NHQ Needs to release guidance

Started by OldGuy, March 17, 2020, 02:57:36 PM

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OldGuy

For best practices regards virtual meetings, keeping the Cadet Program active and how we can help our local Emergency Management Agencies in this national emergency. Emergency centers are now on alert nationwide, staffed 24X7 and I am positive could use volunteer help. Public Affairs guidance would also be helpful.

jeders

NHQ has released guidance, lots of it. See this thread --> http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=24955.0
If you are confident in you abilities and experience, whether someone else is impressed is irrelevant. - Eclipse

OldGuy

Quote from: jeders on March 17, 2020, 03:28:48 PMNHQ has released guidance, lots of it. See this thread --> http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=24955.0
I see nothing about Public Affairs, I see no recommendations on hosting virtual meetings that have meaningful step by step guides, zip, nada, nothing.

NIN

Why don't you come up with some ideas and let us know?

Seriously. Because if NHQ did have concrete ideas and guidance, you'd be telling us that none of that will work in your neck of the woods.

Darin Ninness, Col, CAP
I have no responsibilities whatsoever
I like to have Difficult Adult Conversations™
The contents of this post are Copyright © 2007-2024 by NIN. All rights are reserved. Specific permission is given to quote this post here on CAP-Talk only.

OldGuy

Quote from: NIN on March 17, 2020, 05:40:14 PMBecause if NHQ did have concrete ideas and guidance, you'd be telling us that none of that will work in your neck of the woods.
Really? How often have I ever said that?

We have the largest opportunity for DR service in history in front of us, and we get told to "stand down" and hear nothing from Wing/Region/NHQ and that is OK?

OldGuy

Quote from: NIN on March 17, 2020, 05:40:14 PMWhy don't you come up with some ideas and let us know?
The other thread has ideas from the field we are implementing. Just an idea Mr. new Wing CC, maybe you or your team (and NHQ and their team) could collate those good ideas, and suggest implementation tools to help? And then publish and distribute that widely. Sounds like an idea you could use, no?

NIN

Quote from: OldGuy on March 17, 2020, 05:42:40 PMand hear nothing from Wing/Region/NHQ and that is OK?

You hearing nothing from Wing/Region/NHQ is not the same as nothing coming from Wing/Region/NHQ.

People are moving as quick as they can to get guidance out to the field. Its an unprecendented situation that changes frequently and really wasn't exactly anticipated in any sort of day to day planning prior to about a week ago.

I'm really sorry that its not quick enough for you.

I can tell you that I've personally spent about 18hrs dealing with all of this since Sunday morning getting folks in my wing redirected, getting people to plan and communicate to the membership, and keeping everybody motivated and positive as we transition to "operations in a restricted environment."

My wing was already gearing up to cancel our conference and modify some upcoming in-person training in accordance with the (at the time) public health guidance when the stand down order came thru. So we had to very quickly swing into a transition to strictly virtual events, and then begin to do things like figure out how to disinfect airplanes so the crews can safely use them, and how to conduct real-world operations that don't substantially increase our risk profiles.

I get that this is all new and very confusing, and a lack of solid guidance or a way forward for some things is causing some stress and anxiety. It sure would help to have all the answers from on high. Trust me, I'd like some of it too. But for the moment there are real people at all echelons scrambling and trying to put together plans, and guidance while at the same time they transition to their own virtual environments and situations. The folks at NHQ basically all moved to "work from home" while this was going on, with the attendant disruptions to workflow that causes.

There are going to be things we're going to need to do in our own lanes and in our own local domains today that will make a difference in how our subordinate leaders and members react and meet our operational challenges. And we should make our plans with the General's published intent in mind as best we can, again locally, and expect that there will be further guidance, training materials, waivers to requirements, etc, that will eventually come out to ease some of that along.

Don't sit there on your hands, waiting for someone from Alabama to tell you what to do and how to do it. Do what you need to do for the people in your unit now. Help your commanders. Help your members. Help your cadets.
Darin Ninness, Col, CAP
I have no responsibilities whatsoever
I like to have Difficult Adult Conversations™
The contents of this post are Copyright © 2007-2024 by NIN. All rights are reserved. Specific permission is given to quote this post here on CAP-Talk only.

OldGuy

Quote from: NIN on March 17, 2020, 06:02:47 PMDon't sit there on your hands, waiting for someone from Alabama to tell you what to do and how to do it. Do what you need to do for the people in your unit now. Help your commanders. Help your members. Help your cadets.
We are not, we are doing as much as we can think of. My point is that the PAO community can and should be tasked with better internal communications.

Thanks for all that you do, please don't take the cries for help as anything other than what they are - a reminder that communications matters. A lot. Especially in the "fog of war" environment we are in.

PHall

Many of the staff at National are having to work from home too.
So yeah, it might take a bit longer.
But there's nothing stopping you from figuring out how to do online meetings.
You can do a lot with some laptops and Skype.

NIN

Quote from: OldGuy on March 17, 2020, 06:06:11 PMThanks for all that you do, please don't take the cries for help as anything other than what they are - a reminder that communications matters. A lot. Especially in the "fog of war" environment we are in.

