tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305345282012-02-19T22:58:32.286-08:00Hawkeye is a resident of Central Iowa, and has developed a career in emergency services. Currently working full time as the education director for a large ambulance service, and volunteering for a local fire department, and the Civil Air Patrol. Hawkeye uses this blog as a place to archive, and comment on emergency response within the state of Iowa.John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.comBlogger701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-75982035024020202202008-06-14T13:47:00.001-07:002008-06-14T13:47:39.554-07:00

After n early four days of back and forth travel I am home. I am doing my laundry, and getting packed ready for the next round of excitement.

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-57853852572052404962007-11-06T11:13:00.001-08:002007-11-06T11:16:42.326-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,With the unexpected success of this blog I have decided to move it on up to the east side. Please join me at the new site herewww.halbrookassociates.com

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-37397009880279007082007-11-01T15:04:00.000-07:002007-11-01T15:09:10.505-07:00

Today the Des Moines Register is reporting that Brad Madson, a long time Pillar in Central Iowa's EMS system has been arrested. Brad has served in EMS for at least two decades. Brad has worked as an instructor, a a coordinator, a paramedic, and most recently as the EMS chief for the City of Clive. Brad alegidly suffered a dabilitating back injury,a dn durring his recovery he became adicted to

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-57419543338757681822007-10-25T15:36:00.000-07:002007-10-25T15:41:59.510-07:00

Here in Iowa we have a huge need for Mechanized SAR teams. By Mechanized I mean organized coordinated ATV and Snow mobile based responders. the RRAMSAR team from Washington state is an excellent model for such a team. The members of this group have even put together a blog, and a Pod cast describing how they built their team, and how they conduct their training. This is an excellent model for

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-66709370843851061972007-10-25T06:30:00.000-07:002007-10-25T06:31:00.317-07:00

I received some exciting news yesterday. I have been asked to represent urban EMS systems in the states Quality Assurance, Standards And Protocols Committee (QASP) This committee addresses changes to patient care, conducts research studies, and addresses quality improvement issues within the state of Iowa’s Emergency Medical System. If you have issues for the committee please let us know.

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-47471472666447046722007-10-22T19:38:00.000-07:002007-10-22T19:47:50.718-07:00

It seams to me that the toys of the children can often be manipulated to become the tools of the adults. I have watched as the youth of the world have driven the development of a new language, and a new way to communicate. Term like LOL, ROTFLMAO, ROFL, WTF have made their way into the modern language. I initially wrote off text messaging as a toy with no real use, or purpose. That is until I

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-35061052129038575712007-10-15T20:27:00.000-07:002007-10-15T20:28:46.115-07:00

I normally don't post a lot about my personal life, but this is a pretty major mile stone, and I am really happy right now. My good Friend Doug Jansen took this picture right before the ceremony.

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-11440228370052331592007-10-15T20:23:00.000-07:002007-10-15T20:24:16.654-07:00

Just a few hours before the wedding some close friends and family got together to tear it up a bit.

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-63311470676950391232007-10-11T06:40:00.000-07:002007-10-11T06:49:25.110-07:00

The big day is upon us. Family and friends from all over the world are making their way in town for my wedding. I look forward to spending at least a little bit of time with everyone. More to follow.

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-6397866511007151342007-10-05T10:19:00.000-07:002007-10-11T06:40:42.511-07:00

Many of us as a part of our volunteer, and career jobs are put in the position of driving or riding in vehicles running lights and sirens. Here is a video from a fairly controversial fire department on the east coast. Some things they do very well, while other things I would never do.EnjoyVideo removed due to formating

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-29385111272588331382007-10-05T10:15:00.000-07:002007-10-05T10:17:47.155-07:00

The Iowa Wing has put a lot of effort into making sure that our aircraft can coordinate with our ground vehicles. To assist with this coordination the following ,markings have been added.

