[Civil Air Patrol] CAP - Missions and the Media - cap

[Civil Air Patrol] CAP - Missions and the Media

From: "Sander William E TSgt 343 RCS/RSSF" <William.Sander@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "Waite David M Lt Col USSTRATCOM/J665" <WAITED@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, <bs@xxxxxxx>, <brandonkea@xxxxxxxxx>, <Cardinalsfan_3@xxxxxxx>, "Carrison Jonathan D SrA 170 OSS/IN" <Jonathan.Carrison@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <KC8JNV@xxxxxxx>, "Chris Havran NCR" <hso@xxxxxxxxxxx>, <CHavran@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, "christin scott" <christin.scott@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Coville Christopher M 1stLt 38 RS/DOF" <Christopher.Coville@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Coles Michael R A1C 45RS/ASE" <Michael.Coles@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Waite David M LtCol CAP/CDS" <David.Waite@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <dwaite@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, <Dfloyd1989@xxxxxxxxx>, <djneorave@xxxxxxx>, <Dt3639@xxxxxxx>, <teci@xxxxxxxxx>, <Eagle046@xxxxxxxxx>, <ed@xxxxxxxxxx>, <eye43@xxxxxxxxxxx>, <hdeever@xxxxxxx>, <howard@xxxxxxxxxxx>, <JPJohnsen@xxxxxxxx>, <jjohnaf@xxxxxxxxx>, <firefighterlps@xxxxxxx>, <neconect2@xxxxxxx>, <joncarrison@xxxxxxxxxxx>, "Kari Starzyk" <colekar@xxxxxxxxxxx>, <Kc0wqh@xxxxxxxxx>, <KenLemke@xxxxxxx>, <laura@xxxxxxxxxx>, <lmoss@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Liptrott James E SrA 55 CES/CEFO" <James.Liptrott@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <lunchboxairforce@xxxxxxxxx>, "McVay Randall D Maj 55 AMDS/SGPB" <Randall.Mcvay@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <Melissa.kapsa@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <Michael.oconnell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <mscott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <oandafreeland@xxxxxxxxx>, <pradeep@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <Rick68123@xxxxxxxxx>, <A_texas_resident@xxxxxxxxx>, <rwhelan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, <rwwhelan@xxxxxxxx>, <sandeep_khajuria@xxxxxxxxxxx>, <S_Gaster@xxxxxxxxx>, <Swoop737@xxxxxxx>, <wsander@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 09:43:23 -0600

A lesson straight out of General ES Training... how the media can react to get
a news story. You never know what to expect when you arrive on scene. Even
Aircrew... the media can beat you to your airport to launch your search sortie.
And remember, some times the media may already be all over it before CAP gets
involved.

V/R
WILLIAM E. SANDER, Lt Col, CAP
Emergency Services Officer
Gen. Curtis Lemay - Offutt Comp. Sqdn.
william.sander@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:william.sander@xxxxxxxxx>
wsander@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.geocities.com/redcloud246

False alarm causes ruckus at the airport
-State media jump at non-event thought to be a plane crash

November 23, 2006 - Durango Herald - Durango,CO,USA
By Shane Benjamin | Herald Staff Writer

Officials at the Durango-La Plata County Airport received a scare Wednesday
after an emergency-locater beacon - the kind used in aircraft - sounded and
smoke was seen near the end of the runway.

The incident prompted rescue personnel to mobilize, and brought phone calls
from Front Range media outlets looking for a scoop. The media eventually found
no news.

Nobody saw a plane crash, but all indications were that one had happened at
about 10:30 a.m., said Don Brockus, spokesman at the airport.

Airport firefighters dispatched an engine to investigate the column of smoke
rising southeast of the runway. They also called the Los Piños Fire Protection
District. But all that firefighters found was a new gas well burning off waste,
Brockus said.

Yet radio scanners continued to howl, suggesting that a plane was down
somewhere in the area. Airport officials drove up and down a side ramp along
the runway listening for where the signal seemed loudest.

After about 20 minutes, they centered their search on a small private plane
that was being removed from a hanger.

"We eventually found that there was an aircraft that had been pulled out onto
the ramp about 10:30 a.m.," Brockus said. "We had the pilot reach into the
cabin where that (beacon) was stored and reset the device, and the beacon sound
went away."

Sudden movements caused by bringing the airplane out of the hanger apparently
activated the beacon, Brockus said. It is a rare occurrence - one that happens
maybe once a year at the Durango-La Plata County Airport, he said.

That a column of smoke could be seen near the airport made this occurrence
unique.

"It was an interesting coincidence," Brockus said.

"In a situation like that, seconds matter, so you don't waste any time. If
you're going to make a mistake in a situation, you make the one that is going
to save a life. Getting a quick response started was the best way to do that."

During the incident, the Civil Air Patrol was called, which somehow alerted
media outlets on the Front Range to the possibility of a downed plane. Media
started inquiring about 11:15 a.m. Brockus said he received about four calls
Front Range media outlets, including The Denver Post, Newsradio 850 KOA and Fox
31 television.

shane@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

________________________________

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[Civil Air Patrol] CAP - Missions and the Media

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