EMERGENCY SERVICES
Civil Air Patrol Emergency Services encompasses several different categories:
EMERGENCY SERVICES
Growing from its World War II experience, the Civil Air Patrol has continued to save lives and alleviate human suffering through a myriad of emergency service missions.
Search and Rescue (SAR): Perhaps best known for its search and rescue efforts, CAP now flies more than 85 percent of all inland SAR missions directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Overseas, CAP supports the Joint Rescue Coordination Centers in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Just how effective are the CAP missions? More than 100 people are saved every year by CAP members!
Disaster Relief (DR): Often overlooked but vitally important is the role CAP plays in disaster relief operations. CAP provides air and ground transportation, and an extensive communications network. They fly disaster relief officials to remote locations, and support local, state, and national disaster relief organizations with manpower and leadership. In fact, CAP has formal agreements with many humanitarian relief agencies such as the American Red Cross (ARC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the United States Coast Guard (USCG).
"Civil Air Patrol is always the first unit in and usually the last unit out when a real disaster occurs. They are very well trained and always respond quickly." - Toby Carroll, Corporate Safety Evaluation Director, Continental Airlines, Guardian Angel '91 Exercise
Humanitarian Services: Closely related to DR is CAP's support of humanitarian missions. Usually in support of the Red Cross, CAP aircrews transport time-sensitive medical materials including blood and human tissue in situations where other means of transportation are not possible.
Other Missions
Air Force Support: Its hardly surprising that CAP performs several missions in direct support of the United States Air Force (USAF). Specifically, CAP conducts damage assessment, radiological monitoring, light transport, communications support, and low-altitude route surveys. Joint USAF and CAP SAR exercises sharpen the skills of all participants and offer realistic training for a deadly serious mission.
Counterdrugs: CAP joined the 'war on drugs' in 1986 when CAP signed an agreement with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Customs Service offering CAP resources to be used to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. Today, CAP has similar agreements with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). CAP has made major contributions to the counterdrug fight by providing aerial reconnaissance, airborne communications support, and airlift of law enforcement personnel. In 1994 alone, CAP flew nearly 35,000 hours in support of counterdrug efforts.
"The war on drugs is a battle of such proportion that we may not yet recognize its scale... We need mandatory drug education to get our youth pointed in the right direction. Our young people need to know how to resist (negative) peer pressure, to learn self-respect and pride -- just like Civil Air Patrol teaches its cadets." -Ernie Preate, Jr., Former Pennsylvania Attorney General
Note: The Civil Air Patrol is a benevolent, non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. It does not approve, specify, certify, or endorse any specific vendor of emergency services related equipment.
Equipment Vendors
Emergency Response Institute, Seattle, Wa
National Association for Search and Rescue, Roanoke, Va
Gear 911 Specialties, Fresno, Ca
Tracker - Radio Systems Corp, Springdale, Ar
Organizations
Air Force Rescue Coordination Center
National Association for Search and Rescue
Federal Emergency Management Agency
National Transportation Safety Board