Yosemite National Park’s only locksmith, Nate Vince, is no longer employed by the federal government, one of many victims of a recent round of federal government layoffs. Vince had completed a four-year apprenticeship at the park and was just three weeks shy of the end of his one-year probationary period. He also lived onsite and was ordered to vacate employee housing.
“Yosemite National Park is the size of Rhode Island and has more locks than a small city, and without a locksmith I’m deeply concerned for the safety and security of the park and people in it. This is not right!” he stated in his Instagram post.
In a Washington Post article, Vince said he was the park’s sole keyholder required him to keep track of the hundreds of keys and locks to the park’s bathrooms, gun safes, administrative buildings and gates.
In total, 2,000 recently hired employees at the U.S. Forest Service and 1,000 National Park Service employees were terminated.
Following are a few of the national articles about Vince:
https://www.sfgate.com/california-parks/article/yosemite-locksmith-fired-20178362.php
https://www.thetravel.com/fears-over-visitor-safety-grow-in-yosemite-as-key-employee-fired/
