Master Sgt. Laura Moore, brigade career counselor, and Staff Sgt. Xiomara Paulino, brigade chaplain's assistant, with 2nd ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., walk past a newly installed emergency callbox Nov. 28, 2015 at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. Having the functional equivalent of calling 9-1-1, the Camp's 20 recently upgraded callboxes provide a way to get help quickly in the event of an emergency.
Story by Sgt. Dana Moen
CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - Emergency call-boxes are receiving a big blue upgrade to enhance safety on the installation. The Department of Public Works had an upgraded callbox installed Nov. 21, near the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division billeting area in zone 3.
"Safety and Soldiers welfare is PMO's primary concern," a Camp Buehring Provost Marshal Sergeant said. "The callboxes connect directly to PMO and are the functional equivalent of dialing 9-1-1."
The new callboxes sport a svelte blue profile with white EMERGENCY lettering, a blue beacon and solar panel on top. A joint venture between the Camp's PMO and DPW entities, the 20 new callboxes cost approximately $40,000.
"If one Soldier is saved, [the callboxes] would be worth it," said Thomas McMurray, 2nd ABCT safety manager. "Almost every fire we've had is due to an electrical [malfunction]."
A push of the single call button connects the callbox directly to the Camp Buehring Provost Marshal's office emergency line and provides the location of the triggered callbox. After reporting the emergency details, another press of the call button disconnects.
"The majority of our calls are for fire alarm activations in the billeting areas," said Tony Hamilton, fire captain with Vectrus. "The cause is usually undermined, but may be due to e-cigarette usage that PMO says is prohibited in living and work areas."
Soldiers of the 155th Engineer Company, 244th Engineer Battalion poured concrete slabs and installed the callboxes for DPW. The project started Oct. 11 and the last two callboxes were installed Nov. 25.
"The callbox by the PX was used the other day [to report] a seizure," said Staff Sgt. Greg Nielsen, senior construction leader with 155th Engineer Company, 244th Eng. Bn. "So, they are already being put to use."
Army Staff Sgt. Xiomara Paulino, brigade chaplain's assistant with 2nd ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., checks out the emergency callbox’s user interface Nov. 28, 2015 at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The single button connects the reporting party directly to the camp Provost Marshal's emergency line – the functional equivalent of calling 9-1-1.
