SSwimmerwimmer JJaredared HHeineeine wwillill bbee ppartart ooff tthehe fi rrstst MMarshallarshall IIslandsslands OOlympiclympic tteameam aandnd wwillill ccompeteompete iinn tthehe 22008008 ggamesames aatt BBeijing.eijing. FForor mmore,ore, sseeee PPageage 44.. ((PhotoPhoto bbyy JJJJ KKlein)lein) The Kwajalein Hourglass www.smdc.army.mil/KWAJ/Hourglass/hourglass.html EEditorialditorial Commander updates community on transition It’s the beginning of a new year, and USAKA has received direction from I’d like to give you an update on the the Space and Missile Defense Com- transition team’s progress. mand commanding general that it During the Kwaj Town Hall Meeting must realign its business practices and in November, I stated that I would be mission execution to accommodate briefi ng the results of the transition RDO enabled by installation of a fi ber team’s work to our higher authority. I optic network between Kwajalein and asked you to wait and not make any Guam. career-changing decisions until you As a result of that guidance, and get the result of those briefi ngs. Dr. with the input of multiple study groups, Rodney Robertson has approved the USAKA received budget guidance in using the Lean Six Sigma model to af- recommended course of action at his November that indicated a reduction fect effi ciencies in current operations. level. Michael Schexnayder will re- in funding is inevitable for future fi scal Some of the areas we’re looking at or ceive a briefi ng in the month of March. years. planning to look at are warehousing My transition team looked at four The new plan includes funding (ongoing), intra-atoll transportation possible courses of action and came the Reagan Test Site to a level that (ongoing), retail facility consolidation, to the conclusion that the best course provides for the execution of the RDO housing footprint reduction, Roi opera- of action is to implement full range dis- and provides for continued opera- tions, community activities operations, tributed operations and continue with tion, maintenance, improvement and and a personnel policy review. accompanied personnel on Kwajalein. modernization of the current RTS As you can see, a lot of work re- Kwajalein Range Services has instrumentation suite per the current mains, but I promised you an update been directed to develop a proposed contract requirements. as things progress in the spring ‘07 operational and logistical support plan It also ensures that, for purposes time frame. The current plan is to get that will ensure the continued and of recruitment and retention, living on changes in order during this fi scal unhindered operation of U.S. Army Kwajalein includes an accompanied year. Stand by for period updates in Kwajalein Atoll as it transforms its cur- option for selected positions. Many the near future. rent business practices and operations options are on the table for review, I wish everyone a very happy new through fi scal year 2013. and as I’ve mentioned before, we’re year! LLetteretter ttoo tthehe eeditorditor Resident not happy with cancellation of non-stop fl ight I was unhappy to see that the direct fl ight to Honolulu ample time to get to our connecting fl ight the following day is going to be done away with. My purpose in writing minus some of the travel frenzy. I realize that for young this is so that, perhaps, someone in a postion to affect a people it probably does not affect them much but for us with change to this plan might do so. On our last home leave a little more “wear and tear” on us,(nice way of saying: age) it was just wonderful to arrive in Hono earlier in the day this can make a big difference in traveling. This is probably after the direct fl ight. We had plenty of time to get to our a small thing, but sometimes small things add up to a big hotel, relax and have a nice dinner out after fi rst limber- thing in quality of life. ing up that credit card in a few shops. There was also — Jo Bolen To submit a letter to the editor: Keep letters to less than 300 words, and keep Classifi ed ads com ments to the issues. No personal attacks will be printed. Letters must be signed. The deadline for classifi ed ads is as follows. For Wednes- However, names will be withheld if requested. We will edit for Associated Press style, day’s issue, noon on Saturday; for Saturday’s issue, noon on grammar and punctuation and if you exceed the word limit, space. Limit one letter Thursday. All ads must be limited to 50 words. Multiple ads will every 30 days. Send your letter to: The Hour glass, P.O. Box 23, Local; be combined and edited to the 50 word limit. Patio sale ads for or [email protected]. Saturdays will be printed in Wednesday issues. TThehe KKwajaleinwajalein HHourglassourglass The Kwajalein