Fema heard of CAP ??

[BillB]

FEMA seeks volunteer pilots
   
    Many volunteer pilots tried in vain after Hurricane Katrina to offer their services to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help provide relief, but now FEMA is working with AERObridge, an NBAA-endorsed group, to plan ahead for general aviation (GA) support in future emergencies.
    An exercise is planned for May 13-17 to simulate response to a massive earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which runs beneath several central states. FEMA needs volunteer pilots and high-wing airplanes with a top speed of 120 knots or less that could be used for surveillance.
    Activities for the exercise will take place at command posts, emergency operation centers, and other locations in the Washington, D.C.-area and the eight states that could be affected by an earthquake in the seismic zone: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Arkansas and Missouri.
    (Story provided by AVwebFlash, www.avweb.com .)

[manfredvonrichthofen]

That is just saddening.

[mclarke]

Who wants to send them an "anonymous" e-mail explain who we are and what we can do? Seriously though, PAOs should jump on this as a chance to secure an inter-agency relationship.

[coudano]

That is just saddening.

It's also potentially very dangerous.

[jks19714]

Doesn't CAP brief the Air Force EPLOs?  It seems to me that the EPLOs should have the ear of the FEMA region staff.

[Smithsonia]

The Current Head of FEMA is Craig Fugate. Mr. Fugate was a CAP Cadet. http://www.fema.gov/about/bios/wfugate.shtm

[manfredvonrichthofen]

It also seems like at least one time or another that CAP works with FEMA locally they would have let the higher know about us and our work. They ought to invite some FEMA staff members to the National Conference and have them escorted by some really good ES and Air Ops officers.

This could potentially be very bad for us. Another thing we should do is go to this exercise's planning meetings and what not and recruit all the pilots we can.

[Eclipse]

Life is not zero-sum.  The fact that FEMA is looking for volunteer pilots doesn't mean they won't engage CAP as well, or often, etc.

Instead of insinuating that there is a FEMA / CAP issue, why aren't we asking these pilots why they aren't members?  FEMA may also find quickly
how "Easy!" and "Fun!" it is to work with people with fair egos who aren't otherwise joiners, and have no formal training in structured government operations.

[Larry Mangum]

Guys, this has already been addressed at higher levels.

[BillB]

ED
I don't think Fugate was ever a CAP cadet. I was Squadron Commander when he would have been a cadet, and I don't remember him. I worked for him in the Alachua County Emergency Management as Director of Air Operations and he never mentioned being in CAP. But I know he is aware of CAP having used CAP in several local Emergency Management tests and activities.

[Flying Pig]

Just because CAP exists does not mean that FEMA cant benefit from a pool of their own pilots to draw from and control as they see fit.  And likewise, does not mean FEMA wont be calling on CAP also.  What better way to go from an operations standpoint than to have your own aircraft.  Not have to go through CAP channels and jump through all of CAPs hoops when you want someone transported somewhere.  I would also venture to guess that many of those volunteer FEMA pilots will no doubt have a CAP card in their back pocket also.  Get in, take over, and next thing you know FEMA will be a branch of CAP!

[Eclipse]

Also note the use of the word "surveillance".  I don't personally understand why FEMA would be doing "surveillance", but "surveillance" is a law enforcement function that Posse Commitatus keeps CAP out of.

Could be improper nomenclature, or an actual mission we can't be involved in.

[a2capt]

The Current Head of FEMA is Craig Fugate. Mr. Fugate was a CAP Cadet. http://www.fema.gov/about/bios/wfugate.shtm

If he was, you must know more than most others about it, this page says zero about it. Why link to it in that context?

[Flying Pig]

In this context I am thinking the word surveillance was probably misused, or they are using surveillance in place of reconnaissance, just like CAP would do.  Ive never known FEMA to have any law enforcement surveillance role.

[coudano]

Arguably, persistent observation of a specific target constitutes surveillance, particularly if the images are coming down live (although that's certainly not requisite).  It doesn't have to be a Law Enforcement target, to constitute surveillance.

