MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH --
Mass
notification systems are a way to distribute announcements and information
within minutes from a centralized, web-based location in an effort to notify
and keep personnel up-to-date during an emergency.
Marine
Corps Air Station Cherry Point is requesting air station personnel to update
their personal information within the system.
According
to Grant DeHaven, the mission assurance program manager here, Cherry Point has
three notification systems to release accurate information quickly.
“The
systems include a giant voice and a little voice, which consist of speaker
towers placed outdoors and within buildings across the installation,” said
DeHaven. “Within minutes of an emergency event being reported, the voice of an
operator will be heard providing notifications and instructions.”
Additionally,
the AtHoc system provides personnel accountability for emergency situations
because all personnel with a Marine Corps email account are automatically
registered into the system said DeHaven. All other personnel who wish to be
added are advised to see their mission assurance working representative to
become registered.
“Those
who are registered within the system receive desktop pop-up messages and alerts
through work telephones and email,” said DeHaven. “It is recommended that
personnel take the time to verify and add personal contact information … because
the more information you have in the system, the better chance you have of
being accurately contacted in a timely manner.”
According
to DeHaven, it is critical during emergency situations for personnel,
dependents and others aboard the air station and across 2nd Marine Aircraft
Wing to receive immediate notifications to have ample time to take appropriate
actions.
“No
matter the situation, it is crucial that personnel understand how they can be
notified and what actions to take once they are notified,” said DeHaven.
“The emergency notification system serves as a
piece of mind for personnel aboard the installation and their families,” said
DeHaven. “We do our best making sure we can alert people. People can take
action as long as they are alerted that there is a potential emergency. This is
why it is so important to us to make sure they can hear and receive these
messages from as many outlets as possible.”
For more
information, contact the station Emergency Mass Notification Procedures line at
252-466-2347 or 252-466-7561.
To add
information to an existing account, the user must locate and click on the
purple globe in government computer. Once it is open, the user should select
the “Access Self Service” button from the drop down bar. The user must then
navigate to the “My Info” section where they will verify organizational
information. Then, the user will click the “Devices” tab to verify and add
personal contact information. Additional information can be accessed through AtHoc
application by downloading it on an iPhone or Android device.