The Tragic Tale of Trooper 2 + the state of the Medevac industry.

Some time ago, a Maryland State Police Medevac Chopper called Trooper 2 suffered a mishap in southern Maryland. Today the Washington Post put out a report on the issue. It's worth the watch. I took something away from this report. Maybe you will too.



I've always felt a kinship with these guys. God bless their families.

Additionally,this article, also from the post, details why the Medevac industry is one of the deadliest in the world. Again, worth the read.

Teaching from the Tube: Emergency! "Trainee"

Tonight, we showed this episode of the classic EMS TV show "Emergency!" at my squadron. In this episode, the Paramedics and Doctors must deal with a paramedic-trainee who feels he knows better than the doctors and the program.

Check it out below before continuing reading.



There is an awful lot one can take from this episode as a teaching tool, which is partially why it was chosen. Three things come to mind as I watch this episode: The value of procedure, the need for a professional attitude, and the value of looking past pre-conceptions.

The first, value of procedure, may be easily lost on some. Near the end of the episode, Ed Marlow asks why all the pomp and circumstance for an apparent drug overdose. The answer in this case becomes clear: because it isn't a classic overdose. In the same manner, some newcomers may wonder why CAP may dispatch an aircraft and ground teams for what is most likely a non-distress find. The answer here is the same: because it might not be.

The value of procedure has other applications as well. Why does CAP have a chain of command? Why does the decision to commit resources lie with some commands and not others? The reasoning is to provide a check and ballance so persons with limited knowledge and experience are not making the life-or-death calls in the field. We see this illustrated beautifully in this episode. On its most basic level, the use of procedures can be shown in the various checklists used before an aircraft or vehicle starts its engine. Why bother when there are lives on the line? Because to err is human.

A professional attitude manifests itself often in how one deals with outsiders. Roy DeSoto's calm demeanor when instructing Ed is in direct contrast to Ed's own reactions to Roy's orders. In the process, Ed comes off as arrogant and immature, while Roy instantly gains the audience's trust. The scene in the locker room once again hits the nail on the head when Roy tells Ed he is a good paramedic, but professionalism is not about how well you can insert an IV. "You can't stop competing with real doctors, and you can't face being wrong" he tells the young trainee. Therefore, attitude is as much a part of professionalism as duty performance.

Finally, letting go of your preconceptions is as important a skill to any professional as being able to DF an ELT signal, insert an IV, or fly an airplane. This show demonstrates how one can see what they want to see, and only by letting go of the idea that the patient is overdosing can they properly diagnose the patient. Similarly, our Cadet ES Officer related a story tonight where his team was unable to locate an ELT in the forrest because they didn't look up into the tree tops. Letting go of preconceptions can, at the end of the day, be the difference between a "save", "find" or neither.

For a TV show that was written almost 40 years ago, it makes some valuable points.

ARCHER, revisited

The ARCHER system has been a bit of a big deal in the Civil Air Patrol world for at least as long as I've been a member. Well, last week Gen. Courter released the findings of the ARCHER review summit.

The summit attendees analyzed the missions CAP has performed and determined that ARCHER is most useful in assisting with aircraft SAR missions and it is also good for documenting the extent of tree/plant diseases, looking for man-made objects in the water, and for assisting with the secondary effects of situations like oil spills on the surface of the water. ARCHER is also good for
detecting hematite soil and other “disturbed earth” that has been dug up and placed on the surface (e.g., it could aid in tunnel detection) or “disturbed earth” caused by tire tracks of vehicles operating on unpaved surfaces. This and the ARCHER change detection feature could be especially helpful along the U.S. border or around military base perimeters. Finally, the group determined that
ARCHER is great for providing hyperspectral data for universities and research agencies such as the Air Force Research Laboratory. One point to highlight is ARCHER is very good at automatically geo-referencing imagery with a high degree of accuracy. While we have had many positive opportunities, it is important to note that after extensive testing for counterdrug missions, the experts have concluded that ARCHER in its present configuration will not be effective (without an
unacceptable false alarm rate) at detecting specific plants. However, the Air Force is studying a proposal on how to upgrade the ARCHER system so that it can effectively conduct these missions in the future.

