Death Defying Drop
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1 VARItIr. CORPS FEB 3 1918 L. oiu DEATH DEFYING DROP DANGLING WITH DANGER - The "Swift and Deadly" Leathernecks of K-Bay's Company "A", 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, demonstrate their skill in rappelling from a UH-1N Huey helicopter during a recent Marine Aircraft Group (MAG)-24 deployment to the Garden Isle of Kauai. For more on the story turn to pages 4 & 5. Page 2, Hawaii Marine. November 24, 1977 Is this an emergency call? Clinic News Medical services for dependents are available at the Kaneohe Almost everyone realizes that the Public Works Department operates Branch Clinic on an appointment basis. Patients should telephone the a trouble call desk at 257-2380 through which requests for emergency Adult or Pediatric Clinic in order to be given an appointment which best and service work are routinely received. it is also common knowledge meets their needs. Acute problems will be given same-day that after normal working hours, the trouble call number is equipped appointments. Emergencies will be seen at any time. with a telephone recording device which allows the caller to record his problem and refers the caller to the Provost Marshal's Office in case of cut along dotted line emergency. Unfortunately, very few people understand what is or can be done with the information received through trouble calls, and therein Kaneohe Branch Clinic Telephone Numbers lies the trouble with trouble calls. Ambulance 257-2505 NUMBERS GAME Emergency Room 257-3133 First, let's look at numbers. The Public Works Department receives, Pediatric Clinic 257-2155 on the average, 500 trouble calls every week. These range from reports of power outages to stopped sinks to leaky pipes to "unusual" odors. Adult Clinic 257-2131 Every call received involves a complaint of some inconvenience which is being experienced by the caller. However, only 5 percent of the calls received, or approximately 25 calls each week, are truly emergencies in post near telephone nature. By emergencies, we mean situations which involve hazards to 146.13.~- personal safety or imminent damage to property. Emergency calls must, of course, be answered immediately, and the capability of doing this is greatly increased by the proper identification of emergencies. Yet over 100 calls each week are classified as emergencies by the caller. Opinions vary in poll Stopped up sinks are inconvenient, not emergencies. A malfunction- an leak from a shower head ing oven is inconvenient, not emergency. A Thanks go out to the 175 Marines and dependents who participated is inconvenient, not an emergency. Stopped up drains are incon- in the Hawaii Marine readership survey. The results are iii, and we are venient, not emergencies. now examining each response to determine how to effectively utilize Secondly, examine the procedure for handling trouble calls. During them in the Hawaii Marine. is in and a work normal working hours, the trouble call taken person Readership surveys, such as this one, are conducted for a variety of order is immediately written up and forwarded to the shops for reasons. Primarily, it is to help us better understand what the readers of the necessary work. The sheer volume of calls accomplishment would like to see and read. The cliche, "You can please some of the immediate response to most calls. However, 50 per received prevents people some of the time, you please all of the people all of the by the following day. After but can't cent of the calls received are completed time", would seem appropriate. A newspaper can never cover, reach or working hours, the recording device takes over and with it an interest- the help of a readership survey, it states the caller should satisfy all of its readers. But with ing problem. Although the recording clearly that becomes more aware of the priorities and tries to give equal coverage. tape, and in the case of an emergency, call the leave a message on the The Hawaii Marine readership survey was the readers' opportun ity to Many callers do not leave a message on the tape, and Provost Marshall. speak out and speak out they did. Comments and opinions were call the Provost Marshal for problems which are not emergencies. received on a number of subjects, ranging from pin-up girls and comics Recorded calls are checked at least hourly by duty personnel. Recorded to editorials and religion. Most people surveyed expressed a satisfac- emergency calls, of course, received precedence over other recorded emergency, the caller tion with the Hawaii Marine, but felt one or two con would calls. By not recording a message in the case of an make it even better. During December, these and many other com- down response time, because duty personnel will not may actually slow