ALERTING !

[0]

Well what I do is have the emails act as txts and come to my phone.  I keep the volume on and keep it right next to me.  Plus I'm one of those ES Guys that has the LPer sound as my txt message notifcation.  That wakes me up every time.

[cnitas]

Plus I'm one of those ES Guys that has the LPer sound as my txt message notifcation. 

Thats pretty cool.  I might have to try that out.   

[0]

If you'd like I've got a zip file I can send you with 3 different modulation tones. 

[davidsinn]

What about those of us that can not have cell phones at work? Or zero internet access for most of the day?

[0]

well that's a problem then. 

[Short Field]

In our state, AFRCC calls one number that never changes.  It rings on the on-call IC's phone.  The on-call IC starts the mission but has the option of finding another IC closer to the incident or who is more qualified.

If you are having e-mail sent to you cell phone to wake you up, you must have a very specfic set of ruels for your computer to use to forward the emails to your phone.  Otherwise, the spam would keep you awake all night.

[0]

Well what I do is for the paging system enter my phone number @vtext as my email address.  That way this would be the only email coming through. 

[Short Field]

I use the same thing.  I just get one beep on the phone - way too easy to not hear if asleep.  We also find, depending on the phone company, some people not getting the text messages delivered to their phone for up to an hour.  Unless I am on-call, I don't have the phone near me at night.  Too many hell-spawned auto-dialers out there.

4. Anyone who receives a page, and is interested in participating, calls the IC for assignment.

We tell the members in the page to NOT call the IC.   The last thing an IC needs as a mission is starting up is to start fielding phone calls from the wing-wide membership.  We have them enter their availability in the WMU for use by the IMU.

A couple of phone calls to the squadron commanders or deputies gets the ball rolling on intial aircrews and ground teams.   

[MSgt Van]

My company has a "no cell phones during business hours" rule, but I made it clear I'm in CAP and may get called. No problems. 

[0]

Mine has actually told me if there is an actual missing aircraft they'll push me out the door to go on the mission.

[Eclipse]

What about those of us that can not have cell phones at work? Or zero internet access for most of the day?

You have to accept the fact that you are not part of the first-contact "alert" crews.

We can't build systems based on random idiosyncrasies of members with situations that take them off the grid.

Anythng so big that an "all-hands effort" is going to be needed will be in the news and there will be coordinated call-ups, etc. - Katrina crews were being stood up for more than a week with wings requesting daily updates on availability.

Anything smaller will have to happen without you.

I would also generalize that members in situations where they have no internet or cel phones during (their) working hours usually lack the flexibility to leave their jobs on short notice anyway.

[davidsinn]

I do have the flexibility but the only way that I can be reached is on a land line while I am at work. I am the Unit alerting officer and 2nd in command. My commander is even harder to reach during the day because he is TSA. Does that mean that we write my entire unit off as never being able to be quick response because someone is too lazy to make a phone call?

[Eclipse]

I do have the flexibility but the only way that I can be reached is on a land line while I am at work. I am the Unit alerting officer and 2nd in command. My commander is even harder to reach during the day because he is TSA. Does that mean that we write my entire unit off as never being able to be quick response because someone is too lazy to make a phone call?

You're getting defensive because your situation doesn't fit what has been decided (assuming your state works that way).

There's no response to that which isn't argumentative, but the Unit Alerting officer should be easily contactable and in a situation where that person can turn around and make follow-on contacts.

Most states do >not< alert on a unit basis because its not practical or necessary.  If your state does, you've got to work with whatever program and process they have chosen.

[N Harmon]

My squadron subscribes to this service:    http://www.call-em-all.com

So far it has worked really well. I think National HQ should look at investing into something similar.