I agree with all the points except the first. ARCHER had a lot of potential in search and rescue, but my understanding is that it failed to perform well in all it's actual exercises. I was on a mission two years ago where ARCHER was deployed, flew right over the guy and failed to pick him up. Of course, the reason was the canopy of the trees blocked the view. Not the fault of the equipment, but the lesson is to take into account the terrain when using high-tech gear.

However, it's the Steve Fossett thing that puts it over the top for me. Granted, the Nevada desert is huge, but one would think it picked up something.

Of course, I'm not an ARCHER operator. One of you can prove me wrong.
Thanks River Aux for bringing this to my attention via CAPTalk

Update! "Zigg" has posted some interesting information about the ARCHER system. Look for it in the comments. He makes me eat my words. I was wrong. Sorry.

Look out below!

Thanks to RiverAux, I have been informed of a proposal out in Oregon for CAP Aircrews. This article indicates the development of small survival packs our aircrews can drop to a survivor. The best part is they're easily adaptable to fill whatever needs the survivor(s) may have.

Personally, I think this is a great idea. As aircrew, I have often thought about our role in the greater response beyond searching. Rocking our wings as it were is not enough to give a survivor moral support. If I was a crash victim, and I saw a Cessna above me rock their wings, I wouldn't know what that meant. How should they if they're not in the community? At least this way they have proof.

Of course, if the victim is injured and can't move, it's useless. That's where medics would come in. Oh wait...

E.S. Training Opportunity

If you read my previous post, I alluded to the fact that the USDRC's leadership all have the SGAUS's Military Emergency Management Specialist badges. I also commented on the value I thought the program would give the member.

For those that do not know, the program is designed to take military officers and men, civilian government employees and emergency services professionals and give them training on how to better deal with emergency situations. The program itself is designed for the State Guards, but is also used by other government organizations, such as the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). The training consists of FEMA ICS courses (many of which we have already taken), a narrative, and further training that may include an internship at an actual Emergency Operations Center.

I was looking at the brochure again after work, and noticed that there are liaison officers with several government and private agencies. One of them was the aforementioned Medical Reserve Corps, but another that stood out was the American Cadet Alliance. The ACA is like our cadet program, but has no emergency services component. Therefore, I found it curious that members would be interested in pursuing this class. However, it is a cool course to take, and I applaud them in their effort.

I am puzzled further by the fact that neither the CAP nor the Coast Guard Auxiliary have agency liaisons for this program. Could it be that we are a government agency and the SGAUS is private? No, because the MRC is also government, and they have a liaison. An answer to this question escapes me, still.

I have little doubt that CAP officers have undergone this training. I also have little doubt that it aided in developing them professionally as emergency services officers and professionals. It may seem all too logical to have a liaison in place for those members (such as myself) who would like to take this training.

Any readers who have undergone this training, I would like to hear of your experiences. Please comment below.

Back in the Saddle

After nearly a year of not flying missions for one reason or another, I returned to the saddle today flying Mission Observer on a rather routine mission. Regardless, it was still fun.

The mission was simple: test our communications capabilities along various points along the northern Chesapeake Bay. We flew at various altitudes from 1000 ft to 3000 ft AGL along differing portions of the bay. The point was to see how low the aircraft could fly without loosing communications links with our ICP. This mission was part of a SAREX, and had been cancelled just a few hours earlier due to weather. Regardless, at noon today I got the word the mission was re-activated.

I met my pilot a few hours later at my local airport, and we promptly departed on the mission. We were fortunate enough to be flying one of the new C-182 Glass Cockpits. I did most of my flight training in the glass cockpit C-172, and the transition to the C-182 was smooth. All the navigation was the same; and that was my job today. The wing operations officer was even kind enough to put a few checkpoints into the system to make our jobs a little easier.

