Civil Air Patrol’s Northeast Region Assists in Hurricane Disaster Relief Efforts

Photo by Civil Air Patrol

SELDEN, N.Y., September 25, 2017 – Ongoing efforts to assist victims of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico are steadily progressing, with additional support offered by Civil Air Patrol’s Northeast Region. Puerto Rico, a territory serviced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Region I and Civil Air Patrol’s Southeast Region, suffered coastal flooding and blackouts that affected the entire island.

“At this time, we are communicating with C.A.P.’s Southeast Region staff to facilitate approvals through FEMA for disaster relief,” stated C.A.P. Northeast Region commander, Col. Jack Ozer. “Considering the distance, we are just watching and assisting where we can. No additional aircraft or resources will be dispatched.” The Northeast Region is comprised of the New England area, New York and New Jersey; the latter two states are also under the jurisdiction of FEMA Region I.

Common purpose of mission between FEMA and C.A.P. makes for unfettered cooperation between the two organizations. Additionally, Civil Air Patrol’s emergency services mission training is directly influenced by FEMA’s operations framework and course curricula.

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, C.A.P. 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.

C.A.P.’s 57,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. C.A.P. also plays a leading role in aerospace/S.T.E.M. education, and its members serve as mentors to 24,000 young people participating in C.A.P.’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.