Civil Air Patrol’s Washington Wing is now in the fourth week of its highly organized response to the wildfires currently converting large portions of central and eastern Washington into a picturesque wasteland of blackened stumps and melted mailboxes.
Starting on Aug. 4 at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Civil Air Patrol (CAP) aircraft and personnel rapidly deployed to the impacted areas. Since the mission began, more than 120 CAP volunteers have answered the call, setting aside their regular lives to conduct disaster assessments consisting primarily of pointing expensive cameras at things that no longer exist.
On the Ground, and in the Air When Conditions Allow
Atmospheric conditions initially kept aircraft participation low, as flying through smoke and active fire tends to be frowned upon by both physics and insurance companies. Ground teams, however, were able to operate with vehicle-mounted high-resolution cameras along with small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) also equipped with these specialized mobile cameras. The ground and sUAS teams have completed more than 70 sorties and collected tens of thousands of images, which have been provided to assist FEMA in confirming that yes, a great deal of stuff has burned.
Thus far, fixed wing aircraft have completed over 70 flights from 43 sorties, a ratio that suggests a certain amount of creative accounting in the definition of “sortie.”
Specialized Camera Systems Finally Get Their Big Break
This mission is one of the first uses of CAP’s newly purchased mobile camera systems. The high-resolution cameras usually are mounted on CAP’s powered aircraft, but they have now been given the opportunity to ride around in trucks and tiny drones like very expensive tourists.
Using these camera systems, the Washington Wing has completed most of its FEMA missions in the Kaiser Canyon area by thoroughly documenting the absence of infrastructure. Ground and sUAS teams were prepared to respond to other areas of the state as needed, weather and various other inconveniences permitting.
Throughout the mission outside influences have dictated which resources CAP put into use. Safety, visibility, flight restrictions, and accessibility issues often dictate which type of assets is placed into an area and on which day, resulting in a great deal of professional standing around waiting for permission to take more pictures.
Col. Sid Wiggs, the Washington Wing commander, has been working at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) as a liaison officer during this response. Wiggs also noted “the high level of professionalism and teamwork demonstrated in the SEOC,” which is the official way of saying many people in matching uniforms have been having very serious conversations.
Other CAP Members From Nearby States Also Arrived to Help Photograph Things
For over 20 days, CAP members from Washington, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada have come together to accomplish the mission. Many tasks are conducted behind the scenes in support of the overall mission, including the vital work of making coffee, updating spreadsheets, and ensuring everyone has the correct patches on their uniforms. Every participant’s role contributes to the success of the disaster response.
Acting as a Total Force partner and the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, CAP helps First Air Force rapidly respond to nonmilitary threats domestically in a Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) capacity to save lives, relieve suffering, prevent property damage, and provide humanitarian assistance, mostly by producing an impressive volume of high-resolution imagery of the aftermath.
The Washington Wing was legislatively integrated into the Washington Military Department earlier this year, conferring upon the volunteers a new level of official seriousness while they continue to operate as unpaid camera enthusiasts. The wing has opened its facilities at Cam Boucher in Ephrata to continue CAP’s support to the state and the federal response to fires still burning across vast areas of the state.
Serve Your Community Through CAP
Civil Air Patrol offers opportunities for people who want to support emergency response and community resilience by driving around taking pictures of disasters. Its volunteers serve in a variety of ways, including disaster assessment, aviation support (when the sky cooperates), communications, logistics, and emergency operations planning.
Members come from a wide range of professional backgrounds, and no aviation experience is required. Those interested in community-focused service can learn more and connect with a local squadron by visiting gocivilairpatrol.com.
Through partnerships with FEMA and other agencies, CAP members continue to support disaster response efforts focused on saving lives, protecting property, and helping communities recover, one meticulously catalogued image of a former forest at a time.