What did I get out of it? I was able to re-familiarize myself with flight planning and execution, communications procedures, and the glass cockpit system as a search and rescue/navigation tool.

Also, if you've never seen the sun setting on the Chesapeake Bay at 1000 ft AGL, you're missing out. Although we made it back to the airport well before the sun dipped below the horizon, it was still late enough in the day to see it wane from 1000 ft.

I never realized how much I missed flying with CAP...

CAP sending a Team to SAR Competition

From NHQ News

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS -- A Civil Air Patrol search and rescue team will compete in the SARSCENE Games, the world’s only official International Search and Rescue Competition, on Oct. 17 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Team members representing CAP in its first SARSCENE appearance are Maj. Amy Fierro of the Middle East Region and Lt. Col. Jeff Riley, Capt. Mark Kleibscheidel and 1^st Lt. Beth Wirth, all of the Northeast Region. Maj. Bryan Watson and Lt. Col. Laurie Watson, both of the Pacific Region, are back-up team members.

The competition will be held during the annual SARSCENE Conference, scheduled for Oct. 17-20. The competition, now in its 16^th year, will consist of a series of exercises showcasing ground and inland water search and rescue strategies. Participants’ knowledge and skills will be tested in land navigation, map reading, first aid, search techniques and survival skills. The overall winner will receive the William Slaughter Cup, and the top three teams will be awarded medals and plaques.

SARSCENE is co-hosted by the National Search and Rescue Secretariat and the British Columbia Provincial Emergency Program, with assistance from the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association.

Lt. Col. Joe Abegg, CAP’s national project officer for the games, said such exercises motivate participants to train to be the best.

"It’s an honor to represent the United States and the Civil Air Patrol at these games and for our team to compete against the very best Canada and other countries has to offer,” Abegg said. “It’s a great way to demonstrate CAP's emergency services commitment and expertise before an international audience.”

Sounds good to me! With all the exposure we got during the Steve Fossett Search, this kind of competition begs for our involvement. Although we don't do water very well (we leave that for the CG Auxies), We should be able to do decently at the ground stuff. I agree with Col. Abegg, this will motivate us to train up. That cannot possibly harm anyone.

Medic Gear

Even though Civil Air Patrol does not yet sponsor a Medic Program, the resident EMT at my squadron and I put together a medical bag for him to carry on a ground team. With the full blessing of the Squadron Commander, we made of list of possible medical situations we may encounter: from a GTM injuring him/herself, to a crash survivor suffering from a spinal injury to heat stroke. We also had to take into account the fact that Ground Teams may end up trudging through miles of woods to reach a crash site. Therefore, Several items that both of us thought 'necessary' were either too bulky or outside the scope of our budget were tough to lose; such as a long back board or KED. The KED was impractical anyway because only myself and EMT are trained to use it.

In the end, we wound up with more or less a standard jump bag, but added 2 collars (for neck injuries) a Bag-Valve Mask (BVM) and oropharyngeal airways for those patients we need to do CPR on. Unfortunately, the nasal variety was deemed too expensive for us to get. Both myself and the EMT walked everyone through the bag when it came, and told them what they could and could not use. Most of the stuff is fair game, except for the Collars, airways, and BVM, which required special training. Hope we never have to use any of it.

Now if only we could get them that First Responder Certification...

Bondage 101

In another entry in the training diaries, my squadron recently recieved some basic EMS training from the Cordova Volunteer Fire Association, and their resident EMS trainer.

Although we didn't learn how to drop an airway, bag someone or administer albuterol, we did learn some valuable stuff that anyone on a ground team should know. By the end of the night, all our cadets and Ground Team Members could splint any fracture, place a collar on someone with a neck injury and roll a victim onto a backboard an tie them down. The course was jokingly dubbed "Bondage 101" by some of our cadets, carrying on a tradition that seems to permeate the EMS world.

