As promised...my question to the CAPTalk masses!
A bit of context: a few years ago, during the pandemic but before I joined, my squadron was well below minimum manning requirements to even be considered a flight. Since then, we've grown to become a relatively well-thriving composite squadron, especially when it comes to cadet recruiting.
The thing is, we have way too many senior members with their hands in the cadet programs cookie jar, and a non-existent senior member operation. The "search" option tells me we're not the only ones with this issue, at least historically. My squadron commander and I talked about this, and we'd love to see this changed. We're working to restart ES, which fell off during the pandemic, and I'm also cheerleading communications. I'd also love, love, LOVE to see some NCO's get in. Those are a couple of steps, but the plan is to poll the seniors and get their thoughts on rebuilding the senior side. I figured I'd pose the same question here--what thoughts do you all have?
Well, people are going to hate me for saying this, but our ES is currently a joke and shell of what it once was, thirty-forty years ago.
I have never once seen a ground team or UDF Team deploy in an actual mission. I've seen Air Teams get called up to go take pictures or fly some medical supplies or organs as a real-world mission and I heard stories of CAP distributing food and water after a tornado, but that is it.
Now I'm sure somewhere, CAP is johnnie on the spot and gets called out regularly, but that's not my experience.
Also, our standards, don't match any other Emergency Agency standards... be they FEMA's or the West Dogpatch, KY Civil Defense Team's.
So, if we don't meet anyone's standards to do a basic ground search and no one is calling us to help search the ground to begin with, why are we still training people it on an obsolete, 20+ year old, evaluation system?
It's like asking why we issue EMS and Medical Badges and require Basic GMT to take First Aid/CPR training but forbid anyone from doing any medical response tasks. So, what's the point?
We're basically irrelevant in most county and state emergency response plans except in some small areas where we have aircraft and they don't, but as drones get cheaper and easier to use, those areas will dry up too.
Our bread and butter is the cadet program, and to a certain extent aerospace education, and soon that's all we'll be.
I'll echo this
Curriculum needs to change and I am sure Col Bob Ditch is doing his level best with FEMA EMI to do virtual and in person delivery
BUT
CAP needs to align its curriculum and how to do tasks with EMAs in the necessary "stuff" as POD, Volunteer Reception Center training where cadets can assist in setup and some intake, how to train with Red Cross, etc
The CAP answer is for the Sqdn Commander or Wing Commander to meet up those folks with our "Capabilities Pamphlet" is one way but where is the training for those volunteers with States that have MOUs with State EMAs, Red Cross, etc
CAP needs more 'how to's" for SMs....sometime EMAs look at CAP sideways due to some of the strong personalities that think we are first on scene. Not always true...we are a supporting agency. Some SMs do sit in EOCs and get the idea on things operate BUT before I retired out of an EMA, i observed very few CAP members attend any level of ICS training and that's probably because CAP didn't buy off or in to the program when the ICS train began to rollout w FEMA in the early 2000's
ICS has been around since the 1970s and 1980s through the FIRESCOPE program began and this where CERT became a direct descendant of the LA Fire and Citizen Corps grant program where CAP was not. Our 501(c)3, AF affiliation which may not identify totally with the ICS construct as the civilians, and Congressional writeup may have some legal ramifications
We may be a Search and "Rescue" organization but when our organization relies on a CAPR39-1 that is about 140 pages and a not so current CAPR 60-3, which is our ES bread and butter, is only about 36-45 pages....
I refer to the FEMA 508 Resource and Typing standards and Position Taskbooks that CAP needs to "plagarize" because FEMA basically did from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group Position Taskbooks for all fire position Federally and Statewide through the State Foresters and CAP with its withering paid staff need an additional position to the creation of these so we can "seamlessly" work our "SQTRs" to something in more of an alignment of the real world...there's a few of us out here...but to volunteer ...naw...there's grant programs to hire us folks who know the system well
It's about time the cadets get exposed to the big people world of EM, because there's plenty of colleges with degree programs in EM and because not everyone in CAP, cadet or SM, are destined to be pilots.
Everyone needs a blunt conversation of what MR Shuman describes because as retired EMA Planner with plenty of field and disaster experience, CAP is not well known quantity in my AOR, that many a Col used to say they had this all sewn up...it was more in his home of record, but certainly not Statewide during my employment and because some State EMAs, not all, do not really enjoy working with certain egos which are certainly in the EM world and cadets of the future need to be ready for the tougher work world of EM should they so choose
If you're serious about getting ES going in your squadron, I suggest going about this backwards. Start at the desired end state and work your way back.
There are two components to seriously analyze:
1. Your current and potential future manpower and interests(what are you going to recruit for?)
2. What the needs are in your area for a volunteer ES component
If you can find a way to make Item 1 fit into item 2, you have a winning strategy. If it doesn't fit, adjust item 1 until it fits item 2.
You'll want to look up 4 major things:
1. Your state's emergency plan
2. Your county's emergency plan
3. Your cities' emergency plan
4. Your wing ES training plan, if any
Now you can start developing ideas and plans.
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Example:
Based on your squadron data it seems you are located in Floyd County. Their EMA website is here:
https://floydcountyema.org/
A fast glance and I already see that one area they need volunteers for is Disaster assessment.
Take a note of their requirements being only IS-100, IS-200 and IS-559. Maybe get 6 people together, hammer out GES, IS100/200/700/800/559 (never do the minimum), and see if you can make CAP a callable resource for that.
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You'll also want to get everyone involved enrolled in the ES, Comms, and Safety specialty tracks. There are overlaps and it will help get everyone acquainted with various sub-roles that will come up over time along with helping members explore interests.
Would you like to know more?
There are plenty of jobs that seniors can be doing to help keep the squadron going that don't necessarily involve working with cadets (public affairs, admin, finance, etc). I'd focus on getting the necessary ones filled before worrying about senior-focused missions.
I'd look at nearby squadrons and what they're doing and start sending your seniors to train and operate with them and once you have a decent cadre of folks doing those missions you can start working on a program of your own.