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Second PACAF Base Selects Networked Alerting System for Installation-wide Emergency Notification
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BURLINGAME, Ca.(March 13, 2007) – AtHoc, Inc. today announced that Elmendorf Air Force Base has deployed AtHoc’s network-centric emergency notification system, AtHoc IWSAlerts™, to provide base-wide emergency notification using the base’s existing Internet Protocol (IP) network. The procurement and deployment followed a successful base-wide pilot of the offering that helped the 3rd Wing successfully pass its 2006 Unit Compliance Inspection (UCI).
Located adjacent to the city of Anchorage, Elmendorf Air Force Base is the largest Air Force installation in Alaska and home of the Headquarters, Alaskan Command (ALCOM), Alaskan NORAD Region (ANR), Eleventh Air Force (11th AF) and the 3rd Wing. Elmendorf is now the second PACAF base deploying AtHoc’s offering, an offering already in use at Yokota Air Base and throughout numerous other Air Force Major Commands.
Due to Elmendorf’s increasing size, strategic location and training facilities, the threat potential and severe weather conditions make security for the base and its personnel critical. The AtHoc IWSAlerts offering provides Elmendorf’s Command Post (CP) and Communications Control Center (CCC) with the ability to send alerts to a computer screen whenever a threat is identified. Threats range from potential terror warnings and exercise inputs to weather alerts and inclement weather base closings.
The alerts appear in the form of pop-up windows which describe the potential threat, categorize the threat level and include instructions for action. An audio alert also automatically sounds over the computer’s speakers. AtHoc IWSAlerts can guarantee connected users will see and hear the alerts within an average of one minute after the alert is sent.
And to manage the alerts and the alerting process, AtHoc IWSAlerts’ management system serves as the control center. It provides the bases with centralized management of all aspects of the emergency notification process. This includes: emergency scenario management, operators’ permission management, end-user management, alerts tracking as well as the ability to connect and trigger multiple alert delivery system such as Giant Voice or telephony alerting systems, through a single interface.
"Protecting the force is one of our highest priorities,” explained Major Mike Hunsberger, Director of Operations for the 3rd Communications Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base. "In the past, getting the word out about an emergency could take up to two hours. We can now alert personnel in minutes. When seconds count, using a network alerting system to rapidly communicate emergencies can mean the difference between safety and injury.”
Elmendorf Air Force Base’s emergency alert system operates through AtHoc’s Web-based operator console. Using this console, operators activate alerts from any computer connected to the base’s network. Web-based access is a crucial capability, especially if the Elmendorf Command Center gets disabled during an emergency. The system may also be configured so that each operator has different rights to activate specific types of alerts. For example, some operators may be limited to activating weather alerts while others can only launch IT alerts.
"Its geographic location presents many unique safety challenges that extend far beyond the vast borders of Alaska,” said Guy Miasnik, president and CEO of AtHoc. "With AtHoc’s network-centric solution, Elmendorf can dramatically increase the speed of contacting personnel with critical information — a highly effective way to fortify force protection by rapidly communicating warnings and emergencies.”
AtHoc IWSAlerts is one of the few commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) network-centric alerting systems that have received Defense Information Technology Security Certification and Accreditation Process (DITSCAP) certification. The product includes a specific library of audio-visual signals that comply with the Air Force’s Full Spectrum Threat Response (FSTR) requirements outlined in Air Force Instruction (AFI) 10-2501. Such signals cover force protection (FPCON) commands, warnings and other DoD and USAF emergency messages.
About AtHoc, Inc.
AtHoc provides enterprise-class, network-centric alerting systems for emergency notifications, force protection readiness, anti-terror warnings and critical communications. AtHoc offers a broad set of alerting solutions for the government/defense agencies and commercial enterprises, including IWSAlerts™ for Network-Centric Emergency Notifications; C2Alerts™ for Targeted User Alerts in Command & Control / C4I Operations Center; KMAlerts™ for Knowledge and Intelligence Dissemination; and EmployeeAlerts™ for Corporate Emergency Communications. AtHoc has partnered with Microsoft, Northrop Grumman and IBM to bring these notifications solutions to the enterprise market. The U.S. Strategic Command, U.S. Air Force, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Boeing, eBay and Juniper Networks are some of the world-class organizations that have selected and deployed AtHoc for their critical enterprise notifications needs.
For more information on AtHoc, please visit http://www.athoc.com.
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