Summer Safety - It is that time of the year when the weather gets nice and all the outside activities begin in Pennsylvania Wing. Of course with all this activity, accidents increase. Please review "101 Days of Summer Safety" at http://www.slideshare.net/AtlantaSafetyCouncil/101-days-of-summer-safety-brief. This power-point is an excellent method of reminding your members about Summer Safety. Hazards include bug bites, more drivers on the road, drinking, inattentive driving, sunburn, dehydration, thunderstorms and many other hazards. There are many sources of information about summer activities, review them with your unit.
Proper procedures for reporting Accidents or Incidents - This is a reminder to all members concerning the proper procedures in reporting accidents or incidents. PAWG Supplement 62-2 dated 2 Nov 11, states the proper procedure to be followed. Please copy and post on your safety bulletin board and any vehicle or aircraft assigned to your unit. At your next stated meeting, please review these requirements with your members. In brief, you will report any accident or incident involving cadets, senior members, vehicles or aircraft immediately to the PA Wing Commander and the PA Wing Director of Safety. Contact them directly with the information concerning the accident or incident. If you are filling out the form 78, try to get as much information as possible before starting the form 78. Try to come up with a completion of the 78. For example, "cadet felt dizzy and taken to the hospital" leaves a lot to imagine. Better to wait and file the 78 later when more information is known. However, you are still required to contact the Wing Commander and Director of Safety immediately.
Severe Weather Radios - One recommendation from Safety this month is the purchase of a Weather Alert Radio. These radios are off until the NWS sends out an alert tone. This tone activates the radios siren or tone alerting system and allows you to hear the warning or watch information for your specific area. What makes this radio better than other weather radios is that it is quiet until a specific tone for your area is generated. For a permanent or semi-permanent location, an AC model with battery backup is best. For mobile use, a handheld unit is good, but batteries may die and you need to update the NWS tone alert for your changing location. Either way, it is an important piece of equipment that may help save your life. Remember for permanent locations, an AC model WITH battery backup is the best bet. Another point is to make sure the tones for your area can be programmed into your radio. This is one of those cases where you get what you pay for, so chose wisely.
PA Wing Safety Assistants - Remember, there are two Wing assistant safety officers. Lt Col DeEtte Riley is the Safety officer for ground activities. Her responsibility is to promote Safety with our personnel involved in Ground Activities such as Hawk Mt and all Encampments. Major Bruce Russell has assumed the position of assistant Safety officer for air operations.
Safety Information Files -Every unit should have a Safety Information File available for unit members to read. Flying Magazine and AOPA Pilot Magazine have excellent articles available each month for pilots and various insurance companies have a wealth of information available on request.
This just in - Civil Air Patrol will release the new Safety Management System (SMS) in eServices on Monday, June 4th, 2012. Education modules are being added daily to provide information on the application with "How To" guidance on the application's use. The current mishap management database will be moved over into the new Safety Management System (SMS). As a result, the current safety applications will be unavailable June 3rd, but will be available again on June 4th in the new SMS.
AOPA Safety Resources
A host of Web resources to make you a safer pilot - For those unit safety officers looking for alternate means for pilots who miss their monthly safety meetings, try these from AOPA.
SAFETY - Everyone is a Safety Officer!
