Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Civil Air Patrol seeks meeting/storage space; fire and police reports note busy summer and upcoming community events
Summary
The Mount Airy Civil Air Patrol reported rapid cadet growth and a need for meeting and storage space; the volunteer fire company and police department reported call volumes, upcoming remembrance and community events, and operational updates.
Multiple public-safety organizations briefed the council Sept. 8 about operations, volunteer needs and upcoming community events.
Civil Air Patrol: First Lieutenant Aaron Lavelle, representing the Montgomery (Mount Airy) Composite Squadron, said six Mount Airy cadets were selected to serve on Cadet Advisory Councils at group, wing and region levels and highlighted numerous training achievements. Lavelle said the squadron has grown to about 45 active members and is operationally capable of ground-team missions, sUAS (drone) missions and radio operations. He said the squadron is searching for a consistent weekly meeting location and secure storage for equipment; he thanked the town for permitting recent meetings in Town Hall and asked staff to help identify longer‑term space.
Volunteer Fire Company: Matt Hurd reported August call totals and mutual-aid breakdowns, recapped the department’s fundraising schedule and reminded the public of the Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony at Pine Grove Cemetery and the Rotary duck race on Sept. 14.
Police: Chief Maggie Ginevra reported 541 calls for service in August, cited community-outreach events (school-supply drive, Mount Airy Mile) and said National Night Out will be hosted at Watkins Park. She reviewed recent arrest and incident types (traffic arrests, assaults, DWI, narcotics arrest and a theft from a retail store) and said the department is continuing recruitment and lateral‑officer interviews. She asked for patience on the town’s crime‑watch feature, which is not monitored 24/7, and encouraged residents to call the station for urgent issues. Chief Ginevra also promoted the town’s breast‑cancer fundraising walk in October; donations flow to the community foundation.
Why it matters: Volunteer and civic organizations provide emergency response and public-safety coverage; CAP growth increases available volunteer resources but requires facilities. Police and fire event schedules and public-safety staffing affect operations and community safety.
Next steps: CAP will follow up with Public Works and town staff about possible meeting/storage locations; police and fire will continue outreach and schedule event participation.
