Is GSAR about to get its due in CAP?

[sardak]

I am still not able to find a clear definition of CAP's role in SAR nor exactly what kind of specific SAR activities CAP engages in.  What does CAP want us to do?  ...In my 19 year relationship with CAP, I have always been under the impression that we specialize in "aviation" related SAR, meaning.....an aircraft goes down and we go look for it.  It sounds as though a number of people want to participate in SAR regardless of the nature, which is fine.

You won't find a clear definition, not even in CAPR 60-3. The specifics are dependent on how a Wing sees itself and what it wants to do, and how it is perceived by other organizations and governments within a state. At a high level, this is shown in the MOU between each wing, state and AFRCC that Eclipse mentioned.

At the 50,000 foot level in CAP, it is shown in two documents:
1. The Statement of Work (SOW) between CAP and the Air Force. From the SOW:
    2.3.2.1. Search and Rescue/Disaster Relief. CAP shall conduct air/ground search and rescue (SAR) and disaster relief (DR) in response to man-made events or natural disasters.

    2.3.2.3.6. Ground Teams. Ground teams for SAR and DR are permitted.

2. Air Force Instruction 10-2701 ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTION OF THE CIVIL AIR PATROL
     1.1.1. Emergency Services and Civil Support. CAP maintains the capability to meet Air Force requirements to assist Federal, state, and local agencies and non-governmental organizations during routine and emergency situations. This capability includes aircraft, vehicles, communications equipment and a force of trained volunteers. ...The emergency services program of CAP is the primary mechanism by which CAP supports the Air Force in accomplishing Air Force non-combat missions.

    1.1.1.5. Personnel. The CAP membership constitutes a trained force of personnel capable of responding to national, regional, or local emergencies or major disasters. CAP personnel are divided into two categories: volunteer cadet members (aged 12 –17) and volunteer senior members (aged 18 and older). CAP senior members are the primary personnel to respond to emergencies or disasters.

     2.1. Objective. The Air Force may employ CAP resources to assist the Air Force, Department of Defense and other Federal agencies.Under certain circumstances, the SECAF, or the designee, may assign CAP assets to provide assistance to state or local agencies and non-governmental organizations(NGOs). Examples include: search and rescue...

    2.2.2. Search and Rescue/Disaster Relief. CAP may be assigned to respond to requests for emergency services submitted to the Air Force from other Federal agencies, or from state or local governmental authorities, or from NGOs. These services include, but are not limited to, search and rescue (SAR) and disaster relief (DR).

Mike

[RiverAux]

As usual whenever ground SAR operations are discussed, we get off on the same tangents regarding cadets and the few jurisdictions where local rules and policies make CAP GSAR operations difficult.

However, the fact remains that GSAR is one of CAP's oldest ES missions and there is more potential missions and more potential saves in GSAR than anything else CAP does IF we made it a priority. 

If we made it a priority, would there still be challenges?  Sure, some stupid CAP member is going to mess things up in some local area and poison relationships for years.  Nothing new.  We regularly do the same thing in Air SAR and DR areas. 

Despite our shortcomings, we still are the best trained and equipped GSAR volunteers available in most of the country. 

[FARRIER]

Asking about the cadets involvement wasn't a tangent. It was used as a reason for our non-participation and not being taken seriously. I brought it up for clarification. Sardak (Mike) provided a great example (counter point) of an all High School age team that participates on a regular basis. My personal opinion is that it's used as a red herring.

In Walkman's example where his Chief has asked about looking into CAP as a resource, has there been the reverse happening with CAP going to the State/Local agencies (asking it more of an open ended question)?

[Eclipse]

In Walkman's example where his Chief has asked about looking into CAP as a resource, has there been the reverse happening with CAP going to the State/Local agencies (asking it more of an open ended question)?

That's supposed to be one of the primary jobs of an ESO at the unit and group level, sadly, many units don't even have one,
let alone actually make the effort.

I can tell you from personal experience that when the contacts are made...properly...things get done, and CAP gets busy.

[SJFedor]

Despite our shortcomings, we still are the best trained and equipped GSAR volunteers available in most of the country.