Although we are not certified, in a crunch situation we could do all the above. One of my Cadets is a licensed EMT with the Fire Department anyway, allowing the other members to serve in an assistant role. The Cadets certainly enjoyed the change of pace. Usually our nights are filled with lectures, marching and maybe some hands on training. Overall a positive experience for all and recommended if you can work it out.

MDWG signs an MOU with the Maryland Military Department

From the Maryland Wing Website:

Maj. Gen. Bruce Tuxill, Adjutant General of Maryland, and Col. Gerard Weiss, Maryland Wing commander, signed the document which formalizes the agreement to support each other in accomplishing their respective missions.

[...]

For many years, the two groups have supported one another without a formal agreement. The Maryland National Guard provides logistic and personnel for the annual Tri-Wing Encampment, along with providing cadets with orientation flights in C-130s and base tours. Warfield Air National Guard base provides ramp space for CAP’s GA-8 Airvan and allows CAP to use their facilities as needed for functions such as the cadet ball and Cadet Advisory Council picnic. In addition, the Guard assists the Maryland Wing with legislative support for funding.

“I continue to be impressed by the professionalism our volunteer members display while working side by side with our Army and Air National Guard counterparts,” said Major Joe Winter, Maryland Wing director of cadet programs and Wing military liaison officer. “The dedication of our members helps ease the stress of the guard members who are deployed all around the world.”

[...]

"Our partnership with the MMD should serve as a benchmark for CAP Wing and state guards throughout the country.” [Winter said].

The MOU covered not just the National Guard elements, but also the Maryland Emergency Management Agency and the Maryland Defense Force. Colonel Weiss has done a great job in MDWG to bring us more in line with the Real Military, and this seems to be not just a great payoff, but the next logical step. I look forward to working with them in the future. Read the entire article here.

CAP and Forest Fires

From CAP News online:

SOUTH DAKOTA -- The South Dakota Wing provided important fire-spotting capabilities in the early stages of a Black Hills forest fire that killed one person, injured two firefighters and destroyed 33 houses.

After lightning sparked the Alabaugh Canyon fire July 7, South Dakota Wing members made frequent fire observation flights in the early stages of the fire under the organization's memorandum of understanding with the state until the size of the blaze prompted the U.S. Forest Service agencies to bring in its own aircraft.

The wing essentially acted as an Air Attack platform for state fire officials to direct the aerial attack on the fire, using helicopters and single-engine air tankers, said Col. Mike Beason, wing commander.

"The state appreciates the availability of CAP," Beason said. "They had us on immediate alert status since July 1st so they could get airborne rapidly when a fire would break out."

The South Dakota Wing has made over two dozen flights since early May, logging many hours in the fire-detection role.

"Primarily, the state has had us fly fire-spotting sorties," Beason said, "especially after lightning storms, but also during the Fourth of July fireworks season."

Good Job SDWG! I have been working with the NJ State Park Service this summer between semesters, and know a person who was fighting the wildfire in Wharton State Forest. The NJSPS has it's own aircraft that fight fires, but I would imagine that many of these state agencies could use cheap spotting aircraft. Seems like a natural role for CAP.

Although CAP could probably not participate in actual bombings. That takes a lot of specialized equipment and training for the pilots and aircrews. Besides, as pointed out in this thread, CA would never allow it to happen. However here in Dirty Jersey and some of these other smaller states might be able to use CAP as a fire-prevention resources.

NIMS Training, Sir! Part 2

I blogged about a month ago about the new requirement for ES personnel: the NIMS courses. I was kind of confused when CAPTalk didn't explode with talk on the new requirement, and I was also taken aback when Blog god Midway Six said nothing on CAPBlog. Since work has prevented me from participating in CAP for the past month, and I didn't have the full e-mail, I was curious as to what was going on. Last night I was able to clear it up a little.

