SALEM, Ore. (Sep. 23, 2020) – Civil Air Patrol crews gathered more than 100 photos Tuesday of key infrastructure in Oregon wildfire zones to help determine damage caused by the worst fires in the state in decades.
This was CAP’s sixth day of missions in the wildfire zones. Some planned trips for CAP crews were canceled because other aircraft were in the areas helping fight the wildfires.
More flights are planned for the near future as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Oregon Emergency Management (OEM) requests have come in for CAP’s high-resolution photography. That depends on weather, as CAP aerial photography depends on good visibility. Low clouds and smoke inhibit that. Weather forecasts also show the possibility of rain.
CAP has flown 30 sorties so far in response to the wildfires. More than 20 CAP volunteers have worked organizing, flying and recording activities. In addition, CAP has highly trained emergency services personnel imbedded with the OEM in Salem, responding to requests for air support and advising on other interagency cooperation.
Acting as a Total Force partner and the U.S. Air Force auxiliary, CAP is aligned with First Air Force to rapidly respond to nonmilitary threats domestically when tasked in a Defense Support of Civil Authorities capacity to save lives, relieve suffering, prevent property damage and provide humanitarian assistance.
At last count, CAP’s Oregon Wing has 290 adult volunteers who train vigorously to FEMA standards each year to be ready to help in emergencies like the unprecedented onslaught of wildfires that have burned more than 1 million acres this year and thousands of structures and displaced huge numbers of Oregonians. The wing also has 247 young cadet members, who train in leadership, character development, physical fitness and citizenship. Many also train in emergency services to ground search and rescue and detecting emergency signals emitted by aircraft in distress.
About Civil Air Patrol
Established in 1941, Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a member of its Total Force. In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine Cessna aircraft and 1,944 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and performs about 90% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.
As a nonprofit organization, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace education using national academic standards-based STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. Members also serve as mentors to nearly 25,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. One of the premier public service organizations in America, CAP benefits the nation with an estimated economic impact of $209 million annually.
Often using innovative cellphone forensics and radar analysis software, CAP was credited by the AFRCC with saving 129 lives so far in fiscal 2020. CAP’s 60,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies.
Visit www.orwg.cap.gov, www.CAP.News or www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.