Non-concur. That's a really big statement, and i'm sorry, it's just not true. I've been involved with CAP in 3 different states, plus got to see different things in my real job from other teams in GLR and SER. There are a heck of a lot better trained and equipped teams out there than CAP provides. I'm pretty sure the whole state of California has teams better equipped and trained than their CAWG CAP counterparts. And in my locale, I can absolutely tell you, without a doubt, that the SAR teams here are a lot better equipped and trained than the CAP units.

Dream on.

[isuhawkeye]

River supports his position by looking from a national perspective.  There are virtually no nationally oriented SAR teams who operate consistently in all 50 states so from that point of view CAP is the best equipped and trained. 

The problem with this is that SAR builds locally to meet local needs.  SAR in Colorado looks very different from SAR in Iowa so training and equipment needs vary and drawing even local comparisons on who is better and what is an appropriate minimum is tough.

[RiverAux]

River supports his position by looking from a national perspective.  There are virtually no nationally oriented SAR teams who operate consistently in all 50 states so from that point of view CAP is the best equipped and trained. 

Well, there are none that operate in all 50 states as far as I'm aware of.  And I'm also taking into consideration that most US counties don't have any sort of volunteer SAR teams at all. 

Now, the average volunteer SAR team is probably better skilled than the average CAP ground team, but that is because GSAR is all they do.  GSAR is a tiny part of that ground teams CAP life.  But, if you're a place that has a CAP ground team, but nothing else nearby, then a CAP ground team isn't a bad way to start your search.

However, the purpose of this thread is to point out that there is some possibility that the emphasis on GSAR may increase in CAP, which might address some of the skills and training issues. 

[Spaceman3750]

I think that CAP GTs suffer from the fact that CAP has a lot of stuff going on. The groups that crank out super-high-quality teams are able to do so because ES is all they do. CAP has three missions plus an entire administrative infrastructure to take care of.

Some will say that the answer is more people, but I think that often times those are the same people who get mad at pilots who only want to fly or ground pounders who only want to pound ground.

[Eclipse]

Some will say that the answer is more people, but I think that often times those are the same people who get mad at pilots who only want to fly or ground pounders who only want to pound ground.

The answer, CAP, >is< more people.  More people allows members to specialize, and leaves time to actually do mission related work.

[Walkman]

The answer, CAP, >is< more people.  More people allows members to specialize, and leaves time to actually do mission related work.

Concur. My unit is a composite squadron that was just changed from a cadet squadron last year. While we have enough people to fill the requirements, the focus is still on the cadets. All of the active SMs have some DA that works with the cadets. What that means in my case as ESO is that even when I put together ES training sessions for the SMs on meeting nights, attendance is spotty because lots of people have to attend to cadet work in one way or another. I would love to have 5 new SMs that I could really forge a true, separate SM component to the unit and have them focus on ES training (air & ground).

[RiverAux]

If CAP were to put more emphasis on GSAR and begin to think of it as something other than some sort of quasi-cadet program, I think there is strong potential to recruit enough new adult members specifically interested in GSAR so as to address some of our manpower issues in this area.  For example, the Georgia State Guard is building a pretty strong GSAR program, and if they can do it, I believe we can as well. 

[PHall]

Biggest problem CAP has in the GSAR arena is the fact that the laws governing what we can do are all state/district/territory laws.
The one size fits all approach currently used just does not work.

[Eclipse]

Sorry, I see that as a "one size fits all" excuse.

If you have a trained, ready force, that can do a competent job with reasonable notice, essentially for "free", any legal or jurisdictional issues
can be worked out.

The issue is:

1) Not enough people.

B) No proper definition of purpose and mission from NHQ (see "CAC")

3) Not enough people.

D) No national, or even regional push to have us on the "first call" list with alphabet agencies, especially for DR.

5) Poor standardization of commander expectations in regards to defined responsibilities and allowing commanders to treat the mission like a menu.

F) Not enough people.

7) Conservative NOC and national operations staff who are slow to respond, slow to deploy, will only send bare-bones resources, and ready to disengage as quickly as possible, even when the need is clear and the funding is plentiful. (See Katrina, Kentucky, Sandy and others).

H) Lack of Federal mandate for MOU for DR as is required for SAR.

9) And we could probably use more people.