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-73085190386251202732007-09-30T18:53:00.000-07:002007-09-30T18:55:26.007-07:00

Mike Rowe, the Host of the Discovery channel’s hit TV series Dirty Jobs was recently interviewed by Men’s Journal. In this interview Mike made an interesting comment about work place safety. I found his answer very interesting, and I thought I would pass it along.Men’s Journal: You’ve said controversially, that safety shouldn’t come first in the work place.Mike: “Safety First” is really a

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-64022450760748533692007-09-12T11:56:00.000-07:002007-09-12T12:08:06.420-07:00

September 11th 2007 has come and gone. I sat at my desk yesterday with a creepy feeling. I had the live feed from ABC on my computer, and I listened as I worked. I listened to all of the names; the thousands of names, the men and women who lost their lives that day. I thought about where I was that morning, and how much I wanted to help. I thought about the days and weeks that followed. I

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-18308819965489303662007-08-29T08:09:00.001-07:002007-08-29T08:10:32.368-07:00

KCRG reportsBy Danielle PlogmannWASHINGTON COUNTY - Searchers have found the body of a missing college student.Phillip Kron,19, disappeared Sunday after his car rolled over on a gravel road in Riverside.The Washington County Sheriff's Office had been searching for Kron ever since.Tuesday people walked through cornfields. Helicopters flew over head.About 7 p.m. Tuesday, a searcher on horseback

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-80524947286237775412007-08-21T20:54:00.003-07:002007-08-21T20:55:10.997-07:00

so, while I was returning from vacation I had a 3rd floor motel room in York, NE that looked out over about 80 acres of corn that was about 7 feet tall It gave me a headache trying to figure out how to effectively search that without a herd of SAR dogs (or Brett and Storm). Given the weather we've had lately we may not be able to field dogs during the day.Using the POD worksheet it would take 50

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-67165542878508763252007-08-20T19:15:00.000-07:002007-08-21T21:06:22.815-07:00

http://www.promedkits.com

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-28257648968804362862007-08-12T18:31:00.000-07:002007-08-12T18:36:04.290-07:00

In the realm of tactical lights several names stand out from Surefire, to Streamlight, and the ever present Mag Light. Many of these lights have strengths and weaknesses which make them appropriate for any number of Emergency Services jobs. Recently I made a new discovery. The Pentagon Light company has dropped into the flash light arena with a vengeance. I recently purchased an L2 LED light.

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-49444481322121788302007-08-08T16:58:00.000-07:002007-08-08T16:59:05.325-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, as you know the civil air patrol is facing a cross roads. Under the past two administrations the CAP has been plagued by scandal, and power plays. Currently a national commander has stepped down, a national vice commander has also removed himself from this program, and finally our current commander is currently under suspension. Many will advocate the expulsion of General

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-31465600084259286332007-08-06T14:58:00.000-07:002007-08-06T15:11:23.133-07:00

The following email is sent on behalf of Major General Richard L.Bowling, Chairman of the CAP Board of Governors.The Board of Governors recently convened a special meeting to receivethe report of investigation concerning allegations against theNational Commander. Until the Board of Governors has completed it'sfinal action, the membership of Major General Antonio J. Pineda hasbeen suspended for a

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-77260771398428705802007-08-03T07:50:00.001-07:002007-08-03T07:54:03.249-07:00

Having just worked a 24 hour shift I will be taking advantage of the 4th R (Rest).When deployed on any long term Mission it is always important to grab sleep when you can.Hawkeye will be traveling this weekend. Enjoy

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-67788641303180023592007-07-28T12:17:00.000-07:002007-08-08T15:21:08.208-07:00

Civil Air Patrol members have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new uniform item. Last winter the Air Force, and CAP leadership decided that CAP should be allowed to wear the Military’s Gore Tex Parka. This parka required the creation of a special rank slide to go along with it. Today as I returned home form my CAP drill weekend I was pleased to find a package at my door…. And guess

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-32352697848657441492007-07-24T17:02:00.000-07:002007-07-31T05:39:14.730-07:00

The map case is an important piece of equipment for any ground team leader. I have found this set up to work best1. Map Case2. Map protractor3. Assorted overhead pens (overheads work great because they don’t rub off as easily as dry erase markers)4. Whistle 5. Measuring tape6. Compass7. Spare Boot lace (tied to the compass)8. Signal Mirror9. Pencil wrapped in duct taps10. Glow Stick11. Laser

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-62420521451248466652007-07-24T16:23:00.000-07:002007-07-27T14:30:15.483-07:00

First Aid/SurvivalAdventure Medical Kits makes an excellent team first aid kit. Unfortunately like many commercial kits it is missing a few things. I have taken the liberty to add the following items. An emergency Strobe lightA mini mag light (knock off)A full sized set of EMS sheersA disposable survival blanketOver the counter BenadrylCake frosting (it’s a non prescription alternative to oral

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-78484420599922661782007-07-24T16:11:00.000-07:002007-07-25T14:08:16.639-07:00

Inside the yellow bag I have a series of smaller stuff sacks. Each of these stuff sacks is a different color, or design. Each bag has a purpose, with a specific set of tools inside it. As we dive deeper we will look at each of these kits.

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-26354989630568464972007-07-24T15:04:00.000-07:002007-07-25T13:56:23.269-07:00

The Civil Air Patrol’s National head quarters just put out a letter clarifying its position on youth involvement in its active ES missions. The Civil Air Patrol utilizes its youth core in many functions. The leadership of CAP is very active training, equipping, and deploying its members whose age can be as low as 12. The sense of pride, and involvement within the community is an incredible

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-16925948949370384422007-07-22T17:56:00.000-07:002007-07-22T19:23:40.165-07:00

Many people pack a “ready pack”, or “24 hour gear”. These packs usually contain survival, or operational equipment. I have watched and learned as trained operators have maintained this equipment in back packs, Load Bearing Equipment (LBE’s), or duffel bags. Many times the things in the bag are universal while the bag itself is often more a function of the specific job being preformed. As I

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-90456196801720024732007-07-21T12:05:00.000-07:002007-07-21T12:07:58.851-07:00

On a recent web based discussion the question was asked, Is your equipment ready? Ready for what you might ask? Well in the context of this blog we would ask if you were ready for the next emergency. Ready to hide in the basement as the thunderstorm/tornado rolls over head, ready for a fun canoe trip down a local river, or ready to jump out the door to go help someone in their time of

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-67312490283142037932007-06-29T06:38:00.000-07:002007-06-29T06:39:26.417-07:00

Ah WhackersFor those of you who don’t know what a whacker is I will explain.“Whacker” is a term, used to describe the emergency response fanatic who goes above and beyond. 1. This dedicated volunteer will usually sport more emergency lights (which they may not have a permit for) than most police cruisers. 2. They will wear uniforms form emergency response entities. These uniforms will have

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-33821373693341661022007-06-24T19:05:00.001-07:002007-06-24T19:06:23.658-07:00

Does it work yet??Some good friends were out scouting new repeater sites. As a part of this recon trip they needed to check the feed line. I shot this picture during the process.

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-81093929932311059272007-06-24T18:24:00.001-07:002007-06-24T18:56:08.160-07:00

ARRL Field Day site“When all else fails” is the motto of the Armature radio community’s Emergency services program. In virtually every major disaster in U.S. history, Ham radio operators have been on the scene to provide emergency communications. In some cases this comm. structure is organized, and a part of a coordinated response system. In other cases, Ham radio steps forward in an

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-70983146103037879892007-06-21T18:47:00.000-07:002007-06-21T18:59:05.190-07:00

As we approach our career and volunteer jobs we need to constantly review the way that we act, and the way we present ourselves to the public. Recently I was walking down the street in Des Moines. I was at a large public event with several thousand people enjoying the activities when I came across this vehicle. It was a ratty older looking recreational vehicle with the words First Aid station

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-58755689571875592872007-06-07T12:08:00.000-07:002007-06-07T12:11:59.890-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, May I have your attention Please!!!!! If you love emergency response, Ham radio, and making fun of all the Whackers who take this stuff too seriously, then you will love HAMSEXY.com. Enjoy.And now back to your regularly scheduled web surfing.

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-79402321141888595612007-06-05T19:51:00.001-07:002007-06-05T19:51:54.162-07:00

2007 is Record-Breaker for Disasters in IowaJune 5, 2007 10:04 AMDES MOINES, Iowa (AP)-- State officials say 2007 is a record year for disasters in Iowa.So far, federal disaster payments top 65 (m) million dollars.That's just from winter ice storms and snow storms. It doesn't include requested assistance for flooding in southwest Iowa and from last week's tornadoes in eastern Iowa.Bret Voorhees

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-90178238589045211732007-06-03T21:25:00.001-07:002007-06-03T21:25:47.516-07:00

By now you may have noticed that my blog has been very inactive. Unfortunately a few co-workers got together and made some poor decisions on the Internet. They created an I hate X blog, and talked about how they disliked many things, and many people. Unfortunately this bad press brought a lot of negative publicity to the Internet, chat groups. I am happy to say that this blog was held out as

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-7054306256948267332007-03-16T06:47:00.000-07:002007-03-16T06:51:30.652-07:00

From FEMA’s web siteWASHINGTON - The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for Iowa to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe winter storms during the period of February 23 to March 2, 2007.FEMA Director David Paulison said federal funding is

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-19130185272788843102007-03-16T06:34:00.000-07:002007-03-16T06:39:02.287-07:00

As some of you know I recently made the poor decision of cooking some ground turkey that had come close to its expiration date. My next day was a mix of miserable stomach cramps, and gas. Finally at midnight a full day after I ate the tainted turkey my body exploded. For the next 8 hours my GI tract proceeded to eject all solids, and liquids. I became so week, and lethargic that my

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-48749208526667784672007-03-15T13:17:00.000-07:002007-03-15T13:18:02.254-07:00

THis is an article on a recent missing persons search in story county IowaSearch for missing Story City man suspended By: Danielle Duggan 03/15/2007Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendlyMembers of the Story County Sheriff’s office and DIVE team search the Skunk River for John Michaelson Wednesday morning. STORY CITY - The search for a missing Story City man was suspended by the Story

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-88971789218228285092007-03-15T12:28:00.000-07:002007-03-15T12:30:07.287-07:00

During the winter storms this year The Iowa wing was happy to exercise its communications infrastructure. Pictured at our communications work station is Roland Newton. Roland is Iowa’s Communication director. Roland is working several modes at a time. •On Rolland’s Far right is CAP’s HF station We were able to communicate with the CAP IC who was working from his base in Florida. •Next

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-86479252990490362882007-03-02T14:15:00.000-08:002007-03-02T14:16:45.846-08:00

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-20402865461182966652007-02-28T14:43:00.001-08:002007-02-28T14:43:58.036-08:00

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1904638369971444042007-02-28T14:37:00.000-08:002007-02-28T14:39:59.415-08:00

The state of Iowa is under a state of emergency. Saturday afternoon a severe winter storm blew through the state. Best estimates are that over 250,000 end users were with out power. Thousands of telephone and power lines are down. The local community’s sprung into action lending assistance and aid to their neighbors. Unfortunately in many cases the damage was too vast and broad to handle on

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-38871712834836214132007-02-15T20:10:00.000-08:002007-02-15T20:12:06.596-08:00

SAR resource databaseToday the National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR) published a letter. This letter explained why they have pulled their resource database form the website. The president of NASAR Kathy Miller accurately points out that NASAR is simply a certifying entity. They can not attest to the current deploy ability of a resource. This concept is akin to knowing a certified