Hourglass is named for the or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department E-mail: [email protected] insignia of the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division, of Defense, Department of the Army or USAKA. which liberated the island from the forces of Im- It is published Wednesdays and Saturdays in ac- Commanding Offi cer......Col. Stevenson Reed perial Japan on Feb. 4, 1944. cordance with Army Regulation 360-1 and using a The Kwajalein Hourglass is an authorized pub- network printer by Kwajalein Range Services edito- Public Affairs Offi cer......................Sandy Miller lication for military personnel, federal employees, rial staff. Editor......................................Nell Drumheller contractor workers and their families assigned P.O. Box 23, APO AP 96555 Graphics Designer..........................Dan Adler to U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll. Contents of the Phone: Defense Switching Network 254-3539; Reporter ............................................JJ Klein Hourglass are not necessarily offi cial views of, local phone: 53539 Printed circulation: 2,000 Distribution..................................C.J. Kemem The Kwajalein Hourglass 2 Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2007 Surviving a Following procedures can mean life or death By Nell Drumheller When an alarm goes off Editor in a facility on Kwajalein and Roi-Namur, an What would happen if there was alarm is also received at a fi re and no one evacuated? the fire station. When The Kwajalein Fire Department this happens, the alarm responds to between nine and 10 room operator dispatch- emergencies each week. es response crews. “Our typical responses are fi re “Immediately after dis- alarm activations, report of fi re, patching the fi re depart- emergency medical incidents, and ment, the alarm room hazmat responses,” explained Ken operator will notify KPD Riley, assistant chief of fi re pre- [Kwajalein Police Depart- vention. ment] who will in turn When an alarm activates, people dispatch a unit. EMT Observing fi re safety rules can save lives. should evacuate, but that doesn’t [Emergency Medical always happen. Treatment] personnel respond in the regulations to have an Emergency “If you are at work and the fi re ambulance on all alarms. The DoD Evacuation Plan. Riley explained alarm activates, take your cac and Army standard for structural that this plan will show evacuation [common access card] and per- responses is three engine companies routes and a point to assemble so sonal items that are at your im- and an incident commander. On a head count can be made. The mediate disposal such as purses Kwajalein we respond with two en- facility manager is responsible for or backpacks,” Riley said. “If you gine companies, an ambulance, and having these posted. “If you do not are in your BQ [bachelor quarters], an incident commander,” Riley said. know where your plan is contact the same guidelines apply. If you According to the National Fire the manager of your facility. If you get to the hall and see there is no Protection Agency, the fi rst objec- do not have one, at minimum you smoke, take time to lock your door tive of a fi re alarm signal is to notify should be across the street, be and exit the building. The corridor occupants of a fi re. “Buildings are careful crossing streets as emer- walls and doors are fi re rated. If designed, size of corridors, distance gency units will be responding,” you get to the hall and it is fi lled to and size of exits, etc. with con- he added. with heavy smoke and you can- sideration for a prompt evacuation,” Onlookers could keep emergen- not make it to the fi re exit, close Riley said. “If the occupants wait cy responders from effectively do- the door and place a wet towel at until they actually see fi re or smoke, ing their jobs. Riley advised, “You the crack of the door. Call the fi re it may already be too late for all oc- should keep the fi re department department, and let us know you cupants to exit.” between you and the building with are trapped.” Every building is required by Army the alarm activation.” When an alarm activates, resi- Facts and fi gures dents should assume it means The following is provided by the NFPA: fire. However, Riley said that • In the United States from 1999 to 2002 an estimated annual smoking, cooking, water leaking average of 2,340 reported fi res in dormitory properties caused three into the system and condensa- civilian deaths, 80 civilian injuries and $32 million in estimated direct tions caused by occupants open- property damage. ing windows are also reasons why • Fires in the dormitory occupancy group fell 22 percent from 3,200 an alarm will sound. in 1980 to 2,620 in 2002.