During an emergency, it is critical that personnel, military family members and others aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany receive immediate notifications. Whether it is an active shooter, tornado or other threat, it is crucial that all personnel are notified of the hazard and know what actions to take. A special electronic mass notification system training was held for Public Safety dispatchers and Communication Operations and Strategy staff, Nov. 27.
The training was informative for Sheila Dollison, site supervisor and dispatch operator, Public Safety Division, who recently started working at MCLB Albany just four months ago.
“The AtHoc system can be a sounding board … I know we feel they’ve done all of that, but this is another piece to help the base be secure and I really buy into that … my job is to make sure the base is secure,” Dollison explained.
As the site supervisor for the truck gate, Dollison takes pride in checking that every 18-wheeler that comes through MCLB Albany gates is safe.
Currently, the various means to disseminate emergency information at MCLB Albany is by the following:
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WAVES and Giant Voice consists of speaker towers strategically placed outdoors and within select buildings at MCLB Albany. During an emergency, the voice of an operator will be heard providing notification of an emergency and instructions on protective action. If the threat/hazard is specifically a Tornado Warning then a siren will be sounded until the threat is gone.
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Enterprise Mass Notification System (eMNS)/AtHoc ensures that employees can receive an emergency notification while outside the office. All employees with a ‘usmc.mil’ email account must update their information within AtHoc in order to receive alerts by telephone and email.
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Tenant Command Mass Notification System (eMNS/AtHoc) provides emergency alerts to personnel within tenant commands such as Marine Corps Logistics Command and the Naval Branch Health Clinic. For specific information about your command/activity, please contact your designated Security, Emergency Management, Mission Assurance POC or the Installation Emergency Manager/base eMNS/AtHoc point of contact.
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Marine Corps Police Department Patrol Car PA System consists of officers utilizing the car public address system as a last resort in getting the word out to all base personnel who may not be aware of an emergency.
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Communication Operations and Strategy Office personnel release all-hands emails, website announcements and social media posts to supplement the mass notification system.
“For you, the Public Affairs piece (is) educating our users on how to use the system so then our operators don’t struggle” Mark Redden, AtHoc Instructor, Blackberry, explained. “I recommend on a quarterly to every six-month basis come together as a team (to review) how we are doing with AtHoc.”
Although the Mass Notification System is designed to ensure all personnel aboard MCLB Albany are aware of a threat or hazard it is beneficial to receive notifications when outside of the Installation via personal devices so that you can be aware of what you may be driving into or in the case of a weather event what may be coming at you.
If you have any questions on how to add or verify your contact information in AtHoc or issues with eMNS please contact, 229-639-5746 or 229-639-9062 or email MCLBAEMERGENCYMGR@usmc.mil.