Tsunami preparedness part of Civil Air Patrol training

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MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFPN) --  The idea of tsunami preparedness is nothing new for Civil Air Patrol members in Hawaii.

In the aftermath of the recent tsunamis in South Asia, CAP's Hawaii Wing has scheduled additional exercises to supplement its usual tsunami preparedness training, officials said.

"Our wing works extensively with the Hawaii Civil Defense to provide early warning and damage assessment," said CAP Lt. Col. Anthony R. Schena, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii. "Early warning is the best defense against loss of life."

CAP maintains aircraft on each of the Hawaiian islands, and can fly predetermined routes with sirens and power amplifiers to transmit warnings in the event of an impending disaster. They can also deliver medical supplies, move emergency response officials and assist in radio communications.

Hawaii CAP members also receive training from local meteorologists and members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These computer-based "table-top" exercises require that CAP members respond to a variety of simulated disaster scenarios, testing their response time and effectiveness.

Residents of Hawaii know all too well that a tsunami can strike close to home, officials said. In 1946, a tsunami that originated from an earthquake in the Aleutian Islands struck without warning, killing more than 100 people. Hawaii was struck again in 1960 by a tsunami that traveled hundreds of miles from the coast of Chile.

Since then, Hawaiian officials have established various agencies, including CAP, in a Civil Defense team that includes law enforcement and emergency responders, the American Red Cross and many of the islands' hotels.

Colonel Schena says Hawaii is not the only state vulnerable to tsunamis. The U.S. West Coast lies along the Pacific Basin, a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. When such geographic disturbances occur in the ocean, they can displace massive amounts of water capable of moving at more than 500 mph before reaching the shore.

CAP's Alaska Wing also maintains a disaster response training program that can be used in the event of a tsunami.

"We need only watch the news each night to see the devastating effects of this recent tsunami," said Maj. Gen. Dwight Wheless, CAP's national commander. "The toll this disaster has taken on so many innocent people just reinforces the importance of strengthening our warning and emergency response systems in vulnerable areas here at home.

"Our members know the dangers firsthand, because they serve in CAP units right in their own communities. The training your neighbor receives as a member of CAP may help save your life in the event of a major disaster. CAP is volunteer work that matters."

CAP, the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with almost 60,000 members nationwide.