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-52458342708749775812007-02-13T06:38:00.000-08:002007-02-13T06:00:34.956-08:00

With a looming threat of 9+ inches of snow the Iowa wing of the Civil Air Patrol has gone on alert. Aircraft are being dug out, vehicles are being warmed up, and SAR equipment is being double and triple checked. As of 0800 Tuesday morning the snow has fallen (not as much as expected), the rush hour has begun, and the cars have started playing ping pong. If you become aware of someone who has

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-36880054717959696682007-02-11T19:33:00.000-08:002007-02-13T05:59:07.693-08:00

Many departments and agencies enjoy custom t-shirts, coats, patches, and other apparel that is unique to their department. Recently a close friend, and excellent graphic designer threw his hat into the ring. His style is truly unique. Enjoy.www.911hotdesigns.com

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-30160774119201033762007-02-11T19:11:00.000-08:002007-02-11T19:13:13.717-08:00

Rescue WebbingMany rescue teams require webbing to be carried by their members. This year at winter fire school I came across the “sling link”. Now I’m not one to jump into the latest gadgets and gizmos, but the better mouse trap is always around the corner. I am really impressed with this little piece of equipment. Ill let you know how it works.Check out their training videohttp://

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-5217911844613291572007-02-03T16:06:00.000-08:002007-02-13T05:59:42.146-08:00

I am pleased to announce the launch of a new (hopefully short term) blog.By friend troy is currently deployed in Iraq. In an effort to get his news and updates to as many of his friends and family as possible I have put together a blog. EnjoyTroyruffin.blogspot.com

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-11916211798266756122007-02-03T14:51:00.000-08:002007-02-03T14:56:43.597-08:00

At approximately 2:30PM yesterday afternoon a small aircraft crashed in Grinell Iowa. This accident was witnessed, and emergency officials quickly responded to the scene. THE local news channels are reporting that there were no survivors from this crash. “Lord bless and guide all those who fly…..”After contacting the AFRCC no ELT signal was heard from this crash.

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-77203232154094584192007-02-03T14:46:00.000-08:002007-02-03T14:47:30.391-08:00

The state of Iowa morns the loss of one of it’s finest. Gilyn Gabbard served as Iowa’s First female Command Sergeant Major. She served her state, country, and the soldiers of Iowa well. Unfortunately on January 20th she became the 50th Iowan killed in the war in Iraq. Command Sergeant Major Gabbard was traveling aboard a Black hawk helicopter when that helicopter crashed killing all on board.

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-56886755986028504782007-01-12T08:39:00.000-08:002007-01-12T09:00:15.356-08:00

Lets talk about Amber.http://www.amberalert.gov/about/faqs.htmJust so everyone is on the same page here are a few notes from amberalert.govWhat are the criteria for issuing AMBER Alerts?Each state AMBER Alert plan has its own criteria for issuing AMBER Alerts. The PROTECT Act, passed in 2003, which established the role of AMBER Alert Coordinator within the Department of Justice, calls for the

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-66419125922384330662007-01-08T20:23:00.000-08:002007-01-12T08:48:24.475-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, the long awaited CAP/ NIMS croswalk. This is the corolation between CAP's Emergency Services specialties and the NIMS required educational courses. Enjoy Specialty ICS courses needed On line In Residence On Line ICS 100 ICS 200 ICS 300 ICS 400 IS 700 IS 800 IC level 1 X X X X X X IC level 2

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-88210660358323325462006-12-21T07:13:00.000-08:002006-12-21T07:14:57.158-08:00

Well this has been a busy time of year. As you may know I spent a week in a Train The Trainer course for ICS 300, and 400. This was an excellent opportunity to learn, meet new people, and get to talk with the old standards in Iowa’s emergency response network. I wish that I had time to blog more about this course, but the Friday we finished I was off to the WTA (CAP’s Drill weekend). This