From my DOS:

Every member with an ES Specialty rating will have to go online and complete ICS 100 &700. Depending on your specialty rating, you will be required to complete certain [other] courses... At this time this is not a requirement and is subject to change. I can tell you it is currently under review at National."

I will be putting together a spreadsheet with all the courses required. Although the original E-mail I have is fine, for those of us who didn't get the original e-mail, it will provide a guide for what has to be done. I will try to upload the spreadsheet later today or tomorrow.

Please be aware that I take this change to be tentative pending national approval. However, I hope that it is approved at the national level.

Expertise, Responsibility, Corporateness

There is much fear within the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Community about the reduced number of missions, compounded with increasing UAV's, Airborne Sherrifs and fewer crashes. Many have cited Technology as the cause of our loss of mission effectiveness in many of these areas, and the supreme reason that CAP is not receiving new missions on the National Level.

However, although Technology has played a part in turning the current CAP into something obsolete, it is not the overriding reason. Rather, it is the standards of professionalism that hold the modern Civil Air Patrol back.

In his book "The Soldier and the State", Samuel Huntington defines 'professionalism' as dependent on three characteristics: expertise, responsibility and corporateness. He says "The Professional man is an expert with specialized skill and experience" that he can use to achieve his aim. Doctors and Lawyers are the examples he uses to describe the professional man. Both are specifically trained in a specific area, and use the knowledge they learned in school, and that special knowledge acquired over time, to make decisions.

"Responsibility" Hutington says constitutes the use of the skill in a way to benefit society. "A research chemist" he says "is still a research chemist if he uses his skills in a manner harmful to society". However, using the methods in a way to benefit society does make one professional.

"Corporateness" is a way "the members of a profession share a sense of organic unity and consciousness of themselves as a group apart from laymen". In this way, the professional armed forces share a collective sense of self. Broken down further, each branch of service shares a personal identity with other members of the same service. This sense of belonging and teamwork further influence each other to uphold certain standards.

If one applies the above three to the modern CAP, it is discovered that the CAP does not have a high sense of professionalism. Although those who participate in Emergency Services are trained in the vocation, the training is simplified and basic. The Civil Air Patrol is behind many of the other Emergency Services organizations by not requiring any of the NIMS courses for it's members. Huntington says of the expertise of the professional "His expertise is acquired only by prolonged education and experience". Although Civil Air Patrol's training is good, it should continue beyond the initial phase of training, which many members do not progress beyond. The level 1 training for new members is incomplete, and the practice of making one an officer after 6 months probation does not help matters. Rather, there should be stricter requirements to become an officer, and a fuller initial training curriculum.

Responsibility is where CAP scores the highest. Emergency Services have been a cornerstone of the Civil Air Patrol since it's inception. The use of technology and skills to save lives is beneficial to society, and thus qualifies as a part of professionalization. Where the CAP looses points, however, is allowing member use of corporate property for their own gain. Although it is not detrimental to offer members the use of the airplane for currency, the same idea becomes dangerous when there is a sect that only uses the aircraft for currency. Sadly, this is a large sect within the greater Civil Air Patrol.

Additionally, this sect has deeply effected the corporateness of the organization. There are almost two Civil Air Patrols: the one whose members are dedicated to saving lives, and the one whose members are in it for their own personal gain. This schism does not give members the camaraderie needed to create "sense of organic unity and consciousness" to move CAP forward. In many ways, 'corporateness' is where CAP fails the most, and it is because of this schism.

There are many ways to solve this problem. Perhaps greater restrictions on who can and cannot use corporate property are needed to increase the corporateness of CAP, and create a greater sense of unity. Additional training of the membership would also increase the member's expertise and rate the organization as a whole higher on the professional chart.

