Straight Talk line gives crisis info

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Phyllis Keith
  • Kirtland Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  The Kirtland Air Force Base Straight Talk Line relays important information during a base emergency, supplementing the AtHoc mass notification system, Kirtland public website and Facebook page.

Straight Talk is designed to replace rumor with brief, accurate recorded information about a crisis and the actions to take. To access Straight Talk, call 846-4238.

During the active-shooter false alarm Dec. 2, personnel called the command post to ask if it was an exercise or a real emergency, said Dan Guillaume, chief of the 377th Air Base Wing command post.

"When an incident kicks off, we're making multiple notifications -- to the crisis action team, the emergency operations center, the commanders, public affairs, the safety office, Albuquerque Public Schools and on-base agencies like Sandia National Laboratories," Guillaume said.

Maj. Brent Pickrell, 377th Security Forces Squadron commander, said people shouldn't call the Base Defense Operations Center to ask what's happening or when the gates will reopen.

"Our BDOC controllers are busy dispatching responders," he said. "The quantity of calls we get inhibits our ability to respond."

"The Straight Talk Line is a great way to keep people informed, while keeping the lines at control centers free to allow our Airmen to do their jobs," he said.

Guillaume said base personnel should sign up for the AtHoc notification system, providing their cell number, home number and email address.

Sharon Martin, 377th ABW installation emergency manager, said personnel should not confuse "lockdown" with "shelter in place."

"A lockdown is exclusive to an active-shooter incident, meaning danger is imminent and you have three choices: hide, run or fight," Martin said.

"Shelter in place" means a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive toxin is outside, and you have only one choice: Go to your designated shelter-in-place location, seal off the room and wait it out, she said.