Latest news with #BillWade
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tampa Firefighters Museum grows as fire department marks 130 years of service
The Brief The Tampa Firefighters Museum is growing as Tampa Fire Rescue marks 130 years of service. TFR is adding a 1925 fire truck to the collection that will be parked at the museum. The former fire station became a time capsule of TFR's rich history, displaying gear, equipment and other artifacts that were used by firefighters throughout the years. TAMPA, Fla. - More than a century of history is on display in downtown Tampa. The Tampa Firefighters Museum is growing as Tampa Fire Rescue marks 130 years of service. The museum is in the original downtown fire station, across the street from the current station. READ: Tampa cigar company reflects on the industry during the 1950's when factories expected to be robbed The backstory "The building that we're standing in was constructed in 1911," Bill Wade, a retired Tampa Fire Rescue Captain with the Tampa Firefighters Museum, said. When the downtown headquarters moved across the street, the building sat empty from 1978 to 1995. The building was likely to be demolished, unless something was done with it. "And a group of firefighters went to the mayor at the time, Dick Greco, said. 'We'd like to create a fire museum,'" Wade said. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Dig deeper The former fire station became a time capsule of TFR's rich history, displaying gear, equipment and other artifacts that were used by firefighters throughout the years. "Long back before people had a phone in their house, they had alarm boxes on the street corner," Wade said. "So, if there was an emergency, folks could go to the corner, pull the alarm box, that would send a signal to the fire department." The museum showcases an old fire truck, old uniforms, a recreation of the original dispatch system and even some equipment that was used before fire trucks rolled through the doors. "It was the last Tampa Fire station built with horse-drawn apparatus in mind," Wade said. "In 1911, the horses were being phased out for motorized vehicles." MORE: Former Rays executive weighs in on Rays' past and future ahead of new book The museum also pays tribute to firefighters who responded to the Twin Towers during 9/11 and to fallen TFR firefighters who were killed in the line of duty. There's also an exhibit that honors some of TFR's trailblazers. "Tampa Fire Department added three ladies to the ranks back in 1978," Wade said. What's next This weekend, TFR is adding a 1925 fire truck to the collection that will be parked at the museum. "Not only is this a fire truck of historical value, but also, it ran the streets of Ybor City from basically 1925 to the 1950s," Wade said. As TFR celebrates 130 years of service, the museum continues to grow with the city's history. READ: Commemorative cigar pays homage to Tampa Smokers, marks beginning of baseball season "It's important to reach out to the community and remind them of the history, not only of the city, but also the fire department," Wade said. "The history of the fire department is the history of this city and vice versa." TFR is holding an open house on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its training grounds, located at 116 South 34th Street. The 1925 truck will be on display, and there will be live demonstrations and activities at the event. The Source The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kylie Jones. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Great Smoky Mountains National Park closes campgrounds, trims offerings amid federal cuts
Six out of 10 campgrounds at Great Smoky Mountains National Park are closed as the spring season approaches. And that's not the only change coming to the Smokies as national parks across the country adjust to abrupt staffing and organizational shifts because of Trump administration orders and court rulings. At least 12 staffers had been let go from the Smokies after the administration directed the National Park Service to fire 1,000 employees. Although federal judges ruled the firings were illegal and the employees should be reinstated, and seasonal employees could be hired, typical Smokies programming has already been affected. In addition to campgrounds, popular picnic areas are closed, and vehicle-free days in Cades Cove have been postponed. National parks are also under a $1 spending limit when using government credit cards, which could affect routine purchases of maintenance supplies and utility payments. 'It's anything that would normally be paid using the credit card. They can still use purchase orders and contracting authorities – things that would be paid by government check rather than (credit card),' Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, explained to Knox News. 'So, it all depends on what the product or service is.' Here are the Great Smoky Mountains National operational changes that will affect your visitor experience this spring, according to the park's website. Abrams Creek, Balsam Mountain, Big Creek, Cataloochee, Cosby and Look Rock campgrounds are closed. Visitors who booked campsites at those campgrounds will receive refunds. The park's largest campgrounds are open, including Cades Cove, Elkmont and Smokemont. Deep Creek will open as planned on April 18. It should be noted Balsam Mountain, Big Creek and Cataloochee have been closed since September due to damage from Hurricane Helene. Cosby is closed because of scheduled construction. Big Creek, Chimneys, Collins Creek, Cosby, Heintooga, Look Rock and Twin Creeks picnic areas are closed. Visitors who booked reservations at those picnic pavilions will receive refunds. The picnic areas at Cades Cove, Deep Creek, Greenbrier and Metcalf Bottoms are open. Cade Cove vehicle-free days won't begin until June this year. 'The park plans to announce the first date soon,' the park's website states. Vehicle free days typically run May-September, providing opportunities for bicyclists and pedestrians to traverse the popular 11-mile, one-way loop road. Cades Cove has had designated vehicle-free days for over 40 years. The Smokies will offer the 2025 firefly lottery and viewing opportunity as it has in past years, officials confirmed. A lottery for park admission on peak viewing dates will be announced in April. The Smokies is the country's most-visited national park. According to official park service data, 12,191,834 people visited the park in 2024. Zion National Park in Utah was a distant second with 4.9 million visits. Because of limited areas, people heading to the Smokies should plan accordingly to avoid overcrowding. Visit early in the morning or in the evening, suggests. Or explore 'hidden gems' of the park such as the Troll Bridge at Elkmont and White Oak Sinks and Blowhole Cave near Cades Cove. Visitors also are encouraged to be mindful of their trash and park resources, volunteer to help staffers and express their concerns to government leaders. 'I think the only way that I know of that all of this is going to get turned around is if the public gets concerned enough and gets maybe angry enough that they exercise their abilities to influence things, perhaps through their elected officials and that sort of thing,' Wade told Knox News in February. More than 1,600 people volunteered their time help Smokies staffers between October 2023 and September 2024. Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Great Smoky Mountains National Park makes changes amid federal cuts
USA Today
12-03-2025
- USA Today
Visiting a US national park this spring or summer? Don't expect business-as-usual.
