I did not post a blog last week because it was Independence Day, but that does not mean I wasn’t working. I spent the 4th working a 16 hour shift to support the National Mall’s huge fireworks display. My Deputy Superintendent is the Finance Chief for the regions Incident Command Team. The Incident Command Team uses the Incident Command Structure to handle huge events or incidents that demand multiple parks’ staff and resources to handle. Incidents can range from positive events like Fourth of July fireworks or the Cherry Blossom Festival which bring tons of visitors to the area for a short period of time and require tons of staff to handle the visitors. Incidents can also be negative though, such as a giant forest fire like those in California or an employee death while on duty.