Disaster Relief or Disaster Preparedness Officer?

[Storm Chaser]

I'm expanding my ES staff to include a disaster relief/disaster preparedness function. CAPR 20-1 shows the position of Disaster Relief Officer in the Org Chart for Wing and Region, and the position of Disaster Preparedness Officer for Squadron and Group. Both positions are available in eServices. The position descriptions in Part III of CAPR 20-1, however, only describe the duties of the Disaster Relief Officer.

Is there a distinction between these two positions? Is Disaster Preparedness Officer the required or preferred title for a squadron? All other regulations, including CAPR 60-3, describe disaster relief (DR) functions. What would be the correct assignment for my squadron?

EDITED FOR GRAMMAR

[Luis R. Ramos]

What does the diagram on CAPR 20-1 show for squadrons? For Wings, For Groups?

I understand you only looked at the description and title narratives. I would also look at the diagrams and name those for squadrons accordingly...

[Devil Doc]

We have a Disaster Relief Officer in our Squadron.

[Storm Chaser]

What does the diagram on CAPR 20-1 show for squadrons? For Wings, For Groups?

I understand you only looked at the description and title narratives. I would also look at the diagrams and name those for squadrons accordingly...

The organizational chart diagrams show Disaster Relief Officer for region and wing and Disaster Preparedness Officer for group and squadron. That may be the answer to my question. However, it could also be an oversight or discrepancy in the regulation; hence my question.

On the cadet side, for example, the organizational chart shows the position of Squad Leader. The position description in CAPR 20-1 and the Cadet Staff Handbook has the title as Element Leader, which is the correct title for that position. Another example is that of Leadership Officer, named as such in the organizational chart for cadet and composite squadrons, but as Leadership Education Officer in the position description. eServices has that same position as Squadron Leadership Officer.

I ask for clarification because of these contradictions and/or omissions in the regulation. Again, if these are two different positions, why are they not described as such in the position description section? If it's the same position with different titles to denote organization hierarchy (squadron, group, wing or region), then the regulation should've stated that as such as it has for other positions (i.e. Director of Finance, applicable to regions and wings, and Finance Officer, applicable to Units below wing-level).

[lordmonar]

Don't get too tied up around 20-1.

It says it is only suggestive......if DR works better for you.....then go with that.  If DP works.....go with that.

In my way of thinking......from the title.... a Disaster Relief Officer is mainly in charge of the relief operations.....a Plans and Operations focus.   A Disaster Preparedness Officer is more in charge of training and preparing plans for relief operations.....a Plans and Training focus.

But you can call them what ever you like.....Assistant ES Officer-Disasters or  The Next Guy Who Skips a Staff Meeting" Officer

[Storm Chaser]

Don't get too tied up around 20-1.

It says it is only suggestive......if DR works better for you.....then go with that.  If DP works.....go with that.

While the organizational structure prescribed in CAPR 20-1 offers some flexibility, I wouldn't go as far as to saying it's "suggestive".

This basic organizational structure has been determined to be the most workable structure for all CAP units, and deviations are not authorized, except to expand particular staff elements as required to accomplish the unit's mission.

The regulation seems to permit expanding the staff elements, but not changing them. While eServices contains the different duty titles for these positions, CAPR 20-1 prescribes, in many cases, which is the appropriate title for a particular organization level. In this case, I wonder if the organizational chart is regulatory or prescriptive, or just a discrepancy (i.e. both titles mean the same and are thus interchangeable).

In my way of thinking......from the title.... a Disaster Relief Officer is mainly in charge of the relief operations.....a Plans and Operations focus.   A Disaster Preparedness Officer is more in charge of training and preparing plans for relief operations.....a Plans and Training focus.

Your interpretation makes sense. The Disaster Relief Officer at the region and wing level works with disaster relief plans and operations, while the Disaster Preparedness Officer at the group and squadron level works with disaster preparedness plans and training. That being said, I still think that it should be captured in the position description section of the regulation. Furthermore, the Disaster Relief Officer position description in CAPR 20-1 states as part of their responsibilities the "managing and directing [of] disaster preparedness activities", making it seem like both titles could be used interchangeably or that both positions have similar responsibilities.

