[PAO] FW: New CAPP 201 - Public Affairs Officer Specialty Track

[Jeff Carlson, Grp 5 HQ]

I apologize for filling people's inboxes with my ranting this weekend.  This
is an important topic and is worthy of constructive dialogue.  The CAP
organization needs to provide both standards and opportunities for members
to develop skills to meet the standards.  We must recognize skill-levels
will vary from person to person. Creating a race of super-PAOs is not a
realistic goal.  Pilots are trained to utilize Crew Resource Management
(CRM).  PAOs & PIOs must be indoctrinated to utilize a resource management
system as well.   Let me tell one last story.

 

In addition to CAP, I also volunteer with American Red Cross as a government
liaison assigned to the county emergency operations center.  A seasoned
county manager told me about the warm-chair test.  He liked to walk around
the various ESF stations and feel the back of the chair when he spoke to a
liaison. If the chair was very warm, he knew the liaison was not circulating
enough among the other stations.  

 

This was an important lesson for me.  When assigned to a CAP mission as PIO,
I try to make certain that I circulate. I use the ol' fly on the wall
technique.  Casual conversation, observing body language, voice intonation
all offer a revealing perspective to how a mission is going.

  

I was asked to supervise a trio of PIO trainees during a recent SAREX.
After a morning briefing with me, the trainees went off to work on their
assigned tasks and I began to circulate.  I look for wallflowers, as these
are often new members who are lost in the rush of activity. This morning I
found one and sat down next to her.

 

She was a new member looking for a best fit in CAP.  She was thinking ES
might be the answer.  As I interviewed her, I learned she had over
twenty-years' experience in crisis counseling. As we talked, I used my
smartphone to email a link to her with information about the CAP CISM team.


 

Later that morning, one of the trainees came up to me in a panicked manner
and handed me a slip of paper. It was an exercise inject about a distraught
family member.  About that time, a man burst into the operations center in a
rage. I asked the trainee to get the man's attention and escort him to a
side room, then I walked over to the woman I had met earlier and asked her
to accompany me.

 

We joined the PIO trainee and the visitor.  The counselor quickly assessed
the situation when we entered the room.  She began asking questions that
helped the man feel as though he became a part of the solution of finding
his lost family member.  His manner changed very quickly and he became calm.
I learned a lot from observing the professional counselor at work.  I hoped
it helped her recognize that she already possessed skills that were valuable
to CAP.

 

With my CISM and psychological first aid training, I would like to think I
could have personally handled the situation in an effective manner.
Regardless of my training, knowing the resources that were available to me
and then utilizing them was the most valuable asset I could apply to achieve
mission success.

 

Yes, we must encourage skill development; we must also train our personnel
to identify and utilize all available resources.  

 

Thank you for your attention. Southeast CAP 21.out.

 

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