Missouri Civil Air Patrol to run search and rescue exercise

ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY, Mo. (KFVS) - Residents of St. Francois County may see some airplanes and ground teams during the weekend, as there will be an exercise to hone search and rescue skills.

On March 4, members of the Missouri Wing of Civil Air Patrol will be participating in a search and rescue exercise in the southeastern part of the state. Due this time, CAP airplanes, ground teams, and small unmanned drone crews may be spotted during the exercise.

Staging areas for the exercise include Bonne Terre Municipal Airport, Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, and Terre Du Lac Fire Department Firehouse #1.

Volunteers for the exercise will participate in the following training tasks:

• Aircrew and ground team searches for missing aircraft and persons.
• Search and rescue training for small drone aircrew.
• Interagency cooperation with local first responder personnel.
• Radio communication drills.
• Mission base staff training.
• Use of the National Incident Command System for command and control.

Copyright 2023 KFVS. All rights reserved.