ments will be examined and explored in detail. receive word of the problem. Readers who responded to the survey had ten basic questions to answer. Two questions involved a written response and the remaining MESSAGE RELAY eight questions were multiple choice. are available have some When the Provost Marshal's Office is called, the message is relayed The statistics that presently shown interest- to the Public Works Duty Officer, who then contacts the original caller, ing results. Sixty per cent of those surveyed read the Hawaii Marine every issue, 30 per cent read most issues. The amount of time makes a determination as to the emergency nature of the problem while spend and advises the caller regarding what he can do to alleviate the pro- spent reading one issue varied markably; 40 per cent 10-19 blem, and in the case of emergencies, determines the most rapid minutes, 21 per cent spend 20-29 minutes and over 25 per cent spend method of response. Emergency calls are generally referred toduty per- 30 or more minutes reading each Hawaii Marine. Where do most readers get of sonnel initially, because their response time is faster than can be their copy the Hawaii Marine? On the achieved by calling in overtime personnel. When duty personnel are not basis of this survey, 67 per cent pick up a copy at their unit, 20 per cent at immediately available, the Public Works Duty Officer will answer the PX and 11 per cent someplace else. This information was gathered emergency calls himself. Non-emergency calls placed through the Pro- to see if all our readers were able to receive the Hawaii Marine. Results vost Marshal only serve to clutter the air, and slow down response time showed there was no difficulty in obtaining a weekly issue. for all calls, emergencies and non-emergencies. POPULAR SECTIONS The Public Works office exists to serve. The service each individual Classified ads and feature story ranked as the two most read articles, receives depends greatly on his or her discretion in making a request. with 80 per cent each. They were followed by the editorial section with Everyone can benefit from a smoothly flowing system and more rapid 51 per cent, the sports at 48 per cent and finally local locomation read by response if trouble call users would ask themselves the following 46 per cent of those surveyed. questions. Do I really need assistance with the work I am requesting? The Hawaii Marine was rated on a scale of one to five (good to bad). 38 Many items received as trouble calls could be simply solved by the per cent felt the newspaper was good, and we appreciate their compli- caller. That funny odor from the refrigerator may be milk that was spilled mentary remarks. 31 per cent felt the paper was above average, 26 per last night. Is this call an emergency? If so, leave a message on the tape, cent average, 4 per cent below average and 1 per cent just plain bad. then call the Provost Marshal. If not, leave a message on the tape only. The Hawaii Marine was rated on a scale of one to five (good to bad). Try to keep in mind that the air station is like a small city with many real Thirty-eight per cent felt the newspaper was good, and we appreciate emergencies occurring daily. While your particular problem maybe tre- their complimentary remarks. Thirty-one per cent felt the paper was mendously inconvenient, it is not an emergency unless it threatens your above average, 26 per cent average, 4 per cent below average and 1 per safety or will cause damage to your property or government property cent just plain bad. unless immediate steps are taken by Public Works personnel. Each and every result has a bearing on how the Hawaii Marine is viewed by the readers (even the 1 per cent). To disregard these results would be tragic. Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure the reader is satisfied with the base newspaper. We can accomplish this by using readers' comments and suggestion. MAHALO! Hawaii Marine Brown Commander. Marine Corps Bases Pacific LtGen. Leslie E. Capt. R.L. Heltit (257-2074) at Marine Officer in Charge the Hawaii Marine is published weekly on Friday for Marines, Navy personnel, dependents and civilian employees SSgt. Bill Jack (257-2141) Ltd.. Honolulu HI. under the supervision of the Editor Corps commands on Oahu. It is printed with appropriated funds by Hawaii Hoch!, Sgt. Tim Shepherd (267-2142) of the Navy and Marine Corps Sports Editor Joint Public Affairs Office, KMCAS, FPO, San Francisco, 96615, in compliance with the Department GySgt. J.B. Malin (2572142) News Bureau. Views and opinions Press Chief publications and printing regulations. The Hawaii Marine is a member of the Armed Forces SSgt. Jim Wilson (2672142) to inform, educate and entertain and Staff Write; expressed are not necessarily those of the Marine Corps.