BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE COMPOSITE SQUADRON
Civil Air Patrol Maryland Wing
Emergency Services- Training Opportunities
Cadets and Senior Members have the opportunity to receive training in a variety of Emergency Services capacities including Ground Team, Mission Aircrew, Mission Support Staff, etc.
Our Ground Search and Rescue Team has participated in a number of high profile missions throughout its history. Its most recent find was deactivation of an ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) at Montgomery Airpark July 2015. Now, in conjunction with training opportunities received outside of the Squadron, our Emergency Services Personnel are trained and ready to respond to various types of missions in support of local, state and national emergency services efforts.
Regular training takes places monthly at the squadron meeting and on weekends in order to maintain mission readiness and task proficiency.
Training Opportunities
Squadron Level: Emergency Services (ES) Training is offered at our squadron meetings every second Thursday of each month during second half. Additionally, members can receive ES training during our biannual Triple-Play Weekends which are weekend long squadron campouts with activities encompassing each of CAP's 3 missions to include ES. ES training weekends are also held to provide members with the opportunity to practice their skills in the field during practical exercises/scenarios.
Wing Level: Maryland Wing regularly hosts Search and Rescue Exercises (SAREXs) during which members can receive ES training and/or refresh their training. During a SAREX, ground teams receive "taskings" for simulated scenarios such as a missing person, missing aircraft, or disaster relief, and are expected to respond just as they would if it were a real world situation.
Maryland Wing Pathfinder Academy each month allowing members to receive the neccesary training and practical exercises required to earn their ratings. This training academy falls under the Maryland Pathfinder Program. Learn more about the Pathfinder Program at http://mdwg.cap.gov/index.php/a3-operations/mdgroundops-about/
Maryland Wing Pathfinder School is a week-long activity held each summer which provides cadets and senior members the classroom, hand-on training, and practical exercises to further their emergency services knowledge.
Region Level: Annually, the Mid-Atlantic Region hosts the Mid-Atlantic Region Search and Rescue (MAR SAR) College at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Typically held in Spring, MAR SAR College is an intensive weekend long event featuring a wide variety of courses that members can choose from to include: Ground Team Basic Course (GTM 3), Ground Team Advanced Course (GTM 2), Ground Team Leader Course (GTL), Incident Commander Course, Mission Scanner Trainee/Advanced Courses, Mission Observer Trainee/Advanced Courses, Mission Pilot Trainee/Advanced Courses, Aerial Photography Course, Flight Line Marshaller Course. Over the course of the weekend, members receive all the training they need to receive a qualification in the course they attend.
National Level: There are number of National Cadet Special Activities (NCSAs) which focus on Emergency Services- National Emergency Services Academy (NESA), Hawk Mountain Search and Rescue School, and Lonestar Emergency Services Academy South. Information about each is below.
▲ National Emergency Services Academy (NESA): National Emergency Services Academy takes place at Camp Atterbury, Indiana during the summer. Minimum age to attend is 13. Founded in 1996, NESA has 3 schools- Ground Search and Rescue School, Mission Aircrew School, and Incident Command System School- each of which offer a number of courses. Visit their website to learn more: http://nesa.cap.gov/ .
▲ Hawk Mountain Search and Rescue School: This activity takes place in Kempton, Pennsylvania during the summer. The curriculum includes but is not limited to: navigation, search techniques & equipment, communication skills, woodsmanship, campsite selection and equipment, first aid, patient evacuation, specialized equipment, health & nutrition, and survival skills. Visit their website to learn more: http://www.capranger.org/.