Emergency Management/Amateur
Radio/Civil Air Patrol Partnership
Contact:
Walter E. Wright, CEM
Director of Emergency
Management
Linn County (Iowa) Emergency
Management Agency
50 Second Avenue Bridge
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401–1256
Tel: 319–363–2671
Fax: 319–398–5316
E-mail: linnema@jmbest.net

Program Type:
Mutual aid partnership.

Target Population:
The program serves 190,000
people in Linn County and
300,000 in East Central Iowa.

Setting:
Urban and rural Linn County
and East Central Iowa.

Project Startup Date:
Pre-1995.

 Program Description:
The Linn County Emergency Management Agency has a well-established training and operational partnership with the Cedar Rapids Senior and Cadet squadrons of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and the Cedar Valley Amateur Radio Club. The partnership has provided each agency with much-needed mutual support. The Emergency Management Agency provides space and administrative
support for CAP and the Amateur Radio Club in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and provides each organization with approximately $1,000 of in-kind support annually. Both CAP and the Amateur Radio Club send liaison officers to scheduled meetings, training sessions, and quarterly EOC exercises and provide additional security and communications services for local special events.

The Amateur Radio Club operates its base station out of the EOC, providing a backup or parallel communications link to the State EOC. This arrangement has been tested successfully in numerous exercises and in actual emergencies. The club also provides trained Doppler radar operators and trained storm spotters throughout the county during severe weather to supplement CAP and 300 volunteer firefighters. The Emergency Management Agency provides additional support through the use of generators and other equipment on field
days or during other events.

The Emergency Management Agency allows CAP to use office and hangar space; in turn, CAP provides two aircraft and trained flight crews as well as several mobile communications and equipment vehicles for use in search and rescue and emergency courier operations. CAP members provide the EOC with uniformed security personnel, serve as an additional communications link to the State EOC, and function as storm spotters throughout the community.
CAP coordinates regional search and rescue operations with the EOC and conducts local and regional training sessions in EOC facilities.

Evaluation Information:
CAP and the Amateur Radio Club support to the Emergency Management Agency have received the Governor’s award for volunteer services, commendations for training exercises, and considerable support for their role in training and in actual emergencies.

Annual Budget:
$1,000 for each agency per year in direct support.