Visiting a US national park this spring or summer? Don't expect business-as-usual. Travelers should anticipate longer lines and limited services at national parks due to staff reductions. Show Caption Hide Caption The Bucket List Family gives five tips for traveling with kids The Bucket List Family sold everything to travel around the world. Here are their tips for traveling with children. The Trump Administration fired around 800 probationary National Park Service employees on Valentine's Day. The cuts will impact visitor centers, ranger-led programs, maintenance, and custodial operations. Visitors are encouraged to be patient, follow park rules, and take extra safety precautions. Every year, millions of visitors celebrate spring break and summer vacations with a trip to one of the country's 63 national parks. They're a classic American vacation destination for good reason, offering affordable ways to connect with nature and soak up some of the world's most inspiring natural landscapes. This year, a national park trip might feel a little different, though. On Valentine's Day, the Trump Administration fired roughly 1,000 probationary National Park Service employees after already eliminating thousands of seasonal positions as part of broader efforts to shrink the federal government and its workforce. Later in February, it walked that back a bit, hiring some employees back and putting out a new memo allowing the park service to hire up to 7,700 seasonal positions this year. But even with that slight shift, travelers should anticipate impacts at U.S. national parks. 'We can expect to see long lines,' says Jackie Ostfeld, director of the Sierra Club's Outdoors for All campaign. 'We can expect staff reductions to hinder basic park operations.' CAMPFIRE TALES: Read S'more Spooky Stories, a collection of family-friendly spooky tales set in US national parks, with all proceeds going to the National Park Foundation How parks will be impacted by these cuts The positions most impacted by the cuts are the rangers who provide interpretation and education by staffing visitor centers and leading school programs and ranger-led walks and talks, as well as the folks who collect fees at park entrance stations, says Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers. 'So there may have to be some adjustments to visitor center hours or even days (of operation),' he says. That's already happened in some places. Saguaro National Park in Arizona recently announced that its visitor centers will be closed on Mondays until further notice. In other cases, the interpretive offerings at parks will be limited or reduced. At Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, for example, all ranger-guided tours have been 'temporarily suspended until further notice.' SKIP THE CROWDS: Beautiful and less crowded alternatives to the 10 most popular U.S. national parks It may also take you longer to actually access the park. 'For those parks like Grand Canyon National Park that have dual lanes for entrance fees, they may have to cut things down to only one lane,' says Wade. 'Which is going to mean longer lines for people to get to the entrance station, pay their fee, and enter into the park.' Maintenance and custodial operations will also be impacted. That could affect everything from trail maintenance to the cleanliness and availability of restrooms. 'The appearance of some of the facilities and the maintenance of historic structures may not be up to the level people have seen in the past or would expect,' says Wade. The late authorization to hire a limited number of seasonal workers may be too little, too late for visitors expecting business-as-usual in the parks this spring. 'Even though these seasonals can be hired, in some parks, it may be a little later into the start of the heavy-use seasons before they can get them all on board,' Wade notes. HIDDEN GEM: Why my family keeps coming back to Crater Lake, one of the country's best (and least known) national parks To add to everything, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management sent a memo directing all executive branch agencies to submit reorganization plans by March 13 to support efforts to eliminate 'waste, bloat, and insularity' and to prepare for 'large-scale reductions in force.' 'These plans will be reviewed and then determinations made,' says Wade. 'So depending on the extent that the National Park Service is going to be impacted, it's possible we'll see additional layoffs or terminations beginning perhaps as early as April.' The National Park Service handles more than just national parks: It also oversees national monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, and scenic rivers and trails. In total, the National Park System includes 433 areas covering more than 85 million acres in every state and many U.S. territories. That's a lot of places feeling the impact. The U.S. Congress also needs to reach a deal to avoid a government shutdown by March 14, something many people aren't optimistic about. If there is a government shutdown, national parks will be affected even more. RAIN OR SHINE: The weather's always fine at these 13 epic indoor water park resorts 'We saw the largest government shutdown in history during the last Trump Administration,' says the Sierra Club's Ostfeld. 'And we saw all kinds of problems … and saw damage to many national parks across the country during that time.' But even if a shutdown is averted, she's still concerned. 'These efforts to reduce the federal workforce are a very slippery slope toward the privatization of our parks and public lands, something we know the Trump Administration is interested in doing,' she says. How to be a good national park visitor during this period Though it won't be business as usual at the parks, Ostfeld doesn't recommend canceling your plans, especially since that could have major ripple effects on the nearby communities. About 325 million people visited national parks in 2023, spending about $26.4 billion in the communities near the parks. 