Civil Air Patrol moving planes, people to prepare for Frances

  • Published
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFPN) --  Civil Air Patrol officials are mobilizing their aircraft and people before Hurricane Frances arrives. The hurricane is expected to hit the Florida coast Sept. 4.

CAP is moving aircraft equipped with satellite-transmitted digital imaging systems to “safe-haven” locations as close as possible to the hurricane’s expected path. Air patrol members will use the imaging systems to capture and transmit aerial photos of affected sites.

“CAP’s aerial imagery proved to be valuable in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley,” said Maj. Gen. Dwight Wheless, CAP national commander. “Florida’s emergency operations agencies want to have this resource available again.”

Using the system, CAP people can capture aerial images with a digital camera, and quickly transmit the images via e-mail and a satellite phone. The transmission can occur in near real time, allowing emergency operations centers to better plan assistance for disaster victims and assess property damage.

CAP officials will have people from the Florida wing on site at the Florida State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee and expects to activate more than 100 members to work on aerial and ground missions during the coming weeks.

Air patrol members, all of whom are volunteers, will be available to transport officials and health-care supplies to support emergency-response agencies.

According to CAP Southeast Region Commander Col. Matt Sharkey, CAP ground teams also are likely to be deployed to find emergency locator transmitters that may be activated on aircraft in hangars or docked boats that sustain damage in the storm.

“During Charley, more than 700 of these transmitters were activated on boats and planes that were damaged by the storm,” Colonel Sharkey said. “It was important to locate and deactivate these transmitters so emergency officials could differentiate genuine distress signals.”

CAP officials will coordinate the transfer of aircraft, vehicles and personnel for hurricane missions through its National Operations Center here. As the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, CAP will operate under the direction of the Air Force National Security Emergency Preparedness Office, U.S. Northern Command and 1st Air Force.

“CAP can provide (digital imagery) services at a relatively low cost to emergency agencies,” General Wheless said. “One reason is that our members are all volunteers who contribute their own time and resources to train and stand ready for such operations. Our people sacrifice time at home and work to perform these missions, often traveling considerable distances to be available when needed.”

Also on standby for assistance to hurricane victims is the CAP chaplain service, which includes members trained in critical-incident stress management.

“CAP chaplains will be available to guide hurricane victims to sources of emotional and physical support,” said Col. Charles Sharp, chief of the CAP chaplain service. “This is a particularly difficult situation for those who are still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Charley. We want people to know they have places to turn for help.”

Civil Air Patrol is a nonprofit organization with almost 62,000 members nationwide. Members perform 95 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by Air Force Rescue Coordination Center officials. They also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies.