Call boxes to be installed around base

by Tina Ray
Paraglide




The recent shooting at Fort Hood has prompted Army installations to scrutinize and improve safety measures.

In an effort to improve security on Fort Bragg, emergency call boxes will soon be installed at key locations on post.

“We are conducting a survey to determine the most populated and effective places to put the call boxes, which will transmit directly to the 911-call center,” said Carlos Irizarry, Fort Bragg’s chief physical security officer.

Some places under consideration include the Soldier Support Center, commissaries and the mini mall, he said.

“It’s something we could do to mitigate because of the Fort Hood issue,” Irizarry said. “There’s not a lot you can mitigate as far as a lone shooter goes, but the best thing we can do is have a quick response.”

Irizarry said the Provost Marshal’s Office and the Directorate of Emergency Services are coordinating with a Motorola vendor to bring the call boxes to Fort Bragg.

The boxes could cost an estimated $4,500 each and would include both the call box and a solar-powered control unit. If Fort Bragg chooses to purchase boxes that don’t include the solar-power option, then the boxes could vary in price from $3,000 to $4,500.

An all-encompassing maintenance contract is also being considered for the boxes, Irizarry said. The call boxes will be user-friendly with verbal instructions that will direct the caller to identify himself as police, security or other personnel.

The survey to determine where the boxes will be located is ongoing and, besides population, accounts for such concerns as area security lighting and camera systems. But, the boxes, said Irizarry, are expected to be installed by late December or early January.

“It’s going to provide an actual mechanism for personnel in the event we had a shooting or some type of crime against a person,” he said.