AtHoc system key to faster emergency notification

  • Published
  • By Debbie Aragon
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Many people may remember the old telephone game where one person whispers a message to another, that person then tells the message to someone else. The notification continues until a circle of people are given the message. At the end, the message is announced by the last person.

How long did it take for that message to get around and how often do you suppose that message was garbled?

Thanks to technology, people in Air Combat Command have a much faster, reliable system at their disposal to receive emergency messages and other important information.

AtHoc is ACC's approved and preferred system for automated emergency mass notification for its bases.

"(The AtHoc system) is the leader and future in network-centric emergency notification systems to the Department of Defense," said Master Sgt. Chastity Solomon, NCO in charge of 55th Wing Command Post systems, "and serves over 1 million military personnel at more than 150 facilities worldwide."

The system, which has been utilized here at Offutt for about two years, is a web browser that uses secure login credentials and an existing IP network to notify personnel through a multiple of channels including personal computers, land and mobile phones pagers, BlackBerries and Giant Voice, according to Sergeant Solomon.

A subscriber can also receive a text message, voice mail or desktop pop-up alert, she said.

In the past, military units have used telephone recall rosters as their primary means of unit notification.

"Telephone recall rosters are a traditional method of mass notification," said Lt. Col. Christopher Canada, 55th Wing director of staff. "They start from the top and require multiple people to make multiple phone calls to pass the word down the pyramid."

This system, however, has two weaknesses, the colonel noted.

"First, people get left out of the notification due to break downs in recall discipline as the word moves down and secondly the message itself can be garbled or confused as it moves down the pyramid," he said.

With AtHoc, the message is entered at the base command post from installation senior leadership input and goes out simultaneously to all subscribers via phone calls, e-mails and even text messaging.

"We had a few snow days this past winter and some people found it hard to find timely information about the status of the base and whether they would come into work," Colonel Canada said. "When a decision is made to close the base or to implement delayed reporting, AtHoc will inform subscribers quickly and through whatever available means are specified (by each individual)."

When arriving at Offutt, people aren't automatically enrolled in the AtHoc system. They must "opt in" and set their specific notification methods.

Opting in to the system is required for all military and civilian employees at Offutt who have a "@offutt.af.mil" e-mail account, Colonel Canada said.

To opt in, people must click the small purple globe at the bottom right corner of their work computer screen.

Once in the system, people use the self-service feature and update their user information as well as preferred means of notification.

"It's extremely vital to ensure your information is accurate at all times in order to receive notifications," Sergeant Solomon said.

In addition to the variety of notification options, the system also has an option to temporarily suspend or turn-off notification features when people are deployed or on leave and allows subscribers to reactive it upon return.

"I can recall a few times in the past when a unit called home in the middle of the night, waking up my wife, when the fact that I was (on temporary duty at another location) right on the crew board in front of the caller," Colonel Canada said.

"If properly updated, AtHoc alleviates family members being called for recall pyramid notification when the military member is TDY and ensures (Department of Defense) personnel are advised as rapidly as possible of events and conditions affecting them," he said.

When people make a permanent change of station move, they simply delete all outdated contact information.

"Once they arrive at their new duty location, their AtHoc administrator can assist them with getting their account transferred," Sergeant Solomon said.
The senior NCO recommends units add this to their in- and out-processing checklists.