Thanks. If I'm a little short, its because I was already sick of the words "COVID-19" by last Friday. I snapped at a co-worker yesterday here at work which is very uncharacteristic of me (the look on his face was all I needed to know that I did a boo-boo). My twice-annual sinus pressure and headache decided to visit yesterday and that didn't help matters much, either.

But you're right, communications do matter.

Internally, leaders should be communicating effectively and clearly with the membership at the very least. Thats a key job of a leaders.  But remember, there's a fine line between "setting the tone," "blathering on at length" and "making everybody skittish because you're sending out too many emails."

I've sent out a couple emails to my commanders and staff to get them working in the appropriate directions and give them some intent, and tried to keep the wing-wide "helpful-emails-from-the-wing-commander-that-really-aren't-that-helpful" to a minimum. Rally the troops, let them know that we're working on solutions and ask them to remain flexible. More to follow as we know it.

Externally, there are people who get paid way more than I do and are far more knowledgeable about this sort of thing than I am, and defer to their judgement on it.
Darin Ninness, Col, CAP
I have no responsibilities whatsoever
I like to have Difficult Adult Conversations™
The contents of this post are Copyright © 2007-2024 by NIN. All rights are reserved. Specific permission is given to quote this post here on CAP-Talk only.

JohhnyD

Quote from: PHall on March 17, 2020, 06:20:48 PMMany of the staff at National are having to work from home too.
So yeah, it might take a bit longer.
But there's nothing stopping you from figuring out how to do online meetings.
You can do a lot with some laptops and Skype.
We are testing a number of apps. What would have been nice would have been an email saying, "Here are the approved online meeting apps, and how you can get approval to use others. And here are the step-by-step instructions for either choice."

We are blessed to have a VERY large unit with a LOT of talent and we are able to spin up projects like this from scratch. Other local units are frankly in the dark. Again, we have hear from NHQ with 3 nearly identical emails and once from Wing repeating what NHQ decided. NO practical guidance of any kind yet.

JohhnyD

Quote from: NIN on March 17, 2020, 06:26:56 PMThanks. If I'm a little short, its because I was already sick of the words "COVID-19" by last Friday. I snapped at a co-worker yesterday here at work which is very uncharacteristic of me (the look on his face was all I needed to know that I did a boo-boo). My twice-annual sinus pressure and headache decided to visit yesterday and that didn't help matters much, either.
I get it, I run a directly affected business. We opened our crisis management team a week ago, went to max alter Friday, 100% of my workforce is now working remote. A colleague in Seattle has lost 5 customers already to this virus. It is real and we are all under stress.

Now, that said, we - CAP - are missing the largest opportunity to serve ever. Why? Every Emer Mgmt Center in the US of A has been on alert and working 24x7, we can make a difference, and we do nothing. Frustrating.

Spam

Quote from: OldGuy on March 17, 2020, 05:42:40 PMWe have the largest opportunity for DR service in history in front of us, and we get told to "stand down" and hear nothing from Wing/Region/NHQ and that is OK?

Question for you:
Exactly which ESF do you feel that we should be supporting, which we are not?

If you think #6, or #9 (SAR/DR) I would respectfully and strongly disagree.

If you think #8, then I'd point out that HHS doesn't even list DoD as a supporting agency in their plans, let alone the volunteer auxiliary of the USAF which is not equipped, trained, or exercised in, nor has any cooperative plans to perform such service support. Quote, "Public Health and Medical Services provides the mechanism for coordinated Federal assistance to supplement State, tribal, and local resources in response to a public health and medical disaster, potential or actual incidents requiring a coordinated Federal response, and/or during a developing potential health and medical emergency"

We are not equipped. We are not trained. We have no plans to augment, and are thus not exercised, as a possible Federal volunteer auxiliary for a pandemic viral outbreak.  In ORM risk management terms, the potential cost to our members in trying to provide the "DR service" you propose far, far outweighs any possible dubious benefit gained from our "service" (even supposing that our presence doesn't simply annoy or distract local, state, and federal agencies who need to focus).

I understand your altruistic urge to help, but this isn't your fight, my fight, or my cadets fight.

R/s
Spam

THRAWN

And those EOCs are running remote. What roles should CAP fill?


Quote from: JohhnyD on March 17, 2020, 08:29:38 PM
Quote from: NIN on March 17, 2020, 06:26:56 PMThanks. If I'm a little short, its because I was already sick of the words "COVID-19" by last Friday. I snapped at a co-worker yesterday here at work which is very uncharacteristic of me (the look on his face was all I needed to know that I did a boo-boo). My twice-annual sinus pressure and headache decided to visit yesterday and that didn't help matters much, either.
I get it, I run a directly affected business. We opened our crisis management team a week ago, went to max alter Friday, 100% of my workforce is now working remote. A colleague in Seattle has lost 5 customers already to this virus. It is real and we are all under stress.

Now, that said, we - CAP - are missing the largest opportunity to serve ever. Why? Every Emer Mgmt Center in the US of A has been on alert and working 24x7, we can make a difference, and we do nothing. Frustrating.
Strup-"Belligerent....at times...."
AFRCC SMC 10-97
NSS ISC 05-00
USAF SOS 2000
USAF ACSC 2011
US NWC 2016
USMC CSCDEP 2023

JohhnyD

Quote from: THRAWN on March 17, 2020, 11:32:41 PMAnd those EOCs are running remote. What roles should CAP fill?


Quote from: JohhnyD on March 17, 2020, 08:29:38 PM
Quote from: NIN on March 17, 2020, 06:26:56 PMThanks. If I'm a little short, its because I was already sick of the words "COVID-19" by last Friday. I snapped at a co-worker yesterday here at work which is very uncharacteristic of me (the look on his face was all I needed to know that I did a boo-boo). My twice-annual sinus pressure and headache decided to visit yesterday and that didn't help matters much, either.
I get it, I run a directly affected business. We opened our crisis management team a week ago, went to max alter Friday, 100% of my workforce is now working remote. A colleague in Seattle has lost 5 customers already to this virus. It is real and we are all under stress.

Now, that said, we - CAP - are missing the largest opportunity to serve ever. Why? Every Emer Mgmt Center in the US of A has been on alert and working 24x7, we can make a difference, and we do nothing. Frustrating.
Multiple roles, our local EOC has indicated that, if we can help, they will ask. (They asked for help last week and it got ORMd by NHQ. They do not want to waste time, so if we cannot give them clear guidance, they are instead asking the local volunteer SAR teams for help.)

Eclipse

Quote from: Spam on March 17, 2020, 11:10:06 PMWe are not equipped. We are not trained. We have no plans to augment, and are thus not exercised, as a possible Federal volunteer auxiliary for a pandemic viral outbreak.  In ORM risk management terms, the potential cost to our members in trying to provide the "DR service" you propose far, far outweighs any possible dubious benefit gained from our "service" (even supposing that our presence doesn't simply annoy or distract local, state, and federal agencies who need to focus).

Agree 100% there is ZERO mission opportunity here for CAP, those who think there is don't understand the question.

I've already heard local suggestions about "transport missions" or "well being checks" or "meal delivery",
which just bring it back to my first sentence.

CAP would do well to use this pause to stick every plane in maintenance and have them sitting shiny and ready for when things loosen up, because if they don't, it's irrelevant, but when they do, this Summer is going to be a hot mess.

"That Others May Zoom"

JohhnyD

Quote from: Eclipse on March 18, 2020, 01:09:30 AM
Quote from: Spam on March 17, 2020, 11:10:06 PMWe are not equipped. We are not trained. We have no plans to augment, and are thus not exercised, as a possible Federal volunteer auxiliary for a pandemic viral outbreak.  In ORM risk management terms, the potential cost to our members in trying to provide the "DR service" you propose far, far outweighs any possible dubious benefit gained from our "service" (even supposing that our presence doesn't simply annoy or distract local, state, and federal agencies who need to focus).

Agree 100% there is ZERO mission opportunity here for CAP, those who think there is don't understand the question.
Well our local EOC disagrees. And they are taking on local volunteers. Just not from CAP.

Eclipse

Quote from: JohhnyD on March 18, 2020, 01:11:18 AM
Quote from: Eclipse on March 18, 2020, 01:09:30 AM
Quote from: Spam on March 17, 2020, 11:10:06 PMWe are not equipped. We are not trained. We have no plans to augment, and are thus not exercised, as a possible Federal volunteer auxiliary for a pandemic viral outbreak.  In ORM risk management terms, the potential cost to our members in trying to provide the "DR service" you propose far, far outweighs any possible dubious benefit gained from our "service" (even supposing that our presence doesn't simply annoy or distract local, state, and federal agencies who need to focus).

Agree 100% there is ZERO mission opportunity here for CAP, those who think there is don't understand the question.
Well our local EOC disagrees. And they are taking on local volunteers. Just not from CAP.

That isn't the same thing and you know it.

"That Others May Zoom"

JohhnyD

Quote from: Eclipse on March 18, 2020, 01:12:38 AM
Quote from: JohhnyD on March 18, 2020, 01:11:18 AM
Quote from: Eclipse on March 18, 2020, 01:09:30 AM
Quote from: Spam on March 17, 2020, 11:10:06 PMWe are not equipped. We are not trained. We have no plans to augment, and are thus not exercised, as a possible Federal volunteer auxiliary for a pandemic viral outbreak.  In ORM risk management terms, the potential cost to our members in trying to provide the "DR service" you propose far, far outweighs any possible dubious benefit gained from our "service" (even supposing that our presence doesn't simply annoy or distract local, state, and federal agencies who need to focus).

Agree 100% there is ZERO mission opportunity here for CAP, those who think there is don't understand the question.
Well our local EOC disagrees. And they are taking on local volunteers. Just not from CAP.

That isn't the same thing and you know it.
How so? What part of DR is this not fitting? Point of Distribution opportunity, staff opportunities, even basic ICS trained MSAs can be used. How is that NOT something we can help with?

PHall

CAWG has a CAP Corp mission to help the Red Cross distribute school lunches to the students who are receiving them.
So maybe we do do those missions.