But you can call them what ever you like.....Assistant ES Officer-Disasters or  The Next Guy Who Skips a Staff Meeting" Officer

Do you know if eServices allows assigning custom duty titles? I've consider having a "ground" and "flight" safety officer in my squadron and, if so, it would make more sense assigning those titles instead of having them both as assistant safety officers. But that could also apply to ES duty positions (I want to make sure this thread is not derailed into a safety duty position discussion. ).

[Eclipse]

No, eServices does not allow custom titles - that ability was remove a number of years ago.

Commanders may assign anyone any duty they like, and unless there is an issue with electronic rights, they don't necessarily have to be assigned in eServces.
You can also assign them as A/ESO's, etc., though be careful as this may assign them rights they don't need or you don't want them to have.

20-1 overlaps all over the place, it's almost impossible in the ES structure to take the 20-1 descriptions and assign people as written and not have them stepping
on each other's lanes all day long, especially when you consider that at the end of the day, it's all the same people.

For us, SAR/DR (DOSSR), is assigned to foster relationships between county agencies and Group CC's, with an emphasis on providing these agencies disaster relief support.

[Storm Chaser]

Eclipse, thank you for the clarification on custom duty assignments in eServices and for the advice on electronic duty assignments and permissions; I've had issues with that before.

While I know that commanders "may assign any duty title they like", that still doesn't answer my question. What is the most appropriate title for a squadron: Disaster Relief Officer or Disaster Preparedness Officer?

[Eclipse]

What's wrong with "Disaster Relief Officer" or "Disaster Preparedness Officer"?  Both are descriptive, but the real-world duties are up to the CC.

I suppose you could make the argument that Preparedness is more about training then execution, but its a fine line in our world.

[lordmonar]

Eclipse, thank you for the clarification on custom duty assignments in eServices and for the advise on electronic duty assignments and permissions; I've had issues with that before.

While I know that commanders "may assign any duty title they like", that still doesn't answer my question. What is the most appropriate title for a squadron: Disaster Relief Officer or Disaster Preparedness Officer?

Depends on what the commander intends for him to be doing.

If he intends for him to plan and run a DR operation.....then DRO "sounds" closer to what he is doing.
IF he intends for him to plan and train for a DR operations.....the DPO "sounds" closer to what he is doing.

In either case.....the are both assistants to the squadron's ES officer.....so ESO-Assistant would be good too.

[Storm Chaser]

What's wrong with "Disaster Relief Officer" or "Disaster Preparedness Officer"?  Both are descriptive, but the real-world duties are up to the CC.

There's nothing wrong with either one of these. The question is which one should be used for the squadron. While the commander assigns the duties, I'll be defining and assigning specific responsibilities as the ESO. His duties will include both disaster relief and preparedness tasks, so I guess either title would work.

I suppose you could make the argument that Preparedness is more about training then execution, but its a fine line in our world.

I could make that argument, but I'm really not. The duty description for the DR Officer is already stated in 20-1, but not so for the DP Officer. Frankly, the responsibilities seem like they would be almost identical. I'm not trying to get wrapped up around the axle here; I'm just seeking clarification because, while I would like to follow 20-1 as much as possible, it seems a bit vague to me in this respect.

[Storm Chaser]

Depends on what the commander intends for him to be doing.

I will be defining his responsibilities and I expect him to be working on both. I guess preparedness and training would be his priority for now, but if there's an actual disaster (e.g. we get hit by a hurricane), his duties will shift to assisting me in managing DR operations.

It seems from the few responses so far that either these titles could be used interchangeably, that no one really cares what it's used at the squadron level or that no one really knows. My guess is that most units may not even fill this position at all, but I could be wrong.

In either case.....the are both assistants to the squadron's ES officer.....so ESO-Assistant would be good too.

