06 Aug Medic 1 Ride Along, Teton Dispatch and a Special Guest

Hey Friends! It seems that my since my time here is getting shorter, I’m busier than ever trying to get everything done and accomplished. This week was pretty exciting for many reasons. The first because I was able to do a ride along with medic 1, second I was able to sit in at Teton Dispatch here at Grand Teton National Park, and the third because I got the opportunity to sit down and talk with Chief Ranger Nash and learn more about him and what it is that he does for the park. On Monday July 20th, I arrived at headquarters and met with Maggie Dungan, a paramedic. As soon as I arrived, she took me to the ambulance and taught me about most of the major equipment they use. We then drove around for a while, and I was designated a special seat in the back. It was quite exciting to finally be able to ride in an ambulance without being the passenger. Sadly, we never were called on scene for any emergencies but I was able to learn a lot from Maggie throughout the day. That same day I was able to sit in at Teton Dispatch and watch all the magic happen. To say that the people who work at dispatch have a stressful job is an understatement. In the two hours that I was sitting in there, I learned everything from the board where they track all the rangers, to the amount of multitasking they must do on a day to day basis to make sure that everything is running smoothly and that everyone in this park remains safe. The Teton Interagency Dispatch Center is located in Moose, Wyoming and is an all-risk dispatch center dealing with anything from fires, law enforcement, EMS, search and rescue (SAR) to simpler calls about animal jams or questions a ranger might have. Kari,who was my shadow person for the day, was really helpful in answering my questions and teaching me as much as possible about what one needs to do to get involved in dispatch. She managed to do this all while still doing her job. Talk about a juggling act! Lastly, but certainly not least, was my interview with Chief Ranger Nash. I was so fortunate to be able to get this opportunity because it’s not every day one gets to sit down and have a conversation with the Chief Ranger of Grand Teton National Park. If I could describe Chief Nash in one word, it would definitely be “transparent”. I told him a bit about myself and about the Latino Heritage Internship, which brought me here to GTNP. We talked about his job here and how  he got involved, and then he went on to tell me about the many hats he wears and the different roles he serves working here. It was exciting to hear him talk about his childhood and how he became the Chief. Not only that, but to see that passion he has for what he does is very admirable. Many times we’ll notice that titles make people more arrogant, but I can honestly say that’s not the case with Mr. Nash. He’s a very open person who loves to take the time to sit down and answer any questions. Towards the end of our conversation he gave me some advice about how to get more involved with law enforcement and made me promise him that no matter what I end up doing in life, I will keep in contact with him. So, Chief Nash, if you end up reading this, thank you for your time. It really made my summer. Hasta Luego!