Raleigh, N.C. – Soldiers assigned to 3rd Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) (Dissemination), 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), briefed the capabilities of the Civil Authority Information Support Element (CAISE), to members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Region IV, at the State Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh, N.C., on November 30.
When disaster strikes, whether it’s natural or man-made, local civil authorities need all the resources and support they can access. That support first comes from state level, once those resources are exhausted, then additional support is requested to the Department of Defense. Often the support comes in the form of specialty vehicles, manpower or lifesaving communication platforms.
Communication is key to the success of any mission and even more so when it comes to saving lives.
“The biggest thing I want the American people to know about CAISE capabilities is that we cover a broad spectrum of civil authority information dissemination from FM, AM, television, traditional printed products, multimedia, social-media, and even cellular communications platforms,” said 2nd Lt. Kenneth W. Bolton, a signal officer with 3rd POG (A) (D) who has worked on the CAISE missions for nearly two years. “If survivors need to obtain critical lifesaving and/or life sustaining information we will reach them.”
The capabilities and mission of the CAISE team is to work with and provide support to local civil authority in order to save lives.
“The CAISE mission is important to the American people because we provide ongoing lifesaving and life sustaining civil authority messaging directly to the survivors following a natural disaster,” said Bolton.
The CAISE teams were sent to Puerto Rico after the devastation of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Their presents there had a significant impact on aiding the people of Puerto Rico.
“I've been on the CAISE teams for a little over a year. The best thing is being able to help others recover a portion of their life that was lost due to a natural disaster,” said Spc. Joshua Dugan, a Visual Information Equipment Operator-Maintainer with Charley Co., 3rd POG (A) (D). “We help the American people and everyone within the U.S. territories by being prepared to support life-saving efforts along with FEMA.”
Dugan continued, “Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria and being there, you could see the loss suffered on each person's face, getting them life-saving information for where to find shelter and passing out food and water really meant a lot to the people.”
Dugan believes in the mission of CAISE because as a service member he directly helps people when they need it most.
“CAISE is important because natural disasters always strike and the life-saving mission of CAISE mitigates the suffering of the people affected by these disasters,” said Dugan. “CAISE directly helps the American people in their time of need.”
The CAISE is ever more relevant and present due to most recent 2017 and 2018 hurricanes. The threat of natural disasters such as hurricanes or the new Madrid fault line can strike any of the 50 states and U.S. territories at any time.
“We in FEMA Region IV first used them [CAISE] last year after Hurricane Irma and again this year for Hurricane Florence and again in Florida for Hurricane Michael,” said Mary E. Hudak, External Affairs Director for FEMA Region IV, in Atlanta Ga.
“The CAISE teams really enhance FEMA’s ability to reach and communicate lifesaving information to disaster survivors as quickly as we need them to,” Hudak said. “The information support mission, which is what CAISE helps FEMA with, is critical to offset the disaster – information is just as important of a commodity as food and water.”
Although FEMA is the lead agency, the military brings a plethora of specialty equipment and training, which are sourced to save lives.
“What I really want the American people to understand about the expertise the military brings to us is that FEMA is about to use that expertise fully to enhances what FEMA does in emergency management,” Hudak said.
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