These problems are solvable, but they go largely ignored. Although solving them will make many in the membership disappear, it will increase our mission-readiness in the personnel area. Greater standards will also attract a different sort of member: one who is willing to learn and move forward with professional training. It will also attract those in the Emergency Services field to a greater degree, and thus further increase CAP's expertise in the area. However, if these problems are not solved, the CAP will become trapped in the past, and lose all of it's Emergency Services missions.

References:
Hutington, Samuel P "The Soldier and the State: the Theory and Politics of Civil-Military Relations" Harvard University Press; Caimbridge, MA. 1957

Kodiak: Parte Deux

A week or so ago I blogged on the Quest Aircraft Kodiak and it's potential uses in CAP. After looking into it a little more, it looks more an more suited to CAP's role. According to the video "Corporate Intro" (Available here, along with pictures of the aircraft) the Kodiak was designed for operations "in the bush". Unlike the Caravan, Otter and C-172/182, which although rugged and durable, were not designed for back-country ops specifically.

In addition, the video says the aircraft was designed for slow speed and STOL. Given the fact that our searches take place at slow airspeeds low to the ground, the aircraft feels ideal for that situation. The aircraft was also designed for a quick recovery from stalls, with a lot of power. The discontinuous leading edge prevents the stall from moving further down the wing as the angle of attack increases. Secondly, it gives the aircraft better aileron control, especially at slow airspeeds.

However, let's also consider the fuel cost. Our GA-8 Airvans burn fuel at 14 Gal/hour at 118 kts (according to their Spec's page online). This is the killer, because the Kodiak requires 47 gal/hr to operate at 185 kts. What it is at 118 kts is unclear at this point. This would kill the deal, but since it is unclear, I will not rule out the aircraft yet.

And, as the video says, the purpose of the aircraft was to "build an aircraft that would cater to the humanitarian market...moving goods and services into [the country] to aide people". Isn't that what we do?

(all images are copyright Quest Aircraft, no infringement is intended)

New Plane: The Kodiak

I was sitting at my airport today taking a break from studying for the Private Pilot Practical, when I picked up the most recent edition of Flying Magazine. I flipped it open to find the Quest Aircraft Kodiak. Intrigued, I looked into it further, thinking of it's utilization in CAP.

Far sleeker and (dare I say it) sexier than any of our current aircraft, the Kodiak seems like a natural fit in our Search and Rescue missions. According to Flying, it was designed with STOL capability, and can fly for 5.8 hours without refuling. It does, however, burn fuel much faster than our Cessnas, but not more than our Airvans.

The aircraft itself is still awaiting certification from the FAA. With the possibility of new missions along the border, a rugged, larger aircraft might be on the list. If I were National Headquarters I would look into this aircraft further. (Now to figure out a way to bring in my beloved PC-12.)

Red Gear for Ground Teams

For those of us working on some Ground Team Rating (be it GTM-3, 2, 1 or GTL), some states require us to have Red gear as opposed to the more ubiquitous cammo. Disregarding the recommendations in the GT Manual, which calls for orange or red, without a doubt the most common form of Ground Team gear is Standard Military Issue. The reason, it's cheap and available. And for the most part, one can get away with it. Except for those of us in a Wing where that's the only thing allowed, and enforced by all.

But for those of us who are new, and can't get away with the excuse "But I've had this set forever", we need to find some red gear. So where is one to get this stuff? Wal-Mart? (yes, but how professional does that look?) That is exactly the conversation that happened at CAPTalk today. And so, as is their way, the post-ers came to save the day. Many sites were posted, and the one I liked the best was this one at right. Less than $60, and resembling the Web Gear I already have, This looks like the best bet. I'm ordering mine as soon as my next paycheck and let you all know

found here

Next of Kin

About a week ago I went home and toured the local Rescue Squad. I went for two reasons: First was to observe their apparatus and see how CAP could do something similar with our new FEMA donated Trailers. The other was more personal. My college offers an EMT-B Certification Course which I am enrolled in, so I was interested in volunteering for them this summer. When I made my CAP affiliation known, they looked thrilled to have someone with some ES Training and experience already. As I listened to the tour guide (a friend of my brother's) I was reminded of CAP in many ways. (I should say that I was not there in any official CAP capacity)

