Main Menu

Cell Team 1000th Find

Started by etodd, April 28, 2020, 06:19:02 PM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

etodd

"Don't try to explain it, just bow your head
Breathe in, breathe out, move on ..."

AirDX

"In fiscal 2018, CAP was credited with a modern record of 155 lives saved in a single year. Most of those saves — 147, or 95% — occurred with the support of the cell phone team."

Does anyone else find this tremendously disheartening? In a 66,000-strong organization that prides itself, almost to the point of hubris, on SAR... 95% of actual saves are done by the same six people?
Believe in fate, but lean forward where fate can see you.

etodd

Quote from: AirDX on April 29, 2020, 03:30:54 AMDoes anyone else find this tremendously disheartening? In a 66,000-strong organization that prides itself, almost to the point of hubris, on SAR... 95% of actual saves are done by the same six people?

Nope.  Its progress. Its speed and efficiency.

Yes, some of those saves also involved CAP ground teams, but more often than not, the Cell Phone Team's data was relayed directly to the first responders already in the field for quick action.

Its all a good thing.

Some Wings are still very active in SAR, but they are the exceptions. Most Wing's ground teams train for missions that rarely or never come.

Each Wing has to find their niche.  Look at the Wings in the last couple weeks that have been working the COVID missions.  That type of work may be more of what we do now. Less field packs and boots, and more distribution work in the city.

The new CAP ....
"Don't try to explain it, just bow your head
Breathe in, breathe out, move on ..."

PHall

ES has always been a very local thing. In some states you have CAP "ground teams" doing missing person searches while in other states it's a strictly law enforcement function. CAP's "problem" is that they try to show that we do ES the same everywhere when it isn't and never has been.

NIN

Look at the wings that currently have COVID missions: I know a number of them have long-standing relationships with their states that have been built up with a lot of blood, sweat and tears (along with careful relationship management and things like "underpromise and overdeliver").

I know in our case that we've been working with our state EM folks and within the EOC channels for years with what seemed (outwardly) to very little effect in normal or even exercise ops.  Then, when things went sideways and the EOC went to full activation, we were on the speed dial.  Persistence and relationship building pays off. 
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.

AirDX

Quote from: etodd on April 29, 2020, 03:37:28 AMNope.  Its progress. Its speed and efficiency.

Yes, some of those saves also involved CAP ground teams, but more often than not, the Cell Phone Team's data was relayed directly to the first responders already in the field for quick action.

Its all a good thing.

Some Wings are still very active in SAR, but they are the exceptions. Most Wing's ground teams train for missions that rarely or never come.

Each Wing has to find their niche.  Look at the Wings in the last couple weeks that have been working the COVID missions.  That type of work may be more of what we do now. Less field packs and boots, and more distribution work in the city.

The new CAP ....

You betcha. Progress is a good thing, don't misunderstand me. I find myself wishing that CAP as a whole would recognize that the aerial/ground team SAR is not the primary mover today, and afford some recognition to the other niches. ES training does not reflect what we're going to actually do in most wings. For those that do the traditional SAR thing, press on! For the rest of us, it's time to adapt the organization to use all of our skills in some positive manner.
Believe in fate, but lean forward where fate can see you.

Eclipse

Great for the people found.

Good on the forensics team for the excellent work.

NHQ needs to stop pretending this is in any way meaningful to the rank and file,
or reflects an overall capability that CAP possesses beyond the specific personalities involved.

How this isn't simply a function of a paid employee(s) at the carrier(s) working direct
with the FAA is beyond me.

If you remove the finds credited to the FT/NRAT, CAP's annual finds have been
on a significant decline for a decade and are at their lowest point in recent memory.

"That Others May Zoom"

JohhnyD

Quote from: Eclipse on April 29, 2020, 04:13:30 PMNHQ needs to stop pretending this is in any way meaningful to the rank and file,
or reflects an overall capability that CAP possesses beyond the specific personalities involved.
What a truly odd POV. Truly.

Eclipse


"That Others May Zoom"

JohhnyD

Quote from: Eclipse on April 30, 2020, 03:42:57 AMReally?  Please elaborate.
Do you think the "rank and file" doesn't celebrate and embrace our cell phone forensics team? That we have no pride in what they do to represent all of us? How odd.

Eclipse


"That Others May Zoom"

JohhnyD

BTW in the last 30 months, I have been on four missions with finds. Is that not worthy of respect? You were not on those missions, right? And yet they count towards ONE CAP, what I do good reflects on us all, yes? I applaud the efforts of all our volunteers - and I revel in the fact that we save lives. Real lives, real people, and if that is somehow not your thing, OK, but do not denigrate the rest of us and our efforts. Your lack of respect is disturbing.

JohhnyD


Phil Hirons, Jr.

I think you gents need to agree to disagree and move on.