AtHoc emergency notification system goes live on JBER

by Air Force Staff Sgt. John Wright
JBER Public Affairs

11/21/2013 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- What do you do when you are on base and severe weather is fast approaching or a potentially life-threatening emergency situation is developing?

Enter the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson AtHoc Installation Warning System Alerts - a network-centric emergency mass-notification system capable of alerting base personnel within minutes of an emergency from a single, centralized, web-based system.

AtHoc, introduced at JBER in September, allows the installation command post
to warn and provide instructions simultaneously to all government computers, telephones, building public address systems and the outside 'giant voice' public address system.

A small purple globe in the lower right-hand toolbar on JBER computer workstations is the icon for the AtHoc system. Within the software, users can check for new alerts and update their information -- a step crucial to successfully receiving notifications, according to Richard Kohler, 673d Air Base Wing command post chief.

Base personnel can update their information by using the AtHoc Interactive Warning System-Alerts self service module; right click on the purple globe icon at bottom of the screen and select "Access Self Service" and update accordingly.

Air Force Master Sgt. Shawna Hovestadt, 673d ABW command post superintendent, pointed out that though the system provides robust notification capabilities, everyone must remember their Wingman responsibilities to ensure the 100-percent solution.

For the daily user, with the exception of the desktop alerts, users will only be notified on their personal phone lines for actual emergency situations such as, but not limited to, severe weather events, evacuation orders, specialized recalls, and active shooter alerts.
"Ultimately, the goal of the installation command post is to provide a means of rapidly notifying JBER personnel during times of emergencies, through multiple avenues, and to accelerate the installation's response," Hovestadt said.

Since its implementation at JBER, AtHoc has been put into practice during simulated emergency situations and wartime scenarios. Air Force Lt. Col. David McCleese, 773d Civil Engineer Squadron commander and Emergency Operations Center director, said AtHoc is a vital tool in these circumstances.

"Emergency notifications are important to ensure preservation of life and property," McCleese said. "It allows us to quickly recover from whatever contingency is threatening the mission. It's important we get the word out so everyone understands the character of an emergency so people understand where to go or not go."

For more information or to address AtHoc technical issues, contact the installation command post at 552-3000.

Editor's note: information from Air Education Training Command Public Affairs contributed to this article.