Safety

Safety Officer: 1st Lt. Marianne Holgate

We hold required Safety Briefings by our squadrons safety officer. 

As part of living the Core Values of the Civil Air Patrol, safety is a key core of every decision and every activity that's implemented. 

Why Safety?

We care about each other, our resources, and the missions and activities that make us who we are. We all want every person to go home safely and our equipment returned undamaged. Both of those ends keep us ready, reliable, and credible in everything we do, and the diligent exercise of stewardship – a high degree of care and responsibility – provides an invaluable layer of assurance that we are. Regardless of the content you choose, talk about why it’s important to cover it, why it matters, and why it must be practiced. All the reporting and assessments in the world aren’t going to make us safer unless people hold safety as a personal value, which is demonstrated by acting in ways that reflect care and concern for each other and the resources entrusted to us. That ideal is more about guiding, mentoring, and coaching so people learn to use the tools that keep themselves and each other safe.

What’s the challenge? It takes time to engage with people, to help them learn and grow, and to help them embrace safety as a personal value. When you do engage them, you’ll find that there are a variety of attitudes about safety and that everyone has a unique view of what “safe” means and whether prevention is worth the effort when it comes to avoiding some outcomes. The investment of time and energy, however, demonstrates that leaders are actively helping members to understand potential hazards, assures members that they are concerned for their safety and the safety of their teammates, frames and plans activities that are suitable for members given the degree of difficulty, and helps members self-assess their abilities.