By AuxBeacon News Staff
[Editor’s Note: We received these two photos today of tree removal operations during the Albany, GA storm relief mission in Georgia Wing. Col Richard Greenwood, the Georgia Wing Commander was the Incident Commander. He had overall responsibility for the safety of his mission personnel. AuxBeacon readers were quick to advise us to look at OSHA’s Forklift regulations. Thank you for your contribution.]
The Albany Composite Squadron members in these photos are in violation of OSHA standards and CAP safety requirements. Forklift operators must be trained in the proper use of attachments because they alter the performance of the forklift. Attachments affect the truck’s performance by changing its center of gravity, visibility, and capacity.
OSHA strictly forbids lifting and holding workers on forks unless they use an approved work platform with railings. A forklift operator is required to wear a seat belt. People cannot use the tire to stand on or be near a moving forklift.
From worksafetcenter.com
“Never use the forks of a forklift to lift employees to elevated levels. Without a proper platform or other fall protection devices they expose employees to falls. Review this safety document with your employees.”
Forklift-mounted work platforms must be enclosed with guardrails on all four-sides. The following are required:
• Top rail at 39-45 inches
• Mid rail
• Toe board
• Secure work baskets to the forklift backrest.
With all the safety classes required by Civil Air Patrol, this is still the end result. The CAP has no business with tree removal, debris clearing, chainsaw usage, forklift operation, because they are clearly NOT properly trained and safety-briefed.
It just reckoned on me that this is Albany Composite Squadron home of Jim Shaw, a documented thief of numerous CAP historical artifacts. Pardoned by Carr, rewarded by Greenwood and forever haunted by Nunnally.
When you come to a fork in the road, stand on it.
I am not understanding the argument currently being had over whether this should have been exposed or not. It doesn’t look safe, but it was also a small disaster. I know some are very frustrated over the matter. Can you explain yourselves?
The photos were run for all to see in a story in the Albany Herald on January the 18th. A few of us members were uncomfortable with how this unfolded.
Georgia Wing CAP aircrew were snubbed for aerial recon missions in Albany this January. Greenwood chose to send ill-equipped and improperly trained ground teams to the area in order to compensate for that negative publicity.
A few of us are concerned about being used and put at risk in this way, but cannot tell the man to his face. These photos were forwarded to AuxBeacon for public evaluation and comment because that is our only recourse.
End of story.
You can find crystal clear snapshots of these Georgia Wing emails at [redacted].
We are sharing these with you in order to reveal Georgia Wing CAP’s media agenda in preparation for Civil Air Patrol Legislative Day with Nathan Deal on February 1st 2017. As is their Modus Operandi, CAP improves their self-image externally, while confessing it internally. Kudos on the Col Tubarks Skrabut video.
GAWING: Air Operations Stand Down 17-C-4058
via Georgia Wing Members who have subscribed
Wed, Jan 25, 2017 at 12:22 PM
Reply-To:
To: “georgiawing @ gawg.cap.gov”
GA Wing Members/ Aircrews,
By order of the Incident Commander Col. Richard Greenwood,
The Albany DR Mission is rapidly evolving into and ALL Ground Operation. All Aircraft and Air-crewmen are ordered to stand down and return to normal levels of readiness. Should conditions change, and Air Operationsneed to commence, everyone will be notified.
Thanks you to all our air-crewmen, for being there for our State in Albany’s time of need!
GAWING: Albany Disaster Response (17-C-4058)
Fred Koenig via Georgia Wing Members who have subscribed
Thu, Jan 26, 2017 at 12:42 PM
Reply-To: “[email protected]”
Unit Commanders/GA Wing Members,
Update From PSC/Resources Unit Leader.
We are asking that all units please review and make any necessary changes to current available equipment and personnel listings you provided for this mission earlier in the week. Please include qualifications of your people and then separate these resources by dates of availability.
AT THIS TIME, AIRCREWS ARE NOT REQUESTED. THIS IS A GROUND OPERATION. IF ANY AIRCREWS ARE NEEDED, THEY WILL BE ADVISED AND GIVEN AS MUCH LEAD TIME AS POSSIBLE.
Civil Air Patrol Commanders like Tony Pineda, Jayson Altieri’s father-in-law Dwight H. Wheless, Eduardo Zayas, Jeff Wong, Brian Bishop, Dale Newell, Tom Kettell, Michael Curry, James Nova, Al Bedgood, Richard Greenwood, Joe Knight, Dave Mitchell, Kris Matthew Ward, Henry Irizarry, Kevin McSparron and the rest have really destroyed CAP’s public image.
So greatly damaged, in fact, and with the gala waste so apparent, that CAP pilots may soon need to provide their own aircraft again in order to serve. If your investigators have not seen this, please check it out. The solicitation is an eye-opener into the needs of Civil Air Patrol as a result of the behavior of the characters named above and many more.
2017 CAP Pilot Aircraft Ownership Survey
17 Jan 2017
Commanders and Staff,
In case you get any questions from your pilots regarding the legitimacy of a CAP survey from Survey Monkey, it is legit. Your pilots should have received an email from Survey Monkey asking them to complete our 2017 CAP Pilot Aircraft Ownership Survey. We’d appreciate it if you would encourage all of your pilots to compete the survey over the next week.
The link to the survey was originally found here
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/59ZBPXZ
The CAP leadership is trying to determine how many of CAP’s pilots currently own aircraft (powered, gliders, or balloons) or plan to purchase an aircraft in 2017, and if our members that are aircraft owners would be willing to use them for CAP missions, what they would consider a reasonable maintenance reimbursement rate per hour or launch. This survey will remain active through the 25th of January 2017.
1. What is your full name?
2. What is your CAPID?
3. Do you own an aircraft yourself or do you jointly own an aircraft with someone else?
This was a Richard Greenwood Production.
I cannot speak for GEMA, but as an EMA director in Georgia, this why we do not request the CAP. They usually get in the way of the professionals, are not trained for the tasks at hand, have young kids involved and are not prepared. They provide decent aerial images, but the CAP “ground pounders” are an insurance liability that we cannot afford.
I agree with EMA on the poor CAP performance on the ground, but I also disagree with him regarding the quality of aerial photos we received. CAP pilots and their aerial photographers are poorly trained in understanding what it is we really need to see. This information needs to get out so that we have people willing to listen.
Does Vazquez respond to posts here so that an public and open critique of Civil Air Patrol aircrew could motivate him to personally make changes?
This is in direct violation of OSHA Federal Regulations. Forklift operators must be trained in the proper use of attachments (and people) because they alter the performance of the forklift. Attachments affect the truck’s performance by changing its center of gravity, visibility, and capacity.
OSHA strictly forbids lifting and holding workers on forks unless they use an approved work platform with railings. A forklift operator is required to wear a seat belt. People cannot use the tire to stand on or be near a moving forklift.
With all the safety classes the CAP requires you to do, this is the end result. The CAP has no business with tree removal, debris clearing, chainsaw usage, forklift operation, etc unless they are properly trained, certified and insured. Clearly, they are NOT!
Civil Air Patrol and their insurance company AirSure Ltd may benefit from an introduction to OSHA standards.