'They stay in hotels, go out to eat, buy souvenirs,' she says. 'Local economies will be severely impacted from any reductions in park visitation that could happen as a result of parks closing or the perceived fear they will close and people deciding to make other plans because of the uncertainty … What I think would be an absolute disaster is if people decided to stop visiting national parks because they weren't sure if they were going to be open or if they'd have a positive experience.' LODGE LIFE: 12 beautiful national park lodges every family should visit Patience will definitely be a virtue when visiting. 'One of the things that I think will yield goodwill is for visitors to be kind and considerate to park employees, and other visitors as well,' says Cheryl Schreier, a member of the executive council of The Coalition to Protect America's National Parks who worked for the National Park Service for almost 40 years. 'There's a lot of uncertainty and a lot of confusion,' says Wade. 'A lot of employees are really worried about their jobs, and understandably so.' Download the NPS app to stay aware of any closures or other impacts at any parks you're planning to visit. While there, follow park rules and stay on marked trails. Take the usual safety precautions, and then some, in case safety and rescue operations have been impacted. 'People get lost every year; people get injured when going out on the trails,' says Ostfeld. 'That's why it's really important to have a fully staffed park service that can attend to any safety concerns that come up.' SPRING FORWARD: 19 best national parks to visit in spring Pack out your trash and consider lending a hand by picking up litter along the way. 'Beyond that, help out in any way you can by reporting any unlawful acts or any suspicious things that perhaps more unscrupulous visitors to the parks might be doing in the absence of as many park service people keeping eyes on the ground,' says Wade. How to support national parks even if you're not visiting If you're concerned about the impacts of these policies on national parks, speak up. 'Outside of visiting, the most important thing people can do now is contact their representatives in Congress,' says Ostfeld. 'Members of Congress need to hear directly from constituents that they are worried about their parks.' The Sierra Club has an action alert to help you do that, and you can also find scripts for phone calls through organizations like 5 Calls. 'It's really important for people to understand that these parks belong to all of us as United States citizens,' says Schreier. 'They are really gifts to the American people … The National Park Service has been preserving all of these special places, these natural resources and cultural resources that really tell the stories of us and the United States. And those resources belong to everyone.' 'What national parks do is to protect those really precious natural, cultural, and historic resources not only for the current people to visit but with some indication that they're going to be preserved and made available for their children and their grandchildren,' says Wade. 'The only way to turn this all around is for people to get concerned enough and maybe even angry enough to exercise their ability to contact their elected officials and protest what they're seeing and what they are concerned about in national parks.' SUPPORT THE PARKS: When you purchase a copy of S'more Spooky Stories, a collection of family-friendly spooky tales set in US national parks, all proceeds go to the National Park Foundation More from FamilyVacationist: The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. and are owned and operated by Vacationist Media LLC. Using the FamilyVacationist travel recommendation methodology, we review and select family vacation ideas, family vacation spots, all-inclusive family resorts, and classic family vacations for all ages. TourScoop covers guided group tours and tour operators, tour operator reviews, tour itinerary reviews and travel gear recommendations. If you buy an item through a link in our content, we may earn a commission.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Yahoo
Great Smoky Mountains National Park may lose more staffers after at least 12 have been let go
Of the 1,000 National Park Service staffers fired on what some critics are referring to as the 'Valentine's Day massacre,' about a dozen of them reportedly worked in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. And that number could grow in the coming months. 'We have just received word in the last couple of days that layoffs are not finished, that agencies – all federal agencies including the park service – have to submit a reorganization plan which will call for additional, quote, 'massive layoffs,'' Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, told Knox News late last week. 