MART Vol. II MO/MP - NESA - Civil Air Patrol

6.4.1 Effects on CAP operationsThe conditions that created the emergency or disaster may affect CAPoperations. Extreme weather is an obvious concern, and must be considered inmission planning.The disaster may affect the physical landscape by erasing or obscuringlandmarks. This may make navigation more difficult and may render existingmaps obsolete.Disasters may also destroy or render unusable some part of the area'sinfrastructure (e.g., roads, bridges, airfields, utilities and telecommunications).This can hamper mobility and continued operations. Also, road closures by localauthorities or periodic utility outages can reduce the effectiveness andsustainability of CAP operations in the area.6.4.2 Biological, Chemical or Radiological TerrorismThe events of September 11 th brought home the need for increased vigilanceagainst weapons of mass destruction. The following provide general precautionsfor CAP aircrews for the three major threats.For Biological Terrorism, be alert to the following:• Groups or individuals becoming ill around the same time.• Sudden increase in illness in previously healthy individuals.• Sudden increase in the following non-specific illnesses: pneumonia, flulikeillness, or fever with atypical features; bleeding disorders;unexplained rashes, and mucosal or dermal irritation; and neuromuscularillness.• Simultaneous disease outbreaks in human and animal populations.For Chemical Terrorism, be alert to the following:• Groups or individuals becoming ill around the same time.• Sudden increase in illness in previously healthy individuals.• Sudden increase in the following non-specific syndromes: suddenunexplained weakness in previously healthy individuals; hyper secretionsyndromes (e.g., drooling, tearing, and diarrhea); inhalation syndromes(e.g., eye, nose, throat, chest irritation and shortness of breath); shinburn-like skin syndromes (e.g., redness, blistering, itching and sloughing).For Ionizing Radiation Terrorism, be alert to the following:• Nausea and vomiting.Pocket guides covering these events may be found on the web.6.4.3 TransportationIn some situations other agencies will wish to conduct the damageassessment, and CAP may be tasked to provide aerial transportation. The rulesgoverning these flights are found in CAPR 60-1 and the FAR Exemptions.6.4.4 Intelligence gatheringOne of the most important commodities during disasters is accurate, timelyintelligence. During an emergency or disaster, conditions on the ground and in the110