Yellowstone Country Safety * Report Suspicious Activity to Fish and Game *

Please report any suspicious hunting activity to Idaho Fish and Game @ 208-525-7290 or our resident officer, Chris Johnson. Thanks

That was a Busy Weekend!

If you have ever organized a family reunion, you know that there is uncertainty about how many family members and guests are going to show up. You make preparations based on your best guess and cross your fingers. The Fourth of July in Island Park is similar for the residents. Businesses order inventories according to their best estimates, county and city services staff to meet expected demand and everyone hopes that their preparations are sufficient.

This Fourth of July weekend seemed to tax those preparations as the gathering in Island Park was well attended by visitors wanting to celebrate our country’s birthday in one of its most beautiful locations. Employees worked hard to attend to lines of customers that descended on the various establishments.

The emergency medical services were busy attending to both medical conditions and accidents. Fremont County Deputies worked tirelessly reminding visitors to avoid activities that would injure themselves or others.

I do not want to be accused of exaggerating the size of the crowds but I could have walked the Henry’s Fork from Big Springs to Mack’s Inn without getting wet using boats as stepping stones!

With the end of any holiday comes the recovery. It is a little like coming down from a sugar high. For the businesses and services of Island Park, there is no time to rest. The crowds diminish somewhat, there are many visitors yet to come this summer who have been looking forward to their vacation all year and it is the residents’ responsibility to make sure they are not disappointed.

Fireworks in Island Park

It was a dark, drizzly Fourth of July night when the crack of fireworks summoned me from our cabin. I was shocked to see that someone was lighting aerial fireworks through the trees of a nearby cabin. 

While the media focus on the danger of a Yellowstone super volcano eruption, the most likely source danger for the area is from a forest fire. A large fire could devastate entire communities in Island Park.

I made some recent inquiries regarding Fremont County fireworks laws. I found that there are none on the books. There are Federal laws prohibiting fireworks in national forests but those laws are not enforceable by county or state law enforcement. I suggested to both the county commissioners and Sheriff Len Humphries that specific limitations on fireworks for the Island Park area be considered.

The case could be made that use of personal fireworks in Island Park is not worth the possibility of a devastating fire. While residents take the appropriate steps to be safe, vacationers may not be as cautious.

With the pending arrival of the summer visitors to Island Park, residents are busy preparing for the extra company. The swelling population always raises concerns for the safety of vacationers and residents alike. Proactive steps allow everyone to have a great summer in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Protecting the Protectors

I was in Robin’s Roost this week. A clerk told me about a couple of fights that had occurred in a local bar the past few nights. Apparently a couple of visitors from the flat decided to raise a little hell, requiring responses from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and ISP.  

The incidents brought back memories of my time as a Pocatello Police officer. My first fight occurred when I was a rookie. I confronted a man who had been prying open coin mechanisms at a car wash. As I approached, he started to walk off.  I grabbed his arm and the fight was on! He grabbed for my holstered pistol and I found myself fighting for my life. After some wrestling, I threw him to the ground and cuffed him. Looking up after the arrest, I saw a man standing at a pay phone not 30 feet from me! I remember thinking that as my life flashed before my eyes; he had been standing there, watching the show. I tossed him a quarter and asked him to call the department for backup.

I decided then that I would cultivate relationships with the citizens to help me survive in the field. I responded to numerous of bar fights. While it was a rush to mix it up, patrons and bouncers kept others from jumping in while I subdued a suspect. I appreciated those who helped me make it home at the end of my shift.

Island Park can be a dark and isolated place for a patrolling officer. 

A routine traffic stop or disturbance can suddenly deteriorate into a struggle for survival. Backup can be miles away. It is not uncommon to see someone pulled over on a dark stretch of Highway 20. Do you slow to see if the officer is safe?

While it is the officer’s job to enforce the law, it is the community’s job to help ensure their safety. Be attentive to dangerous situations and offer assistance when necessary. Island Park is blessed with a great group of law enforcement professionals. We should do what we can to make sure that they make it home at the end of each shift.