Emergency Services
Lt Col Michael Carlson, Director of Emergency Services - es@wywg.cap.gov
Always prepared, both in the air and on the ground, members of Civil Air Patrol perform emergency services for state and local agencies as well as the Federal Government as the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and for states/local communities as a nonprofit organization. Ever vigilant, these true patriots make a difference in their communities, not only assisting in times of disaster but also searching for the lost and protecting the homeland.
Search and Rescue
Perhaps best known for its search-and-rescue efforts, CAP flies more than 85 percent of all federal inland search-and-rescue (of missing person and aircraft) missions directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fl. Outside the continental United States, CAP supports the Joint Rescue Coordination Centers in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Just how effective are the CAP missions? Best known, in recent years, has been the successful nation-wide employment of "Cell Phone" forensic technologies by CAP Cell Phone analysis teams. During the wide-area search operations conducted following Hurricane Ian in Florida, CAP was credited with a life saved employing Small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS)/drone technologies. Over 100 lives are saved each year by CAP members through the employment of these evolving technologies..
Disaster Relief
Another important service CAP performs is disaster-relief operations. CAP provides airborne imagery/photography, air and ground transportation, Global Positioning System (GPS) damage assessment analysis, sUAS)/drone support, and extensive communications networks (including VHF/UHF and HF fixed and mobile systems). Volunteer members fly disaster-relief officials to remote locations and provide manpower and leadership to local, state and national disaster-relief organizations. CAP has formal agreements with many government and humanitarian relief agencies including the Department of Defense, American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Coast Guard. In the last few years CAP has been involved in the response to multiple hurricanes/tropical storms, wildland fires, tornado outbreaks, floods, volcano erruptions, tsunamis, earthquakes, and winter storms. Notable dozens of missions conducted in support of the national response to the COVID-19 crisis. These included countless vaccinations, test kits, COVID specimen samples, blood, and medical personnel transports, feeding center and meal servings/transports, and major blood drives. Noteworthy was the mobilization of CAP's nation-wide Operation Pulse Lift blood program, which has surpassed all expectations with over 300 Blood Donor Center events in three years at 39 sites, in 15 states across the nation; along with 370 blood transport missions; potentially (according to the American Red Cross) saving over 60,000 lives! This also included direct manpower support to the Department of Defense's - Armed Services Blood Program, which supported the blood drawn to support U.S. casualties transported to Europe and the U.S. from the August 2021 Kabul Airport suicide bombing. Other emergency 'No-Notice" drives, and individual CAP donations, supported the blood needed for the injured generated by the December 2021 Quad State Tornado Outbreak, as well as in Florida following 2022 Hurricane Ian. Most recently, the Wyoming Wing of CAP supported major flooding in Montana, ultimately credited with saving 88 lives.
Emergency Services Training Classes (*)
Radio Operator (RADO) 20-21 May 2023 - U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Critical Infrastructure Agency (DHS/CISA) Radio Operator Course. Prerequisites: GES, IS 100, 200,700, 800 and member must be a Mission Radio Operator trainee. Location - Cheyenne, WY. Contact rditch@cap.gov to enroll.
Intermediate Incident Command System (ICS) 300. 16-18 & 23-24 May 2023. Prerequisites: GES, IS 100, 200, 700, 800 (Most Current Classes). Location - Virtual Class. Contact Col Carol Lynn at clynn@cap.gov to enroll.
K2300 Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Basic Fundamentals. 22-24 Sep 2023. Prerequisites: GES, IS 100, 200, 700, 800 (Most Current Classes). Location - Virtual Class. Contact Col Carol Lynn at clynn@cap.gov to enroll
Advanced Incident Command System (ICS) 400 - Nov (18-19) 2023. Prerequisites: GES, IS 100, 200, 700, 800 (Most Current Classes). Location - Virtual Class. Contact Col Carol Lynn at clynn@cap.gov to enroll
