Emergency Services

Emergency services is Civil Air Patrol’s best-known mission. It includes air and ground search and rescue, disaster relief, and support to other emergency services agencies, including search and rescue missions directed by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.

CAP members also help with missions that may involve airlifting blood, donor organs, medication, and relief officials to disaster areas, air surveillance after disasters, and communications support. CAP’s radio network provides backup communications for search and rescue and disaster relief missions.

At Squadron 144, cadets and senior members begin with the General Emergency Services course and build their skills at search and rescue exercises (SAREXs) and field training. The squadron is also developing a small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) program; see the sUAS Qualifications Guide.

For current mission statistics and more about CAP’s fleet and missions, see Emergency Services on the National Headquarters website.