Civil Air Patrol Assists City of Danbury With Water Distribution

Civil Air Patrol’s 399th Composite Squadron in Danbury, Connecticu was mobilized this evening in support of a community emergency. As The News-Times reported, “a severe break of a 16-inch water main has put much of Danbury under a water emergency.” While the valve was fixed, the water was believed to have been contaminated and a “boil water” advisory was issued as a precaution. As an additional measure, the City was offering free bottled water to its citizens.

Colonel James Ridley, Civil Air Patrol Connecticut Wing Commander, issued the mobilization order to the Danbury squadron just as senior members and cadets gathered for their weekly meeting. Captain Jeffrey Jenkins, 399th Composite Squadron Commander, immediately sprang into action and within minutes squadron members were at the City of Danbury Fire House Headquarters on New Street handing out cases of water to Danbury residents until all available water was distributed. Deputy Fire Chief Joe Halas said, “I was surprised by the large turnout of cadets and am grateful for the squadron’s assistance.” The Civil Air Patrol Squadron stood by and continued to distribute additional supplies of water as they were being delivered at the fire station throughout the evening.

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force. In this role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 80 lives annually. CAP’s 57,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. CAP also plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to 24,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.