I know that, but I already have an assistant. Assistants get all the permissions in eServices as the primary and, as Eclipse noted, that's not always desired or needed.

[lordmonar]

Well six of one/half dozen of the other.

Question.....what access in E-service do you not want him to have?
Second Question.....don't DPO and DRO not get the same access as the ESO?

Really what it boils down to is just semantics.   Use what ever you think is best it makes zero difference to anything else.   For PD it counts as an assistant ESO for "duty performance".

So.....beyond that....I would ping Wing and see if they have DPO and or DRO and match up the duties and titles to that.....so it makes it clear the dotted line of command.

[Storm Chaser]

Question.....what access in E-service do you not want him to have?

We have an Ops/ES staff of 7 right now, including assistants; we don't need all of them with approval permissions.

Second Question.....don't DPO and DRO not get the same access as the ESO?

No. Certain Ops Quals approval permissions are reserved for the Commander, Deputy Commander for Seniors, ES Officer and ES Training Officer (and their assistants).

Really what it boils down to is just semantics.   Use what ever you think is best it makes zero difference to anything else.   For PD it counts as an assistant ESO for "duty performance".

If that is really true, then we have no issue; we just need to pick one or the other. What I was hoping for, though, was for someone with domain knowledge to tell me if there is a difference between these two positions and if there is a preferred assignment at the squadron level.

So.....beyond that....I would ping Wing and see if they have DPO and or DRO and match up the duties and titles to that.....so it makes it clear the dotted line of command.

If I don't get a definite answer to my question, I may do just that. Thanks.

[SarDragon]

Regarding OpsQuals permissions, the unit WSA can tailor an individual's permissions to make them more restrictive.

[ol'fido]

My intuitive answer to this question is that a wing or region level Disaster Relief Officer is going to be working with state, federal, and military disaster relief and emergency management officials on an executive level doing coordination, planning, and logistics on a large scale or over a large area. His function is primarily plans and programs.

A group disaster preparedness officer would be more involved with the "internal" training of his unit(s). Ensuring that all members have the required ICS courses, helping members get to higher level ICS courses(300, 400), and making sure that his unit has the proper mix of training and equipment to respond to the most common types of emergencies that would happen in the unit's area.

It's kind of an "external" focus versus an "internal" focus with some overlap on either end.  The DRO is working to ensure that the region or wing can efficiently utilize the units that the DPO's have "prepared".

[Storm Chaser]

Regarding OpsQuals permissions, the unit WSA can tailor an individual's permissions to make them more restrictive.

I was aware that permissions and/or modules could be assigned to a person regardless of duty position. I didn't know you could restrict or remove permissions or modules that are automatically assigned in eServices with the duty position.

My intuitive answer to this question is that a wing or region level Disaster Relief Officer is going to be working with state, federal, and military disaster relief and emergency management officials on an executive level doing coordination, planning, and logistics on a large scale or over a large area. His function is primarily plans and programs.

A group disaster preparedness officer would be more involved with the "internal" training of his unit(s). Ensuring that all members have the required ICS courses, helping members get to higher level ICS courses(300, 400), and making sure that his unit has the proper mix of training and equipment to respond to the most common types of emergencies that would happen in the unit's area.

It's kind of an "external" focus versus an "internal" focus with some overlap on either end.  The DRO is working to ensure that the region or wing can efficiently utilize the units that the DPO's have "prepared".

What you're saying makes sense. I still wish it was spelled out in the regs.

[Storm Chaser]

UPDATE

I asked this question on the CAP Knowledgebase site. Their reply indicated that the correct title is Disaster Relief Officer and that they would remove Disaster Preparedness Officer from CAPR 20-1 during the next revision. They also said that this position isn't an option in eServices. I checked eServices, however, and Disaster Preparedness does appear in eServices duty position reports (in addition to Disaster Relief). I indicated this to the Knowledgebase staff, which replied saying that they would notify the OPR of this and reiterated that Disaster Relief Officer is the correct duty title.