Since then, in between school work, I have often thought about who the Civil Air Patrol can relate the most to. Most tend to identify us with the greater Military establishment, which is natural given our association with the Air Force. Yet, as I examine our missions, and the restrictions and privileges we're endowed, the nearest branch of the service that relates to us is the Coast Guard. We both perform Search and Rescue, Disaster Relief and Homeland Security. However, the Coast Guard also has a Law Enforcement mission, and the authorization to use deadly force in certain situations. CAP members can't even have BB Guns while on duty.

Rather, I found a more common kinship with the Rescue Squad than with the military. There I found dedicated volunteers, men and women with families and jobs that went outside their lives as EMTs, Paramedics and Rescuemen. Like the members of a CAP Squadron, they had other things to do with their time, yet gave 12-hour shifts to saving lives.

The similarities didn't end there either. Although my tour was given by a high schooler who probably didn't have a problem finding a date to the prom, people were there from all walks of life. Some were overweight, others were a little awkward. Some were older, some younger. Men and Women alike were members (although predominately male). The group could easily have been transplanted from their EMT uniforms to Flightsuits and BDUs, with nothing additional, and look and behave like a CAP Squadron. Furthermore, the way we're deployed is similar. They go out at a moments notice responding to a car crash or some other emergency. We do the same, having a response time of less than 2 hours from notification to mission-ready, responding to plane crashes and ELT signals. Not even the National Guard works this way, needing to Stage prior to deployment.

Even on the funding side, the Squad felt like a CAP Squadron. Most of their money came from private donations, however some of it did come from the county. Similar to CAP, Squadrons rely mostly on fundraising and what little they get from the Wings and National.

There are differences, of course. The CAP is nationally organized, with a clear command structure, ranks, rates and appointed positions. The Rescue Squad resembled a militia from the late 1700's, with elected officers and leaders, with local organization. However, there seem to be more similarities between the two than differences.

Finally, let's not forget there is a similar mission: Saving Lives. They do it on the ground and on highways, we do so in the air and the wilderness. Overall, I felt more at home visiting the Rescue Squad as a member of CAP than the Military Bases that I have been to in a similar capacity. There I get funny looks, here I felt like part of the overall team that is Emergency Services. Being what CAP is, I felt this kinship, at least on the local level, should be fostered and maintained.

(I would like to say "Thank You" to the men and women of the Clinton Rescue Squad, Hunterdon County, NJ.)

RescueWiki

Going through some of my favorites today, I came across an oldie, but a goodie. Since CAP lacks any sort of Wikipedia for itself, I remember following the RescueWiki since it's beginning. I wrote the initial page on Air Search, but really didn't do much after. Visiting the site again today after a long absense, it's apparently closed down. However, since we can still update, it might not be too late to save it

Please visit http://www.rescuewiki.com and do some kind of editing.

Thank you

UPDATE: Closed...nevermind

Stuff to Read

How Many of you knew about the National Response Plan (NRP)?

Furthermore, how many of you knew about "Civil Air Patrol Support for the President's Homeland Security Strategy" (CAPSftPHSS)?

That's what I thought...

NRP: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/NRP_FullText.pdf

CAPSftPHSS: https://ntc.cap.af.mil/ops/hls/HLS_National_Strategy.pdf

Homeland Security Newsletter

Having a few minutes between researching China's Military and reading Shakespeare's All's Well that Ends Well, I logged onto e-services and decided to check out the Homeland Security Newsletter. It can be located at the left side of the screen and is available to anybody in CAP to read. The fall, 2006 issue is about seven pages and a quick read. I'm not going to post anything about it here, but if you are a CAP member, please take a minute to read it. You'll learn something.