'I would say that morale in the National Park Service right now is probably as low as it's ever been,' he continued. At least 12 staffers have been let go from the Smokies so far, employees within the park and those who have been fired told the Association of National Park Rangers. Wade is 'pretty confident' in that number given that national park leaders and the park service have been ordered to not discuss personnel matters. The organization also reports at least one person from the Blue Ridge Parkway has been laid off. The National Park Service employees across the country who have been fired or laid off range from maintenance and custodial workers to researchers and scientists, according to Wade. Wade, who worked for three years in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the 1970s, said the employees who were fired worked in visitor centers and provided educational and ranger-led programs. Administrative and budgeting employees are among that number, too. Between staff being fired and over 700 employees taking buyouts offered by the Trump administration, the park service has lost 9% of its staff in only a matter of weeks, according to National Parks Conservation Association. The buyout program offered federal employees the chance to resign before potentially being fired and to continue receiving their salaries and benefits through September. Great Smoky Mountains National Park has relied on 200 permanent employees and 140 seasonal employees, according to park statistics from 2024. The first wave of federal employee firings targeted people across all departments with 'probationary status' because they had been hired within the past year and lacked the bargaining rights of career employees to appeal their terminations. The next cuts – expected in March and April – could target people in lower-level positions who have worked past their probationary year, Wade said, affecting those providing visitor services and protecting park resources. There's no way of knowing right now how many more employees at the Smokies or at other national parks could be fired, Wade noted. It all depends on the reorganization plans each park submits and the Office of Personnel Management's recommendation after a review. Providing some respite, the park service has been approved to hire 7,700 seasonal workers ahead of the busy spring and summer season, which is standard for the agency, according to National Parks Conservation Association. "However, it's not without problems, because at this sort of late date and the hiring timetable, I think there's going to be some difficulty getting some of those positions on board in the parks before the summer season hits," Wade told NPR in a Feb. 26 report. The Smokies is the country's most-visited national park, with just over 12 million people visiting during 2024. Understaffing might cause schedule changes for visitor centers and other public use facilities. Restrooms might not be cleaned as frequently and more trash might sit on park grounds than usual. Visitors are encouraged to be mindful of their trash and park resources, volunteer to help staffers and express their concerns to government leaders. 'I think the only way that I know of that all of this is going to get turned around is if the public gets concerned enough and gets maybe angry enough that they exercise their abilities to influence things, perhaps through their elected officials and that sort of thing,' Wade said. More than 1,600 people volunteered their time help Smokies staffers between October 2023 and September 2024. Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How many Great Smoky Mountains National Park employees have been fired?
Axios
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Axios
National park layoffs hit Grand Canyon
The Trump administration's push to downsize the federal workforce has already reached Arizona's most popular national park, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Arizona has 22 national parks, monuments and recreation areas, including the Grand Canyon, one of the most visited national parks in the U.S. and a source of great pride for the state. National park tourism contributed $1.2 billion to the state's economy in 2023, according to a federal report released last year. Driving the news: At least 10 National Park Service employees stationed at the Grand Canyon have been laid off, Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, told Axios. The park service has not provided an official count of affected employees or their positions, but a spokesperson for the Grand Canyon on Tuesday told ABC15 the workers laid off were "vital" to park operations and are appealing to try to keep their jobs. Zoom in: Four employees who worked the south entrance of the Grand Canyon were let go, the Washington Post reported, leading to wait times last weekend that were twice as long as usual . Other employees who'd been fired were tasked with replacing a 12.5-mile pipeline that provides water to South Rim facilities, per the Post. The current line has experienced 85 major breaks since 2010, according to the park's website. The big picture: The Trump administration cut about 1,000 National Park Service and 3,400 Forest Service positions nationwide in the past week. Threat level: The Association of National Park Rangers warned the cuts could lead to slower rescue efforts, park closures, reduced hours and educational programs, and more litter. "If a visitor suffers a medical emergency while hiking in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, ranger response could be delayed," association president Rick Mossman said in a statement. What we're watching: Arizona U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego penned a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last week asking the administration to commit to protecting Arizona's newest national monument, Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni — Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. Former President Biden established the monument in 2023 at the behest of tribal and local leaders who wanted the 900,000 acres surrounding the Grand Canyon protected from mining and other development. Yes, but: State GOP lawmakers have tried to undo the monument designation, so far unsuccessfully, claiming the ban on uranium mining negatively impacts Arizona's revenue potential. The bottom line:"Tribes and Arizona communities deserve to move on with the management planning process for this National Monument rather than worry that there may be attempts to remove it," the senators wrote.
