "Jersey Strong" as they would say. Gone were the days of dreading this disaster and feeling helpless and people were standing up and standing together. The entire country came together and the Calvary started arriving. Busloads of supplies started to arrive, shelters were created, FEMA was here in force, emergency workers from around the country came to help, and the National Guard was activated. The Jersey Shore was not alone and a flicker of hope turned into a fire that brought the people of the Jersey Shore back to life. Here we are 10 and 1/2 months later and still pushing forward. Businesses are reopening and homes rehabilitated. Sandy Hook reopened on May 1, 2013 and visitors returned to their beloved peninsula. It has been the most difficult year of my life and of the lives of Jersey Shore residents and I would not trade this experience for anything. The friendships I've made and people I've met have changed my life. The people of the Jersey Shore (contrary to the popular television show) are some of the most compassionate, loving human beings I have ever met. I was taken in and cared for by a family of a co-worker when I had no where to go as my home on Sandy Hook was inhabitable. It is not true what they say, that "Desperate times call for desperate measures." Desperate times call for the true spirit of Americans and of human beings to emerge and that is the spirit of love and compassion.

When the park opened, I got the law enforcement experience I had been waiting for. It was a crazy summer at Sandy Hook, to say the least. From traffic stops to fishing violations to DUI's and Public Lewdness arrests, there was never a dull moment here at Sandy Hook. As SLETP coordinator Chris Willard said to me at the academy last summer, "You've got a front row ticket to the greatest show on Earth." I have laughed a lot, been angry, been sad, and been extremely motivated, among many other things this summer at Sandy Hook. I've watched suspects turn from angels to demons the minute you arrest them. I've watched families of cardiac arrest victims cry as you tell them you did everything you could to save their loved ones life, but it just wasn't enough. I've felt my heart rate go through the roof as the car I was stopping was not pulling over. Through my experiences at Sandy Hook I have grown into a stronger, wiser person and professional. I've had the opportunity to train and work with amazing people. Below is a photo of our Annual Law Enforcement Refresher Training in which this year is the first year we developed a partnership with Monmouth County Police Academy. Featured in the photo is former and now retired Branch Chief of Emergency Services for the Northeast Region, Kim Coast. We were very lucky to have her there before she retired just a short two weeks later.

I recently attended the SLETP Graduation at Temple University for graduating class 13-05. It was just one short year earlier that I was in that very same position. Walking through the halls was nostalgic and touching. It was so very heart warming to see my fellow ProRangers graduating and preparing to enter the work force. I got to see a lot of familiar faces and people who helped me along my path to becoming a United States Park Ranger. Chief Reynolds, Chief Clark, Dr. Luongo, Dr. McGarvey, Chris Willard, Agent Maderang, Jay Lippert, Ranger David Ballam and Chief Ranger of PRWI Cynthia Sirk-Fear, to name a few. Just being at this event reminded me how lucky and thankful I am to be in the position I'm currently in.

PHOTO 1: Graduate Renee Benson, SLETP Coordinator Chris Willard, and I. PHOTO 2: Graduate Charles Papacostas and I. These two graduates, and many others, are going to do wonderful things for the National Park Service and I am happy to be a part of their lives. I look forward to working with them and others in the field. Finally, I'd like to reiterate and continue to express how thankful I am to be working as a United States Park Ranger for the National Park service. I have been tested and I have overcome a lot of challenges in my first year as a Ranger. I look forward to many more challenges and a rewarding career. I could not imagine myself doing anything other than this. I am a Law Enforcement Park Ranger, an EMT, a wildland fire fighter, and soon to be structural fire fighter. How many people can say that? This was definitely my calling in life :-)

PHOTO 1: Historic Sandy Hook Lighthouse at Sunrise PHOTO 2: Fort Hancock Historic District with a storm rolling in during Sunset

Sandy Hook Week 2!!

Hey everybody,

Our second week consisted of the Park Ranger’s Law Enforcement Refresher. The refresher contained a total of 40 hours of training. During the training, the Rangers were updated on policies and techniques to help them adequately perform their duties. It also helped the new Seasonal Rangers earn their qualifications for a commission.

On the first day, it was more of a classroom setting where we had the only Victims Assistance Coordinator in the National Park Service talking about how to deal with crime victims. She explained to everyone what the rules and responsibilities are for Law Enforcement when dealing with victims. In the next training session we watched the Rangers participate in Taser recertification and we learned the anatomy of the Taser. Afterwards, two New Jersey Conservation Officers gave a session on NJ Fish and Wildlife Policy. It was interesting to learn about the different species and how to differentiate between them. One of the Officers brought in actual specimens of fish to show us the different features. It is important to be able to identify the different species of fish because there are many regulations. For instance, some species need to be a certain length in order to keep and some species are illegal to fish. 

On the second day, there was a lot more interaction and hands-on material. The rangers learned all about control tactics both verbal and physical. What made the day even more exciting was the fact that we had fellow ProRanger Fallen Roby-Roberson, visit from Morristown, NJ. We all had the opportunity to be suspects and get handcuffed to help the rangers train. We observed ground fighting techniques, simulation OC spraying, ASP (expandable baton) training, Taser simulations, and fighting techniques. One of the things that was stressed the most was verbalizing what you want the suspect to do, give them commands... “stay back, get on the ground, etc”.

The third day was by far the most interesting and exciting day of them all. The rangers participated in role playing scenarios using simunitions, which are paintball rounds that are fired through police service weapons to help simulate realistic scenarios. Although we were not allowed to participate we helped load the rounds in the magazines and watched from a close but safe distance. There were four different scenarios that forced the rangers to initiate different tactics to control a scene. The most interesting part was watching how the Rangers all had used different methods and tactics to get the same end result...suspect in custody. It was also funny to observe the rangers in their suspect roles; they really got into it..some maybe Oscar worthy?

Day four, was once again another classroom setting. This time we had the detectives from Monmouth County Prosecutors Office talk about Juvenile victims and their investigations. The detectives were very reassuring that they would assist the Park Service if needed and allow them to utilize their resources. Later on a member of MOCERT, Monmouth County Emergency Response Team came and spoke about their tactical SWAT unit and all of their capabilities. In the afternoon, our Program Manager Kim Coast came to talk about NPS policy updates, and heavily stressed ethics.

On the last day, we had a visit from the FBI, where two agents came in and spoke about what they do and how they could help the Park Service in time of need. Next the Park Rangers spoke about court procedure, and court updates. The last session we had the Deputy Chief and Chief of the Sandy Hook Fire Department talk about the possibility of coming across unexploded ordinance and also discussed FEMAS’ unified command. Coming across unexploded ordinance is still a possibility since Sandy Hook was a proving Ground to test weapons from 1874-1919.

Overall the week was informative and intriguing! We look forward to work with law enforcement again.  

-Vinny Lemba and Christina Cintron