# Presentation: 512048

## Mission Staff Assistant

- Developed as part of the National Emergency Services Curriculum Project

## Introduction

- The Mission Staff Assistant (MSA) is an entry-level job at mission base.
- Completed General Emergency Services
- 101T card for MSA

- The MSA’s primary responsibility is administration, particularly processing mission personnel.

## Introduction (Con’t.)

- The MSA may also perform basic functions of other specialty areas:
- Information Officer
- Safety Officer
- Planning
- Logistics

## Public Relations

- Interact with the media or other interested bystanders.

- Assist the Information Officer with the media or other interested bystanders.
- If no Information Officer is present, meet the media/bystanders and assist them as much as possible without interfering with the mission until the IO or IC can be notified.

## Public Relations Continued

- Nothing is released without permission from the IC or IO.

- Direct reporters, family and bystanders to the IO (IC if no IO).
- Never guess or speculate.  Always follow-up.
- “I don’t know” or “You need to ask the IO” – Not “I am not allowed to tell you.”

## Coordinating Visits by interested parties

- Assist the IC or IO in Coordinating Visits of the News Media

- You may have to deal with the media or bystanders in the absence of an information officer.  Do the best you can by following the guidelines in CAPR 60-3, and working with the incident commander and other key staff.
- Don’t be afraid to refer visitors up the chain

## Memoranda of Understanding

- CAP has many ES partner agencies.
- American Red Cross
- FEMA
- National Weather Service
- Other state, local, and service organizations

- What is the Purpose of MOUs?
- Outlines how we will work with other agencies
- Outlines the insurance coverage and reimbursement arrangements for operations

## Calling in the troops

- Assist the incident commander in activating the mission team if asked.

- Alert rosters:
- Who/what is needed?
- Who is qualified to do what?
- Available resources.
- Keep a Phone log
- Prepare for planning and briefing

## Mission Check-in

- Process mission personnel and equipment during a mission.
- Primary duties:
- Sign-in and Sign-out.
- Check credentials.
- Set up (brief/debrief, meetings, status boards).
- Collect and manage data.

## Mission Check-in Continued

- Credentials
- Everyone must have valid and current:
- CAP membership card
- 101 card or database record

- May need valid and current:
- ROA card
- State & CAP Driver Licenses

## Mission Check-in Continued

- Mission Pilots must have valid and current:
- FAA pilot certificate
- FAA medical certificate
- CAP Form 5 (1 year)
- CAP Form 91 (2 years)
- ROA card

## Slide 12

## Slide 13

## General Assistance

- May be asked to assist in:

- Conducting basic safety/hazard inspections
- Setting up areas for briefings and meetings
- Setting up and maintaining status boards
- Locating personnel for next ops period
- Building briefing packages (including basic weather)
- Developing portions of the Incident Action Plan
- Compiling mission data and documents
- Maintaining logs and information

## Safety Inspections

- Risk management is used to eliminate or mitigate hazards.

- Report any hazards or unsafe practices to the safety officer.
- Wherever you are, look for hazards - use common sense
- If imminent danger, take immediate action.
- If not, report it to proper authority.

## Mishap Investigations

- Mishap -- an unplanned or unsought event, or series of events, that results in death, injury, or damage to or loss of equipment or property.
- classified as either bodily injury, property damage, or other.
- Safety Officer is responsible for reporting.

## Mishap Investigations Continued

- If no MSO at the mission base:
- Classify and notify per CAPR 62-2, *Mishap Reporting and Investigation*.
- IC or unit commander immediately notifies the wing commander and wing safety officer.
- If serious injury or death is involved, National HQ personnel are notified.
- CAPF 78, *Mishap Report Form*, within 48 hours of the mishap.

## Situation Maps

- Assist in maintaining situation maps and status boards.

- Ensure information is entered correctly and in a timely manner based on your supervisors direction.
- Know the ICS Map Symbols
- It would be helpful to know how to plot latitude and longitude (*may be a future requirement*)

## Situation Maps Continued

## Maintain Clue Logs

- Wing or local forms and checklists
- CAPF 104 (reverse), *Mission Flight Plan/Briefing Form*
- CAPF 106, *Ground Interrogation Form*
- CAPF 109*, Ground Team Clearance*

## CAPF 109 

- CAPF 109
- Ground Team Clearance

## CAPF 104

- Reverse Side

## Many areas will keep a unit log to record personnel and events of the mission.

## Resource Availability and Tracking

- Determine the status and availability of resources for a mission.
- Identify and locate resources:
- Wing, group or unit roster/list.
- Verify resources:
- Make sure equipment is operable.

## Resource Availability and Tracking Continued

- Track deployed resources:

**Use an equipment sign-out log to control non-expendable assets.**
**Non-expendable assets must be inspected and returned to their proper locations at end of mission.**
**Document significant expendables used.**
**Make sure any equipment borrowed from another agency is returned (in the same or better condition as it was when you borrowed it).**

## 24 hour clock

- To avoid confusion from A.M. or P.M.- the military clock is used to record time.

- Midnight to noon is listed as 0000 to 1200 hours
- Noon to midnight- add 12 to standard clock
- 1300, 1400, 1500...2300
- 9:42 A.M. would be 0942 hours
- 5:00 P.M. would be 1700 hours

## ZULU Time

- To avoid confusion in working with different time zones- Zulu or Coordinated Universal Time is often used.

- measured from the Greenwich Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England
- Calculations from local to Zulu time will depend on where in the country you are
- Check with the Communications Unit Leader at the mission if you need help in calculating

## Vehicle Inspections

- Perform a vehicle safety inspection.
- Normally the duty of the SO.
- Daily Vehicle Inspection Report

- If necessary, update and maintain a vehicle operations (usage) log for the finance/admin section.

## Mission Duties

- Be professional and helpful in attitude

- Don’t be afraid to ask questions or for help from your supervisor
- Be careful, there can be many hazards around a mission base (wires, antennas, vehicles)
- Watch your health.  Don’t get so involved in duties you forget hydration, eating, rest, etc.
- Remember to take into account of your duty time that it may involve a long drive home.  Get plenty of rest.
- Don’t try to do something you haven’t been trained to do.

## Additional Studies

- CAPR 173-3: Reimbursement policies and procedures
- CAPR 60-1: CAP Flight Management
- CAPR 60-3: CAP ES Training & Operational Missions
- CAPR 60-4 V1: CAP Emergency Services Mission Forms
- CAPR 60-4 V2: CAP Emergency Services Training Forms
- CAPR 60-5: Critical Incident Stress Management
- CAPR 62-1: CAP Safety Responsibilities & Procedures
- CAPR 62-2: Mishap Reporting and Investigation
- CAPR 100-1V1: CAP Communications
- CAPR 900-3: Firearms- Assistance to Law Enforcement Agencies
- CAPP 2: CAP ELT/EPIRB Search

## QUESTIONS?

**THINK SAFETY**