Ranger UP gives the reader a behind the scene glimpse into the real life adventures of our multi-talented National Park Rangers from across the country. This collection of true short stories includes high adventure incidents from all of the major disciplines of Protection Rangers which include Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Emergency Medical Services, Fire and Emergency Management, while also providing the reader with advice on how to stay safe when visiting our National Parks. These stories will play on all of your emotions, they will "amaze you, entertain you, make you mad, and make you cry". Protection Rangers are known as the "Danger Rangers" of the National Park Service, the wide variety diciplines they are responsible for make the job extremely challenging, but also provide for plenty of exciting adventures. One minute you may be on a life threating law enforcement incident, the next hanging off of a cliff saving a life. RANGER UP! True Stories of National Park Service Protection Rangers By Richard E. (Rick) Brown AuthorHouse Copyright © 2010 Richard E. (Rick) Brown All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4490-1778-1 Contents FOREWORD.......................................................................viiACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:..............................................................ixINTRODUCTION...................................................................1SETTING THE STAGE - MEMORABLE MEMORIAL WEEKEND.................................9THE BUFFALO STAMPEDES..........................................................23COLD STUFF.....................................................................31FROSTBITE - A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE............................................37RESCUE - FALLING ACCIDENT AT GROTTO FALLS......................................45SURF'S UP - A SWIFTWATER RESCUE................................................55BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED.........................................................63THE PIT AND THE MOUNTAIN CUR...................................................69HEMMED-IN-HOLLOW REVISITED - HISTORY ALMOST REPEATS ITSELF.....................87WHY DO RANGERS WEAR GUNS?......................................................99RELIC HUNTING - VIOLATOR HAS THE "BLUES".......................................125CAR CLOUTING - AN OUTRAGE......................................................135MANHUNT - THE PURSUIT AND CAPTURE OF ERIC ROBERT RUDOLPH.......................143THIEVERY - AN ELECTRIFYING EXPERIENCE..........................................149FIRE AND INCIDENT MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS........................................1539/11 TERRORIST RESPONSE........................................................161T-5 TORNADO....................................................................163HURRICANE RESPONSE.............................................................167BRIDGE DAY AT NEW RIVER GORGE..................................................179AFTERWORD:.....................................................................195OTHER RECOMMENDED READING:.....................................................201 Chapter One SETTING THE STAGE - MEMORABLE MEMORIAL WEEKEND During my career as a National Park Ranger while working with local law enforcement and emergency services agencies I was asked on numerous occasions, "Is it always this busy in the park?" The honest answer is, it depends. Winters and off season months can be downright boring at times. Then all of a sudden you get a report of a vehicle crash, or someone takes a fall and you're off and running. The calls never stop even in the off season but they do slow down. During the off season rangers generally divert their attention to resource management, safety, training or other administrative tasks that they haven't had a chance to get to during the main visitor season. In the normal visitor season the call volume generally stays pretty steady; emergency calls or law enforcement incidents come fairly frequently. There are times however, that it gets pretty slow even during the main visitor season. That's when you have to watch out because it's like the calm before the storm and all of a sudden things can get crazy. During the Memorial Weekend, 4th of July weekend, and Labor Day Weekend rangers really earn their pay. To give you an idea of what it can be like at times look at this example of a typical Memorial Day weekend at New River Gorge National River in 1998. The weekend started off with a "bang" on Friday evening. Rangers in the Grandview area received a report of gunshots fired in the Glade Creek Campground. The initial report was that a vehicle had driven through the campground and fired several gunshots from a moving vehicle. Shooting incidents in the park were relatively frequent, and because of the danger and unpredictability involved in these violent incidents we usually brought lots of help. Several rangers, WV State Troopers, and Raleigh County Sheriff Deputies respond