State Employees Mourn Fellow Co-worker Who Lost His Life in the Line of Duty
Division of Forestry Ranger Dies from Injuries Sustained While Fighting Wildfire

 Don Lam (second from left) with crew

                                       Don Lam working a fire in 2010

Family, friends and the Kentucky Division of Forestry (KDF) are mourning the loss of Donald R. Lam who died Feb. 17 from injuries sustained while fighting a forest fire in western Kentucky last September.  Lam, 58, was a dedicated forest ranger technician and experienced wildland firefighter who had assisted with fire suppression efforts on the local, state and national level for nearly 12 years. 

“This tragedy is a tremendous loss to our organization,” said Leah MacSwords, director of the Kentucky Division of Forestry.  "When you think about what forest wardens do every day and the frequency in which they put themselves in harm's way for the protection of citizens and forest resources, it makes you realize the commitment and loyalty that make up their character.” 

Lam, who had been in critical condition since the accident occurred on September 7, received injuries while working the Scotts Chapel Road Fire—a 12-acre wildfire in Livingston County.  Lam was clearing a fire break for containment at the base of a bluff when a burning snag broke loose on top and rolled off striking him from behind.  The impact left him unconscious and with serious injuries including second degree burns.

The Scotts Chapel Road fire initially spread from a burning brush pile during a county-wide burn ban.  The brush pile was set fire by FCE Construction and Excavation while clearing a construction site owned by River Oaks Timberland Management.  Currently, charges are pending for the person responsible for starting the fire. 

Gov. Steve Beshear directed that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff on Monday, Feb. 21, 2011 in honor of Lam. “Jane and I send our deepest condolences to the family of Donald Lam,” said Gov. Steve Beshear. “His courage and dedication to protecting our public safety is an example to us all. Let his life’s work and tragic death remind us of the extreme dangers of uncontrolled burning anywhere in the Commonwealth. Don served the Caldwell County community, the state and volunteered for wildfire assignments across the nation.  His sacrifice for the protection of life and property is to be commended and honored.”

Forestry officials urge all citizens to be aware of outdoor burning laws.  Anyone found violating forest protection laws or other outdoor burning bans will receive a citation and/or a criminal summons to appear in court.  Penalties may include fines of up to $500 or imprisonment up to 6 months.  In addition to court fees and possible imprisonment, suppression fees are collected from the person responsible for the origin of the fire.  For more information, please contact KDF at 1-800-866-0555 or visit http://foresty.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx.

Transportation Employees May Have Saved Toddler's Life

                          
                                Junior Ware                                   Scott Toler

Quick thinking by two employees of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Department of Highways District 10 may have saved the life of a toddler they found running through the parking lot of a Stanton apartment complex on Sept. 27, 2010.

On a cool, rainy Monday, employees Scott Toler, an equipment operator for the Powell County maintenance crew, and Roy Ware Jr., the mechanic assigned to the Powell garage, were on their way to an auto parts store to pick up a part when they saw the approximately two-year-old female child in an apartment parking lot off busy College Avenue. The child was nearing the heavily traveled roadway, and the employees were concerned that the child might wander into the road or fall into a ditch. This was just one day after a high-profile incident in which a toddler was struck and killed by a vehicle in neighboring Wolfe County.

Toler and Ware activated the caution lights on their truck and scooped up the toddler, keeping her dry and warm while they called authorities to alert them to the situation. Police and social services personnel came to the scene.

Stanton Police Chief Kevin Neal told The Clay City Times that Toler and Ware kept the child in their truck until the authorities arrived, not even giving the child up to her mother and her babysitter to make sure she was going to be safe and in good hands.

The girl was being babysat by a resident of an apartment complex, who returned to her own apartment from the child’s apartment for less than five minutes. Upon returning to the child’s apartment, the babysitter discovered the toddler was missing. No charges were filed in connection with the incident.

KSP Image Shines at World Equestrian Games
By Les Williams, Public Information Officer, KSP Public Affairs Branch

The KSP Honor Guard performed flag-raising duties at the award ceremonies and took part in the closing ceremonies.

KSP Hazardous Devices Investigator Jim Adkins adjusted a remotely operated robot vehicle in the Special Operations Branch staging area.

The opening of the World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park on Sept. 25, 2010 marked the end of 18 months of security preparation by the Kentucky State Police (KSP). As the lead law enforcement agency coordinating security inside the park, KSP faced a challenging task: ensuring the safety of an expected 500,000 people on a 1,200 acre site during 20 days of events.

“From the start, we realized for this event to be a success, we would need to partner with local state and federal agencies,” says Capt. Mike Crawford, site commander for the event. “We approached the event with a team concept to ensure the safety of all competitors, sponsors, visitors, horses and physical assets.”

