Service with some altitude: Civil Air Patrol looks to expand in Jamestown

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John M. Steiner / The Sun 1st Lt. Dennis Nelson stands before Civil Air Patrol’s plane, a 2004 Cessna 182. The Civil Air Patrol squadron in Jamestown is trying to recruit new members.

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When emergencies strike, some take to shelter, some take to rescue vehicles while still others take to the air.

In addition to assisting with emergencies like downed planes and missing people, the Civil Air Patrol in Jamestown trains for search and rescue missions as well as routine missions and civic events. The Jamestown squadron was chartered in 2008 after it was re-established in 2006.

But with 17 members, the group seeks to expand.

Civil Air Patrol is like an extension of the Air Force. It’s mandated by Congress and handles 90 percent of inland search and rescue missions, according to Maj. Gen. Amy Courter, CAP national commander. The small planes CAP uses (Jamestown CAP owns a 2004 Cessna 182) are less expensive to use than those of the Air Force, said 1st Lt. Steve Vivian. Plus, all its members are volunteers.

The most recent mission for CAP in Jamestown was its flood-fighting effort. Members of Civil Air Patrol like Vivian and 1st Lt. Dennis Nelson took to the skies to photograph along the James River, its tributaries and the surrounding areas. Across the state, CAP logged 327 hours and took more than 7,000 photos, Nelson said.

Those images assisted agencies like the department of emergency management in Stutsman County, said Jerry Bergquist, Stutsman County emergency manager. CAP images also include the coordinates at which the photo was taken, so engineers and emergency managers could see precisely where ice jams and other areas of concern were located.

“The aerial photography that they took… it helped a lot in determining where the true problem areas are,” Berg-quist said.

In addition to floods, CAP assists in accidents too.

Civil Air Patrol planes flew over the area in 2006, trying to locate 60-year-old Bob Nelson, who died in a plane crash near Kulm, N.D. Civil Air Patrol searched 15,000 square miles, according to the City of Kulm’s Web site. Nelson’s plane was located in October, 40 days after the August crash.

The work Civil Air Patrol did during the crash, and even the times before and after, are a benefit to the community, said Stutsman County Sheriff Dave Orr.

“It is an asset to have them here,” he said.

Those who join Civil Air Patrol may help in times of emergency or natural disaster, but the group doesn’t usually make headlines, Vivian said.

“Civil Air Patrol doesn’t get a lot of credit, we’re kind of behind the scenes,” he said.

Instances of emergencies are rare, Vivian said. He said he responds to missions about once a year.

But training, like the Search and Rescue exercise the group conducted last week, occurs throughout the year.

Civil Air Patrol is seeking members as young as 12 years old. Those interested need not know how to fly, although the group is seeking pilots too. They just must be willing to work and learn, Vivian said. For more information, contact Vivian at 952-1660 or Nelson at 252-0765.

Sun reporter Katie Ryan can be reached at 701-952-8454 or by e-mail at kryan@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, civil air patrol, news, cap, emergency