[calguy]

cell phone, house phone and pager all go off at 2100.  I am aircrew and never go skulking around in the bushes: for any reason except to walk or crawl away from a downed airplane.  I happen to live where the rocks go up to 13,000 ft and the Sq whose airplane I fly has a rule that no aircrew gets released to fly in terrain that is above 5000 feet at Night.  Makes it pretty simple that we don't respond until first light, so why bother listening to some IC who is not a pilot who wants an aircrew to go into cumulus granite at night to find an errant ELT.  Absolutely no point in putting two or three perfectly good aircrew in harms way in the mountains in the middle of the night.  Sorry, but that is how it goes with us.  I have had five CAP associates killed due to stupid decisions made when things were too dangerous to fly.  I don't intend to join them if I can help it.

Please don't give me that crap about someone may be lying in a crashed airplane waiting for me to find them.  I have two distress finds and there were no survivors in either and both were in the mountains. 

What about the CAP aircrew that crashed above Bishop California and NOBODY searched for them until the next morning.  (18 hours later)  All 3 had broken backs and stayed with their aircraft until morning in the snow.  They started to walk out in the morning because they knew nobody was searching for them.  Were they pissed!   Many crashes occur during the day but by the time the flight plan goes overdue or the ELT has gone to mission it is nightfall.  Just to say I am not willing to go search for them because its dark or cloudy is just an excuse and you should move your aircraft to another squadron willing to do the job.  It is a dis-service to have a CAP aircraft and refuse to fly it at night for missions when others will.  Its sad to think there are leaders like you that would leave another pilot or CAP member out in the cold because you won't fly at night.  If it soooo hazardous, lets stop CAP from flying all missions at night.  Why do you let your crews fly to Imperial at night when you say it is so hazardous?  The paging system "flaws" are just another excuse for members not wanting or willing to respond.   The alerting system seems to work fine for those that want to respond.  Instead of bashing those ICs, pilots and ground folks  for responding, you should be thankful that they are willing to go out and do CAP's jobs that you get and take credit for.  Good thing that CAWG has just a few people that are willing to stop what they are doing 24/7 and would search for you at night, in the mountains in the rain.  Otherwise, you would die.

[Short Field]

What about the CAP aircrew that crashed above Bishop California and NOBODY searched for them until the next morning.  (18 hours later) 

Above Bishop CA?   I flew two CAP missions above Bishop - that put me on top of Boundary Peak.  Climbed to 13.5K ft and contoured down the mountain side looking for a crash. 

Just to say I am not willing to go search for them because its dark or cloudy is just an excuse and you should move your aircraft to another squadron willing to do the job. 

The only search you can fly when it is dark or cloudy would be a quick ELT search along the route.   And if it was cloudy, you had better be on a IFR flight plan - not 1000 ft above the ground searching.

If it soooo hazardous, lets stop CAP from flying all missions at night. 

Do you understand the difference between flying a search mission at night and just flying at night?  Most of the West is a huge black hole at night.  You can sort of see the mountains when they block out the stars.   Fly a contour search along side a mountain you can't see???

[Short Field]

You have to accept the fact that you are not part of the first-contact "alert" crews.

If all you are getting is text messages and pages, you are not one of the first-contact "alert" crews.  They get phone calls.

I would also generalize that members in situations where they have no internet or cel phones during (their) working hours usually lack the flexibility to leave their jobs on short notice anyway.

Flawed generalization.  Spotty cell phone coverage and a job outside can really limit the internet and cell phone coverage.  Even if you own the company.   

[brasda91]

For those comments regarding no cell phones or internet while at work, you can do what I do, get an alpha-numeric pager.  Where I work, camera phones are not allowed.  I do have regular access to internet though.  But if you want me to know immediately that there is a mission in my area, you would be better off sending me a page, if I don't answer my cell.

Just a few weeks ago, once of our IC's sent me an alpha page (my phone was turned off in my vehicle) for a possible UDF mission.  I was the first contact for the mission.

[davidsinn]

All of this technology is great but what's the aversion to a phone call?

[Duke Dillio]

^It's unsecure.  They are listening to us now.  Sssshhhh.  We don't want them to hear...

You know, super secret squirrel stuff....

Back to my knot in the tree....