This weekend dozens of emergency volunteers are taking part in a dead-serious exercise based in Marshalltown. Civil Air Patrol Major Doug Janssen says their simulated wrecks and rescues will prepare them for a “graded” exercise in August. But he says the Civil Air Patrol does real-life work in all 99 of Iowa’s counties. In emergencies, CAP’s called on to provide aerial or ground support. So, Janssen says, “some weeks we might be in Red Oak, the next week we might be in Burlington, and after that we might be up in Mason City. You just never know where we’re going to have an emergency and where Civil Air Patrol is going to need to respond.” In 2004 the CAP went out 17 times responding to calls from missing-persons missions, to missing aircraft to disaster relief. Janssen says “we get to do a little bit of everything, and respond to whatever it is the state of Iowa needs.” This weekend’s exercises include simulating the search for a downed aircraft and also a search for a missing group of fishermen. The Civil Air Patrol’s gone to the Iowa National Guard this year asking for a larger role in Homeland Security, with so many reserves called to active duty, and the CAP also hopes to get more funding as it expands its role in the state. They’re looking for adults and cadets — for more, surf to “join Iowa CAP dot org.” www.joiniowacap.org