Partner agencies included the FBI, the Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kentucky National Guard, the state departments of agriculture, emergency management and public health, the Louisville and Lexington police departments, the Fayette Co. sheriff, the Lexington Fire Department and others.

According to Crawford, the most difficult part of the event was logistical: trying to sustain 24-hour security coverage for a period of 20 days.

“We prepared for every possible scenario one could image,” he explains, “from hazardous material incidents, weapons of mass destruction and bomb threats to active shooters, severe weather, evacuation procedures, demonstrations and civil unrest and more.”

KSP assigned 246 sworn and civilian personnel to the games. Only six arrests were made: two for driving under the influence, two for alcohol intoxication, one for burglary in the second degree and one for shoplifting.

“Our planning teams did an incredible job preparing for every possible scenario,” notes KSP Commissioner Rodney Brewer. “I have not heard of any contingency that wasn’t prepared for.”

In addition to succeeding in their primary security goals, KSP personnel also scored many “goodwill” points for the agency. Much of this had to do with their helpfulness, professionalism and attractive uniform.

“I spoke with many people from all over the world,” says Det. Terry Whittaker, of Post 4. “They would often remark about how approachable we were. Most of them come from countries where police aren’t nearly as friendly.”

“The KSP uniform was talked about a lot,” says Lt. Mark Mayes. “Everyone showed up shined and the people noticed. One visitor asked if we were wearing a special uniform designed for the games. They were very surprised that it was our daily uniform.”

Mayes also mentioned some extraordinary duties he was called on to perform such as dumpster diving for a cell phone a lady had mistakenly thrown away and helping an elderly couple from New Zealand to operate the ATM.

“It was nice to see that many persons from other countries understood a smile with a simple ‘Good morning,’” said Det. Jim Whitaker of DESI-East. “There was also more than one Kentucky resident who stopped me and said, ‘Trooper, thank you all for being here.’”

Tpr. George Atwood, of DESI-West, reports that several veterans noted the outstanding performance of the KSP Honor Guard at the awards and closing ceremonies. “One Vietnam War veteran and retired Ohio State Trooper commented that the Honor Guard performance raised the hair on the back of his neck and made him proud of the United States.”

“I can’t tell you how many positive comments I received regarding our personnel,” said KSP Commissioner Brewer. “People from around the world were extremely impressed with the professionalism of the Kentucky State Police.”

Aerial Detection Effective Tool for Division of Forestry
Quick Response Quells Wildfire in Hart County
By Lynn True, Information Officer, Division of Forestry

In Kentucky, the potential for wildfire typically peaks in late October and throughout 2010, extremely dry weather and unusually warm temperatures made for exceptionally dangerous fire conditions.  Such was the case on October 24, 2010, in the area of Knoxes Creek in Hart County.  In addition to the dry environment, wind gusts in excess of 20 mph had the potential to turn any spark into a raging wildfire. 

Fortunately, the Kentucky Division of Forestry’s (KDF) Central District was conducting aerial detection that afternoon as part of its efforts to find and control wildfires.  While surveying the 15 county area, Robert Bean, chief forester for the division, spotted a small plume of smoke.  Bean quickly radioed the location to Central District dispatch noting that a power line had blown over in a field causing dry brush and grass to ignite.

Once Steve Gray, KDF district forester, received the information from Bean, he immediately recognized the area as being adjacent to woodland belonging to Dr. James Middleton.  Both Gray and Bean have worked with Dr. Middleton for many years – marking timber, conducting timber stand improvement and assisting with other forest stewardship practices.  In fact, Dr. Middleton’s long-time association with district staff dates back to the late 1980’s when he was named Tree Farmer of the Year for his accomplishments in forestry. Gray, being familiar with the area, was able to quickly direct KDF fighters and local volunteer fire departments into the area.  He knew a wildfire in that area had the potential to destroy hundreds of acres of forest if not quickly contained.

Within minutes of detecting the fire, firefighters were on the scene to fight the blaze.  KDF’s Hart County forest ranger technician, Lonnie Gibson, began cutting a fire line with the division’s bulldozer while local fire departments assisted with water.  KDF’s quick response and familiarity with the terrain – along with assistance from three volunteer fire departments including Linwood, Hardyville and Magnolia – ultimately prevented the fire from burning additional acreage.  Although the fire had the potential to spread through hundreds of acres of forestland and destroy many years of hard work, there were only six acres burned. 

Wildland firefighters understand the necessity of responding to incidents as quickly and safely as possible.  Aerial detection is one of the best tools for KDF firefighters in finding and evaluating wildfires as they occur.  As evidenced by the Knoxes Creek Fire, rapid detection and response can mean all the difference in terms of firefighter safety and protecting Kentucky’s forests.