E-Safety Newsletter

March 2011

 Welcome to Spring

The groundhog may have been correct for the South Eastern part Of Pennsylvania, but I have doubts about the rest of Pa.  So we still need to be careful with the snow storms and the icing conditions that prevail around the state. But since we are now all experts in Winter driving we should be able to make it to Spring.  Just don't forget what you learned. 

Important Changes

As I mentioned before, my email address has changed.  You should have received several notifications concerning this change.  However I still have been receiving emails on the old account.  The email account bmetzcap@comcast.net has been dropped and after March 31 will not be monitored and shortly thereafter the account will be dropped.  The new account effective Feb 1 is bmetzcap@verizon.net. Please make the changes in your address books as soon as possible. If you have sent me anything in the last 30 days and have not received a reply please let me know.

Annual Safety Survey

Pennsylvania Wing again completed the National requirement of the unit safety surveys on time.  I thank the majority of the units who met the Region and Wing deadline of Dec 31.  For those who needed a little encouragement we trust we will see an improvement for next year.  The start date for turning in the survey is still Oct 2011.

Replacement Needed - Director of Safety PA Wing

But we have a year for you to decide. As some of you know, I intend to step down from the position as the Director of Safety. The wing is much improved from when I took over, thanks mostly to the dedicated volunteers that brought the safety culture back into the units. I was just there to guide and recommend.  So, we are looking for a replacement for me.  Qualifications are a true interest in promoting Safety in the Wing.  Completion of all the Safety and ORM courses online.  Experience in Safety either as a unit or group safety officer or similar experience in either the place of employment or military or volunteer organizations. So far I have had several inquires and formal request will be going out in October.

Introduction to CAP Safety Program for "new" members.

Actually this is for ALL members, not just new members.  National originally scheduled this training to be completed by January; however it was moved back to March 31, 2011.  All members are required to complete this on line course before that date or they will automatically be suspended and not authorized to participate in any CAP activity until the requirement is completed. It is online and takes less than 30 minutes to complete. You should have already received information from the Wing commander and the vice commanders, so you need to get busy.  Here are the instructions on how to complete.  Many of the members have already completed this program.

 This new (in 2010) course introduced by the safety team as part of a national effort to improve safety awareness and put the same emphasis on safety as we now do on Cadet Protection.   As directed by the National Board, "every active CAP member (seniors, cadets, cadet sponsors, 50-year, and life members)" is required to complete the training.

The deadline for completion is 31 March -- having been extended from the original date of 31 January.   Failure to complete the on-line program will result in your being disqualified from continued participation in CAP activities until you have finished the training.   Please don't get caught in that circumstance!

To take the training, do the following:
1.        Sign on to e-services (www.capnhq.gov) using your CAPID# and password.
2.        Select Online Safety Education from the list on the left side of the page under "My Favorites".
3.        Click on Introduction to CAP Safety Program for New Members under "Required Safety Course" at the top of the page.
4.        Scroll through the slides, reading the material and taking notes if desired.   You may reverse scroll if you need to review or clarify any of the material.   When you feel you understand the content, go to the last page and select "Take the Test".
5.        Each question is presented in turn, and graded after each answer.   Don't forget to hit Submit when you have made your final choice of answers.
6.        After the last question is answered, the test will be
automatically scored and your overall grade presented.
7.        You may request a printed certificate if you desire.   The posting to your CAP record is automatic so your PD officer does not have to take any actions.

Please do not wait until the last minute to complete this training!   The entire program - slides and test - takes less than 30 minutes of your time on-line.   Use of a high-speed internet connection is highly recommended!

And lastly -Thanks go out to all the Unit Safety Officers and Commanders who strive to get the required materials in to Wing on time and work hard to promote Safety in their units.

Questions - Contact me or your unit safety officer or group safety officer.