Lackland Air Force Base, Texas –
Emergencies are a fact of life. They will happen somehow, eventually. The difference between the severity of the outcome depends on how the situation is handled.
The 37th Mission Support Squadron, under Air Force Personnel Center direction, has just made notification during times of emergency a whole lot simpler for its squadron personnel.
The Air Force Personnel Accountability Card is a quick reference of places to contact in times of emergency or distress.
The card focuses on the organizations that need to know of your status in a three-tiered approach. The tiers are designed to give step precedence to organizations that should be contacted upon first try, and others on subsequent attempts.
For instance, upon reaching a safe place after an emergency, the cards prompt personnel to contact their Unit Control Center or the Command Post. Contact numbers are placed beside each location.
If the UCC or Command Post cannot be reached, members are directed to call AFPC Headquarters or the Numbered Air Force unit they fall under.
The directions go through each tier until finally, when all other avenues are exhausted, status report to a Red Cross, local police or the Federal Emergency Management Association, so they can contact the appropriate Air Force agency.
All 37th MSS members who need an emergency contact card should stop by their orderly room.
The accountability card program, started by AFPC, will be enacted across all squadrons at Lackland. For more information on how to obtain a card from your squadron, contact your orderly room.