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-84300184039509202812006-12-12T20:09:00.000-08:002006-12-12T21:29:35.140-08:00

When many people think of Fire Fighters they think of guys running into a building, and putting water on the fire. Water on fire is definitely the goal. Unfortunately many things can block the nozzle men from getting to the seat of the fire. This is where the truck company comes into play. “Truckies” gain access to buildings, conduct overhaul, conduct Search and Rescue, and as this video shows

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-37116334835078613282006-12-10T13:23:00.000-08:002006-12-10T13:27:22.633-08:00

Many people have speculated as to the search efforts associated with the Oregon Search for the Kim Family. After an afternoon of research (On the internet) I stumbled across a series of videos that are published on Cnet.com. I found these very insightful, and educational. I was amassed to see just how many resources, and assets were deployed on this operation. Once the search area was

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-44072232444195015462006-12-03T16:48:00.000-08:002006-12-03T16:52:32.941-08:00

Search and Rescue Assets from across the state of Iowa converged on Ames this weekend. The crews were assembled to look for 2 missing girls who never made it home from school. Fortunately this was only a drill. Search managers, Ground teams, K-9’s, Aircraft, Communicators, and Law enforcement agents gathered to practice the skills that keep them proficient with this type of event. WOI TV 5

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-52174025581175241732006-12-03T09:23:00.000-08:002006-12-03T09:32:51.798-08:00

Several People have asked me about the SAR forms that are becoming widley used in Iowa. These forms are functional, for SAR, but they do not replace ICS forms. These forms come from the Bay Area Search and Rescue Council. This council was created in 1990 to manage the 1000 volunteers working search and rescue in the San Francisco Bay area. The link listed below access the form, they use, and

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-9834066883719969842006-11-30T17:01:00.000-08:002006-11-30T17:56:28.573-08:00

The National Incident Management subcommittee has come up with its recommendations for what a Search and Rescue person should be. This is just a recommendation and has yet to be adopted. Many teams in Iowa are part of the way there. None are all the way there, and some have a long way to go. Enjoy the read.SAR Job Title 35: Wilderness Search and/or Rescue TechnicianDescription: A Wilderness

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1164319347875275952006-11-23T14:02:00.000-08:002006-11-30T17:58:48.371-08:00

It is with great pleasure that I announce to the world that the love of my life has agreed to marry me. That’s right, the eternal bachelor is going to tie the knot. I asked her this morning in the middle of the Locust street bridge in beautiful down town Des Moines, Iowa. Her strength and inspiration has convinced me that she was the one!! Don’t worry she has already been with me through a few

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1164318598073567202006-11-23T13:49:00.000-08:002006-12-03T08:49:32.860-08:00

The Iowa National Guard has bestowed formal decorations to five members of the Iowa Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. These medals were awarded for outstanding duty performance and an uncommon effort to advance and support the objectives of the Iowa National Guard. Col Ralph TomlinsonLt Col Nick CritelliLt Col Mike McCoyMaj Douglas JansenCapt Roger ElliotAnd Maj John HalbrookThe medal is the

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1162754494082149592006-11-05T11:13:00.000-08:002006-11-30T18:11:08.534-08:00

http://users.rcn.com/shumanmo/http://www.geraldoatlarge.com/video-archive.php?searchText=paul+shuman-moore&do=1#theTopGrinnell Authorities In Search For Missing StudentPhoto courtesy of KCCI TVCivil Air Patrol has joined the search effort to locate a Grinnell College student who went missing on Monday.Paul Shuman-Moore, 19, was reported missing at 10:25 p.m. Monday but was last seen on campus at

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1158940584541396232006-09-22T08:54:00.000-07:002006-11-30T18:27:07.277-08:00

