Opportunities
ES Training
UDF Training
Urban Direction Finding (UDF) teams use direction-finding equipment and a vehicle to locate emergency locator transmitters (ELTs). Accidental ELT activations are among CAP’s most common missions, making them valuable training opportunities.
Prerequisites & Study Materials
- Ground & Urban DF Team Task Guides
- Electronic Direction Finding Slides
- CAPR 60-3 — Emergency Services Training and Operations
General ES Requirements
Complete the required online tests through CAP eLearning, including tests 116 and 117 (Part 1).
- CAPT 117: Complete Part 1, selecting the Ground and Urban Direction Finding Team exam. See the CAPT 117 training materials .
- FEMA IS-100.c: Complete the Introduction to the Incident Command System .
- FEMA IS-700.a: Complete National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction .
For each FEMA course, record completion in eServices under Operations → Operations Qualifications → Entry/View Worksheet. Enter your CAPID, select OPS-Emergency Services, choose IS100 or IS700, enter the completion date, and submit. Then upload the certificate under Operations → Operations Qualifications → 101 Card → View/Upload Documents → Emergency Services. Send the certificate to Col. Hoza, Emergency Services Officer, for validation and provide a copy to Maj. Cochran, Squadron Personnel Officer.
You may not act as a UDF trainee until all prerequisites and Familiarization and Preparatory tasks are complete and the Commander has approved the required SQTR tasks.
- Enter completed prerequisite and familiarization tasks in the UDF SQTR in eServices, including your CAPID and completion date (mission number is optional).
- Print an updated CAPF 101 showing your trainee UDF rating (*UDF).
- Complete at least two sorties during an exercise or actual mission. Ask the UDF/Ground Team Leader to sign off demonstrated advanced tasks.
- Enter the remaining completed tasks in eServices and notify Col. Hoza for validation. Keep a copy of your records.
- After Squadron and Group ES Officer approval, print your updated CAPF 101 showing your qualified UDF rating.
Communications
Overview
CAP communications provides reliable point-to-point, air-to-ground, and ground-mobile radio support for internal and external mission needs. It helps commanders coordinate units and supports nearly every CAP program.
- Emergency Services: Tactical and administrative support.
- Cadet Programs: Tactical and administrative support.
- Aerospace Education: Primarily administrative support, with tactical support for events.
Explore CAP Radio Communications
Training & Qualifications
Complete Introductory Communications User Training (ICUT) before operating a CAP radio unsupervised. Additional qualifications include:
- Mission Radio Operator (MRO): Open to cadets and senior members.
- Communications Unit Leader (CUL): Advanced communications leadership qualification.
For further information, visit Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters or contact the Communications Directorate.
Communications & Operations References
- CAPR 35-6 — Operations Ratings, Awards, and Badges
- CAPR 60-3 — Emergency Services Training and Operations
- CAPR 100-1 — Radio Communications Management
- CAPR 100-3 — Radiotelephone Operations
- CAPF 105
- CAPF 110
Operations Safety
IMSAFE Checklist
Before participating in an operation, check that you are fit for duty:
- I — Illness: Have I been sick recently or do I have symptoms?
- M — Medication: Have I taken prescription or over-the-counter medication?
- S — Stress: Am I under pressure from work, finances, health, or family concerns?
- A — Alcohol: Have I consumed alcohol within the past 8 hours?
- F — Fatigue: Am I tired or insufficiently rested?
- E — Emotion / Eat: Am I emotionally upset? Have I remembered to eat?
Risk Management
Safety message from Maj. Gen. Mark E. Smith, CAP: Commit to a personal culture of risk management. Before each task, pause and ask: What can go wrong, and what can I do to prevent it? Review your Aircrew Professionalism Commitment and put it into practice.
Emergency Services
Civil Air Patrol supports search and rescue, disaster relief, and humanitarian/community service through trained aircrews, ground teams, and incident management personnel.
Search & Rescue
CAP helps locate missing people by combining established search methods with technologies such as cellphone forensics and radar analysis. It conducts about 90% of inland search-and-rescue missions at the direction of the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited with saving more than 100 lives annually on average.
Advanced Aerial Imaging
CAP aircraft provide imagery to FEMA and state agencies to assess damage and support recovery. Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) can detect heat signatures at night or through obscured visibility, while multispectral imaging can create 3D views that help agencies estimate damage and response needs.
Disaster Response
Teams support response to wildfires, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, mudslides, hurricanes, and other disasters. Tasks may include damage imagery, distributing supplies, managing traffic, clearing debris, and assisting displaced families in coordination with other agencies.
Humanitarian & Community Service
CAP members may support communities by:
- Transporting time-sensitive medical materials and supplies.
- Distributing water, meals, and essential supplies.
- Transporting personnel and equipment.
- Filling and positioning sandbags to help prevent flooding.
CAP Safety Program
Program reference date: 1 October 2019
CAP Safety Program goal
“The goal of the CAP Safety Program is for each and every member of Civil Air Patrol, as well as the organization itself, to embrace and practice risk management (RM) as a core competency of Civil Air Patrol.”
Reference: CAPR 160-1
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Welcome to Civil Air Patrol’s Safety Program resources. These pages are intended to be a starting point for program information, guidance, and training. CAP is committed to continuous improvement. For questions or suggestions, contact safety@capnhq.gov. |
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Explore Safety Resources
Review the available safety pages and materials. Resources are updated over time, and feedback helps identify what additional information would be useful.
Explore Publications
Visit the CAP publications page for regulations, forms, and pamphlets. If something is unclear, contact the Safety Program so the guidance can be clarified and shared.
Explore Training
CAP safety training focuses on how to apply safety principles, not only what to do. Safety education credit may be available through AXIS in eServices. Visit the CAP Learning Management System and follow the link to AXIS for available courses.
Safety News & Quick Links
Use the resources below to find guidance for common safety tasks. Some original links route through an email-newsletter redirect and may have changed over time.
- CAP Safety Program pages — central source for safety tools and training.
- Publications and regulations — official forms and policy references.
- eServices Learning Management System — access available safety education and AXIS training.
For assistance locating safety materials, contact your local Safety Officer.