[RiverAux]

Biggest problem CAP has in the GSAR arena is the fact that the laws governing what we can do are all state/district/territory laws.
The one size fits all approach currently used just does not work.

You do realize, don't you, that CAP faces the same issue in Air SAR?  Yes, there is more federal nose in that particular tent, but we still have managed to navigate these same state laws in just about all of the country such that we have an important role in Air SAR.  It didn't have to turn out that way, but we've spent the time developing the relationships and reap the benefits.  There is no real reason that we couldn't get the same result in GSAR if we put our minds to it. 

[Eclipse]

There is no real reason that we couldn't get the same result in GSAR if we put our minds to it.

I agree, with the caveat that air operations don't look as "easy" as GSAR to most agencies.  Air ops require huge investments in capital and
even larger investments in time for training and maintenance.

"Anyone" can tromp around the woods and "look for stuff", but "airplanes is different".

The other thing we find on a regular basis is that ICS experience, especially larger scale operations, is sorely lacking, especially in more rural areas.  In this arena we are many times ahead of the game, and the most experienced in the room, since the majority of those who
get the training are tactical operators, vs managers and planners, etc.

This is another area CAP is very capable and needs to market better.  (Every time I say "market" I realize just how bad the situation is.  No organization like ours, especially with both a military and governmental affiliation should have to "market" itself. We should simply be on the list. )

[JayT]

This is another area CAP is very capable and needs to market better.  (Every time I say "market" I realize just how bad the situation is.  No organization like ours, especially with both a military and governmental affiliation should have to "market" itself. We should simply be on the list. )

Strong disagree. As long as there's others providing the same service, you have to market. I work part time for a very large private healthcare system that provides an ambulance service that is available via our own emergency number and dispatch center (as well as our contracts to varies municipal entities and facilities.) In areas we're not contracted to, you have the ability to call our number vs 911 and receive our services versus the county run agency. Even in something as common as EMS assignments, there's a 'market.'

[Eclipse]

I work part time for a very large private healthcare system that provides an ambulance service that is available via our own emergency number and dispatch center (as well as our contracts to varies municipal entities and facilities.) In areas we're not contracted to, you have the ability to call our number vs 911 and receive our services versus the county run agency. Even in something as common as EMS assignments, there's a 'market.'

The key word here is "private" as in "business".  Yes private, for-profit businesses have to market themselves, public services do not and
should not.

The majority of our ES budget (capital, training, and operational) comes directly, or indirectly, from the Federal government.
If for no other reason then ROI we should be on the early call list.

How about "investment"?  I'd be willing to bet CAP has invested at least $20-50k in "building me" over the last 10-12 years, especially if
you add-in the costs of facilities I've used, military resources, and of course direct reimbursiment and training.  Let's say there's 100 people
in each wing engaged at a similar (or higher) level.

"...figure figure...carry the q except on Tuesday...cypher cypher...sometimes y...figure figure..."

That's $104 million (with an "M" on the conservative side that the good people have invested in us, over the $ 200M capital and training budgets).  CAP gets a >lot< for it's money, and their training comes back not just in ES but in the other missions as well, but with that much
money already invested, we should be higher on the list.

And those numbers only account for the "top 100" in a given wing, not the "next 2-300" who also contribute mightily.

[RiverAux]

Yes private, for-profit businesses have to market themselves, public services do not and should not.

When you are a public service that no one HAS to use and are entirely dependent on other public agencies asking for your assistance, you most certainly have to market your services to them. 

Even if CAP is "on the list", decision makers have the ability to not call us. 

Step 1 is marketing CAP so that we are "on the list" (which we are not required to be on), and Step 2 is getting them to actually call us when an applicable mission is ongoing.

[Eclipse]

We should be enough of the landscape that we are part of the package, regardless of who is calling.

That has to happen at the national or regional level, anything lower and the response stay ad hoc like it is today.

[NavLT]

Even if CAP is "on the list", decision makers have the ability to not call us.

The most important issue is to make sure that you have the marketing and the ability to provide what you market.

You absolutely need an agressive program of marketing the ES capabilities with the local government customers but you also need to make sure that you recruit for and conduct local training that is realistic and involves managment and field operations and then finish with the retention plan of post mission(Real and Training) critiques and internal marketing of our responses.

Lt J