The Emergency Services community is very unique in the United States. We seem to have developed a series of tiers of “professionalism”. In many parts of the country, the top tier is the paid professional Law Enforcement, Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services, and Emergency Management folks. Below them are often their volunteer or part-time counterparts. Below this are the support agencies -

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1156091782120862812006-08-20T09:36:00.000-07:002006-08-20T09:36:22.133-07:00

Picturestest

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1156040084328860592006-08-19T19:10:00.000-07:002006-11-30T18:37:35.900-08:00

The search and rescue community in Iowa is blessed to have several unique and different opportunities to receive truly professional SAR training. The Civil Air Patrol offers one such training opportunity. This training comes in the form of Iowa’s Emergency Services Academy. This academy is unique in that it may very well be Iowa’s only regularly scheduled, reoccurring, 40+ hour, search and

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1155695350111321742006-08-15T19:14:00.000-07:002006-11-30T18:41:25.148-08:00

Everyone should be aware of the fact that the National Incident Management System is here to stay. The use of NIMS typing will allow our search coordinators the comfort and security of knowing what to expect. Over the next few months we will look at the different NIMS type teams associated with Search and Rescue. The type 4 team is the most basic team, and should be the minimum standard that our

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1155611939121678932006-08-14T20:08:00.000-07:002006-11-30T18:44:56.570-08:00

Search and Rescue is a very unique industry. In all of emergency response, there are very few incidents that tie so many entities together. The logo listed above does a good job of representing this merger.The compass rose has long been a symbol of SAR. The points help find direction and focus.The star in the upper left quadrant represents the overriding law enforcement component that is always

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1151818904238586842006-07-01T22:33:00.000-07:002006-11-30T18:52:22.381-08:00

The Civil Air Patrol’s Roll within the Incident Command SystemAs with the rest of the country, the Civil Air Patrol was mandated to join the thousands of responders operating within the incident command system. CAP changed from our own internal search management system to the established ICS system. For the first few years of its acceptance of ICS, CAP did what many other agencies did...we

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1151814118180557022006-07-01T21:21:00.000-07:002006-11-30T19:02:12.646-08:00

A responder’s view on American readinessAmericans are very comfortable people who love our families, friends, our homes, and our cellular phones. When any one of these things is threatened or taken away we respond. We call 911 for help expecting the cavalry to come riding over the hill to save the day. We expect this cavalry to be well trained, coordinated, and capable of responding to any event

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1151808208966302042006-07-01T19:41:00.000-07:002006-07-01T21:12:14.250-07:00

I have compiled a viedo of immages from my work, and play. Unless I am in the picture I took the picture. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHxKxtty7Xc

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1151791653471537382006-07-01T15:06:00.000-07:002006-11-30T19:09:00.731-08:00

Throughout our lives, many people are placed into difficult situations and often require those with unique backgrounds and abilities to assist them. For better or worse, I have become one of these people. I am trained as a paramedic, a pilot, a scuba diver, a fire fighter, a Search And Rescue Technician, and a SAR Manager (just to name a few). Because of this background, I have had the joy to

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1151791524731828922006-07-01T14:50:00.000-07:002006-11-30T19:11:46.431-08:00

Dogs have always been associated with Search and Rescue. From the brandy carrying ski patrol dogs high in the mountains, to the rubble piles of September 11th, and continuing to the flooding, and devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Dogs have been a valuable component to rescue operations, and they will continue to be a part of these for years to come. Looking at the pictures on TV, and seeing

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30534528.post-1151787082182649432006-07-01T13:42:00.000-07:002006-11-30T19:13:37.557-08:00

The 4th of July is always an exciting time of year. We celebrate with family and friends in a jovial atmosphere with BBQs, fireworks, boats, and pools. For most Americans, this is a wonderful experience full of stories to be told around the water cooler on Wednesday, but for a few this will be a difficult weekend. During this holiday, boaters go missing, children wander off, and loved ones get

John Halbrooknoreply@blogger.com0