The Oregon Wing of Civil Air Patrol is responding to a SIMULATED 6.5 earthquake, and resulting tsunami, that would have impacted the Southern Oregon Coast as part of a state-wide training exercise this weekend.

The quake, in this hypothetical exercise, was centered along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, would have caused significant damage to the Southern coastal area south of Eugene. Potential damage could include bridge structure failures, disrupted roads and highways, broken equipment at electric power substations and building collapses.

Weather could impact the number of flights made, as visibility is limited with rain and low clouds. Numerous CAP personnel are expected to participate in this training exercise at CAP's incident command center located at the Aurora State Airport and at staging areas at the Medford and Redmond airports.

As part of the exercise, both CAP youth and adult members are training in mission base, flight and field response operations. Cadets, aged 12-18, are providing mission base support, aircraft support operations as well as participating in ground response activities. "Our cadet members are an important resource during these training exercises and could be great helpers in real-world search and rescue or disaster relief operations" said public information officer Lt Col Scott Maguire.

Seven specially equipped Oregon CAP Cessna C-182 aircraft will be flying numerous flights. CAP flights can include visual inspection of roads, bridges, dams and electric transmission facilities. Air crews can do high-resolution photography of those sorts of public infrastructure and send them directly to the state Emergency Operations Center in Salem. CAP can also transport state officials, federal disaster damage evaluators, emergency responders from other agencies such as the American Red Cross as well as transporting medical equipment and supplies.
CAP training also prepares cadets and adults to locate aircraft using direction finding equipment and respond using a fleet of vans and SUVs to support air searches.

"In the event of a real world disaster, be it natural or man-made, the CAP is trained, equipped and ready to respond in support of state relief operations as part of a team with other private, public and military disaster response participants," said Maguire. CAP volunteers train and qualify to FEMA standards and can blend into the Emergency Services structure with other agencies.

As the auxiliary of the United States Air Force, the CAP is tasked by the USAF with 95% of all air search and rescue missions in the continental United States. The CAP is credited with saving an average of 91 lives each year on such missions. CAP has also played an important role during response to disastrous hurricanes along the Gulf and East Coasts in the past few years.

CAP was founded in 1941 one week prior to the United States joining World War II. CAP aircraft patrolled U.S. coasts and performed other functions to assist the war efforts. Today is has three missions: Emergency Services - assisting local, state and federal agencies; Cadet Programs -- developing tomorrow's leaders; and Aerospace Education -- encouraging flying and general aviation.

For more information on the Civil Air Patrol, please visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com