CAP walks right up to the line of that already...

There are a variety of reasons why FEMA might want to do something like that...
Let's use our imagination for a second.
Suppose a federal disaster area where they want persistent photo/video on a specific target, let's say a dam or levee.  They want to have live feedback if/when it breaches.  There you go.


Also i'm not sure that it specified that FEMA was going to PAY anybody for any of this stuff...
I envision it more like an "open source" kind of thing (hey go take pictures of the area and post them here)
then they can comb the uploads for useful output.
it's a sound concept, and already in popular use in other areas.

And i'm also quite sure that FEMA would have no intent of /insuring/ these volunteers under FECA or FTCA for any damage they may incur to themselves, their airplanes, or their property; nor any damage they may DO to others using themselves, or their airplanes (including any laws they might advertently or inadvertently break, in the process of flying these 'missions').  In those regards, you volunteer to fly for FEMA at your own risk...  Of course there will be plenty of yokels who will jump all over that anyway.

[Smithsonia]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Guys;
We had a PIO/PAO Briefer that came out in 2009. It had the reference to Craig Fugate being a former CAP cadet. I don't know what changed. Here's the briefing package. Of course many of these items have changed in the last 2 years but oddly the reference to Mr. Fugate seems to have changed too. I dunno.

1.Craig Fugate, who is Pres. Obama's choice to head FEMA and who has served in a similar position for the State of Florida for many years and through hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires. Mr. Fugate is a former CAP cadet.

2. 57,000 Volunteers nation wide. 1600 in Colorado. Colorado has 13-14 aircraft (one aircraft is to be sold or sent to another Wing TBD)

3. 2,500 Search and Rescue Missions in 2008, nationally.

4. In 2008 - 250 Counter Drug missions. Intercepting (along with other agencies who participated in these missions) $1 Billion of illicit contraband.

5. One million Homeland Security missions since 9-11.

6. Hila Levy 2004 CAP Cadet of the Year became the Air Force Academy top scholar and for the first time in AFA history Rhodes Scholar in 2008.

7. In 2008 the Colorado Civil Air Patrol Saved 16 people. Participated in 91 Search and Rescue Missions. And, provided 35,000 hours of volunteer service back to communities (over and above their training and normal CAP commitments) in things like disaster relief, Air Force Support, Chaplain Services, and community outreach. (aerospace education, flying teachers, Wreaths Across America, etc)

8. CAP serves the state of Colorado from Headquarters at Peterson AFB with Squadrons and Personnel in Denver, Ft. Collins, Greeley, Durango, Grand Junction, Colorado Springs, Montrose, Boulder, Steamboat Springs, Pueblo, Castle Rock, Parker, Aurora, Centennial, Broomfield, Canon City, Alamosa,

Source: CAP Report to Congress.

9. How do you join CAP?

http://cowg.cap.gov/ColoradoWingCAP/HowDoIJoinCAP/tabid/60/Default.aspx

http://cowg.cap.gov/FindAColoradoSquadron/tabid/161/Default.aspx

[bosshawk]

I suspect that, as a result of things like Katrina, FEMA has decided to recruit it's own volunteer aviation force.  I have a friend(a CAP member) who signed up well over a year ago to become an aviation ops officer for FEMA and is now certified to be one.  That was a clear picture, to me, that FEMA is looking for aviation help.

Now, why haven't they contacted CAP to fill this role?  Who knows?  Quite likely that FEMA has contacts at National that none of us know about.

Suggest that most of you guys at the lower levels of CAP simply stand down and wait to see if CAP gets the mission or any part of it. 

[coudano]

Missouri has a robust air operations plan for NLE/AS/Cracked Earth Scenario
Including auto-launch mission profiles and authorizations

[Eclipse]

Missouri has a robust air operations plan for NLE/AS/Cracked Earth Scenario
Including auto-launch mission profiles and authorizations

That's some fancy words for RUNNNNN!

[EmergencyManager6]

Maybe the Feds have not been satisfied with CAP's preformance?