Emergency Services
Duties of the Director of Emergency Services:
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CAP's emergency services program includes air and ground search and rescue, disaster relief, civil defense, as well as cooperation with and assistance to other emergency services agencies. It's primary mission is to save lives and relieve human suffering.
Search and Rescue (SAR)
Coordination of Civil Air Patrol SAR missions is performed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) located at Langley AFB, Virginia. CAP personnel are trained to accomplish this mission with speed and efficiency without compromising the safety of the members themselves. A SAR mission is always a serious and critical task that requires good organization, procedures, and safety. SAR missions include several activities that CAP personnel can be trained for which include Mission Coordination, Administration, Communications, Air Operations, and Ground Operations.
Disaster Relief (DR)
Civil Air Patrol has agreements with several disaster relief agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the American Red Cross, and the Salvation Army. DR activities are coordinated by the US Army. CAP DR missions may include courier and light cargo transport, manual labor for debris removal, air and ground transport for cargo and non-CAP key personnel, and mercy missions such as blood, organ, and patient transport.
Homeland Security
CAP has no law enforcement authority; it only provides "eyes." There is a national level agreement between CAP and the US Customs Service that allows CAP to fly surveillance missions to assist customs agents in the control of drug traffic. It may also support various Department of Defense activities in a non-combatant role in missions such as airborne control of surface vehicle traffic, courier service and light cargo transport, communications relay, airborne visual and photographic damage assessment, military low level training route safety surveys, and radar installation flight tests and controller training.