Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Geospatial Program
Purpose/Goals
To make CAP, in addition to aerospace, the largest volunteer geospatial emergency management organization in the world.
Make CAP the largest volunteer imagery-analyst corps for disaster response in the world.
CAP will be a world class organization developing youth and performing missions for America, supported in all facets by geospatial capabilities, tradecraft, and education.
Give all CAP members who desire to be involved in disaster response the opportunity.
We need to change the technology used, the way CAP conducts business, and to improve its mission by leveraging geospatial information and joining the geospatial community.
A short intro to what is Geospatial Information
"A picture is worth a thousand words"
Geospatial information is be used to tell a visual story
It supports all aspects of CAP missions including Cadet Programs, Aerospace Education (STEM), and Emergency Services, while also supporting the business functions of the organization.
What is Geospatial information?
Geographic Information System (GIS)
"A geographic information system (GIS) is a framework for gathering, managing, and analyzing data. Rooted in the science of geography, GIS integrates many types of data. It analyzes spatial location and organizes layers of information into visualizations using maps and 3D scenes. With this unique capability, GIS reveals deeper insights into data, such as patterns, relationships, and situations—helping users make smarter decisions.“ It is one form of Geospatial Technology
Remote Sensing
"Remote sensing is a type of geospatial technology that samples emitted and reflected electromagnetic (EM) radiation from the Earth’s terrestrial, atmospheric, and aquatic ecosystems in order to detect and monitor the physical characteristics of an area without making physical contact. This method of data collection typically involves aircraft-based and satellite-based sensor technologies, which are classified as either passive sensors or active sensors."
Geospatial Information
"The word geospatial is used to indicate data that has a geographic component to it. This means that the records in a dataset have locational information tied to them such as geographic data in the form of coordinates, address, city, or ZIP code. GIS data is a form of geospatial data. Other geospatial data can originate from GPS data, satellite imagery, and geotagging."
CAP Leverages Geospatial Data
There are many teams and missions within CAP that are leveraging geospatial capabilities.
Airborne - Use of unique remote sensing sensors, ex. Airborne photographer, Waldo Camera, FLIR
Ground Teams - High Water Marks, Damage collection, team locations; using geospatial Apps
sUAS Teams - Remote sensing, using GIS tools
National Radar Team - GIS Tools and Data
National Cellular Forensics Team - GIS Tools and Data
Damage Assessment Team - Using GIS tools and remote sensing data, i.e. imagery
National Headquarters - Using GIS data to help with Cadet Programs and Aerospace Education
Wings - Some Wings have GIS teams already, and are using the tools to help their state missions.
CAP Geospatial Capabilities
CAP leverages advanced Geospatial technology to enable disaster response.
CAP GIS Tools
CAP Members have access to multiple GIS Tools
- ESRI ArcGIS Online and Desktop Pro licenses
- SARTopo
- Google Earth and Map
- Numerous other open source tools (QGIS, etc.)
Geospatial Partnerships
Why are our teams successful?
It's all about partnerships with the geospatial community including government, industry, academia, and others.
We Support Aerospace Education
Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE)
Developing a Geospatial STEM Program - Partner with organizations and agencies such as AmericaView, ESRI, USGIF, NGA, and others.
Program similar to Cyber Patriot, StellarXplorers
We Support Cadet Programs
National Cadet Service Academies (NCSAs)
Support to Emergency Services
CAP is helping millions of American citizens! All members, cadets and senior members, can be involved.
We support decision makers including POTUS!
The Geospatial Damage Assessments mission is the most inclusive emergency response mission for CAP.
It doesn't matter the members age, location, gender, race, or disability, anyone can be involved.
Supporting FEMA
59 major disaster events have been supported leveraging GIS capabilities or conducting geospatial damage assessments since Hurricane Florence in fall of 2018.
Supporting Real-World Missions
- Imagery Based Geospatial Damage Assessments
- Airborne Remote Sensing Missions
- Ground Team Geospatial Collection Missions
- NRAT and Cell Forensics Search and Rescue Missions
CAP Saves Lives and Help Millions of Americans Recover from Disasters
FEMA Geospatial Damage Assessments
CAP Supports imagery-based Geospatial Damage Assessments for FEMA, with the goal to identify all damage within 72 hours of impact.
These assessments can help inform decisions regarding required resources needed, and financial assistance directly to individuals and communities to help them recover post impact.
In 2021, $78 Million was given to victims of Hurricane Ian based on the assessments. In 2024, for Hurricanes Helene and Milton, “As of today, more than one million Hurricane Helene survivors have registered for Individual Assistance across the region. For Helene survivors alone, FEMA and the federal family have distributed over $580 million in direct support. In Florida, nearly 600,000 Milton survivors have registered for assistance, and we have already been able to get over $15 million in FEMA funding directly to those individuals.” From the Urban Search and Rescue Teams during Hurricane Helene: “Just wanted to say again thank you all for the GDA work. It is all we have for our search coverage analysis.”
Hurricanes
- 2019 Hurricane Florence
- 2019 Hurriane Dorian
- 2019 Tropical Storm Imelda
- 2020 Hurricane Delta
- 2020 Hurricane Hanna
- 2020 Hurricane Isaias
- 2020 Hurricane Laura
- 2020 Tropical Storm - American Samoa
- 2021 Tropical Storm Elsa
- 2021 Hurricane Henrico
- 2021 Hurricane Ida (CAP Geospatial Team awarded the AFNORTH Award for most meritorious disaster response)
- 2022 Hurricane Fiona
- 2022 Hurricane Ian
- 2022 Hurricane Nicole
- 2023 Typhoon Mawar
- 2023 Hurricane Hillary
- 2023 Hurricane Idalia
- 2023 Hurricane Lee
- 2024 Hurricane Beryl
- 2024 Hurricane Debby
- 2024 Hurricane Ernesto
- 2024 Hurricane Helene
- 2024 Hurricane Milton
In an unprecedented 3 weeks, and in collaboration with FEMA, FEMA Cadre, Dewberry, and analysts from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), 108 CAP members from 32 Wings and 2 Region level members, volunteered 3,299 hours, completed 258,767 assessments, and identified 149,197 damaged structures. They enabled seven presidential disaster declaration for FL, GA, NC, SC, TN, and VA. CAP volunteer hours saved the federal government $211,656.80.
Fires
In Aug 2023, CAP supported the destructive fires in Maui, HI including Lahaina and Kula, HI The maps created from these assessments was used by the President of the United States (POTUS), the search and rescue team for planning purposes, FEMA Region 9, FEMA HQ, HI emergency management agencies, and many other organizations.
- 2022 Hermit Peaks Fire, NM
- 2023 Lahaina/ Kula Fires Maui, HI
- 2024 Smokehouse Creek, Windy Deuce - TX Panhandle Fires
- 2024 South Fork & Salt Fires, Ruidoso, NM
- 2024 CA Mountain Fire (Camarillo, CA)
Tornadoes
All tornado events have been completed within required timelines using the FEMA AGOL environment:
- 2021 Quad State Tornado
- 2022 New Orleans, LA
- 2022 Andover, KS
- 2023 New Orleans, LA
- 2023 Selma, AL Tornado
- 2023 GA Tornadoes
- 2023 Houston, TX Tornado
- 2023 Norman, OK and MS Tornadoes
- 2023 Mid-West Tornadoes
- 2023 Cole/Shawnee, OK Tornadoes
- 2023 Perryton, TX Tornado
- 2023 Tennessee/Kentucky Tornadoes
- 2024 South-East Tornadoes (AL,FL, GA)
- 2024 Mid-West Tornadoes (IN, KY, OH)
- 2024 Mid-West Tornadoes (IA, OK, NE, MI)
Flooding
CAP has responded to multiple major flooding events.
- 2022 Montana Flooding
- 2022 Kentucky Flooding
- 2023 Vermont Flooding
- 2024 TX Flooding (Houston)
- 2024 IA, MN, SD Flooding
High Water Mark (HMW) Collection
Using CAP ground team members, CAP can provide collection data beyond just doing geospatial damage assessments.
In 2020, using Survey123 and QuickCapture Damage Assessment applications, CAP collected HWMs for FEMA post Tropical Storm Imelda and Hurricane Hana in TX, Hurricane Fiona, Hurricane Ian, and Kentucky flooding events. Data collected helps FEMA to improve flood plain analysis.
Earthquakes
- 2020 Puerto Rico earthquake
CAP was requested by FEMA to collect initial images of earthquake damage. A Survey123 app was created and provided to the Puerto Rico Wing to collect ground-based imagery. Both senior and cadets members took part in the earthquake response
Search and Rescue
New ways of using Geospatial Data and Imagery to search for missing persons.
Using CAP oblique imagery and a CAP created ArcGIS imagery dashboard, 4 CAP members spent 100hrs reviewing images to search for the missing person’s (Kiely Rodni) car.
The National CAP Geospatial Team can coordinate imagery collection with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) to support a civil Search and Rescue (SAR) mission. NGA can support using commercial or classified means.
Under Title 10 authorities, CAP has access to the NGA Global-Enhanced Geospatial Delivery (G-EGD) and the Electro-optical Commercial Layer (EOCL) contracts for accessing commercial imagery when supporting real-world missions.
- 2022 AZ National Radar Team (NRAT) Imagery Support
- 2022 CA Tahoe Search
- 2022 HI NRAT Imagery Support
- 2022 WA NRAT Imagery Support
- 2022 NY NRAT Imagery Support
- 2023 WA NRAT Search
- 2023 AK NRAT Imagery Support
- 2023 NY NRAT Rye Lake Imagery Support
- 2024 WA NRAT F-18 Imagery Support
Pandemics
At the request of the CAP National Commander, the National CAP Geospatial Team developed an ESRI Survey123 App to determine how CAP's mission might be impacted by members with COVID.
An ArcGIS dashboard was created to provide situational awareness for CAP leadership nationwide and proving CAP could continue its mission.
What do you have to do to join the CAP Geospatial DA Team?
How do CAP members take the Geospatial Training?
Go to CAP-FEMA Damage Assessments on the National Home Page and follow the directions to sign up.
Not a member of CAP, go to https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/ to join CAP!
Collaboration and Announcements
All communication for the CAP Geospatial team is done within the CAP Geospatial Community of Interest MS Team
Recognition
2023 ESRI Making A Difference Award
2023 UCLA Academies for Social Entrepreneurship - 3rd Place
2022 MG Smith JanEX Prize for Innovation
2022 AFNORTH Award for Most Meritorious Disaster Response (Hurricane Ida)
