Upgrades enhance unit's emergency management capability Published March 21, 2008 By Amanda Creel 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- A modernization project totaling more than $400,000 will enable Group Control Center workers here to achieve all of their missions more effectively. Upgrades to an existing building will help the 13-person team perform emergency management, production analysis, command and control and long-range workloads more efficiently for the 402nd Electronic Maintenance Group. Officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony March 21 to commemorate the GCC's move into the revamped facility. "It's (GCC) the nerve center or hub of the whole organization," said Sandy Faircloth, director of the 402nd Electronic Maintenance Support Squadron. Some of the many features of the new center include satellite TV capabilities, which allow workers to watch national and local news and weather channels, six 40-inch plasma screens, and one LCD projection screen. Additionally, an adjacent conference room provides the GCC with video-teleconference capability. The facility is also outfitted with secure telephone equipment used for classified communications and a phone linked with the Base Emergency Telephone System. Another important feature is a 900-gallon, diesel-powered backup generator. The generator allows the group to operate for 72 hours without power. "It keeps us running in any circumstance," said Mike Poole, GCC flight chief. As part of the emergency management mission, the GCC team handles any inspection, plus exercise or real-world situations that might occur. "We are like 9-1-1 for the group," Mr. Poole said. According to Ryan Prosperie, emergency management coordinator, the center has a plan for every organization and every person during emergency situations such as tornadoes or bomb threats. The office also facilitates any Force Protection Condition changes such as electronic locking of gates throughout the group's facility, Mr. Poole said. The team is responsible for posting guards and moving cars when security measures are in place. The facility is also equipped with cameras that allow team members to see who's attempting to gain entry into the center. Along with ensuring the safety of the group's personnel, the group also helps guarantee production levels throughout the group are optimal. The new facility allows the team to monitor production levels using the tenets of visual management. Members of the team can immediately determine shops that are producing well and shops that aren't by looking at one of the plasma screens. Great producers are shown in blue, while those with production issues are highlighted in red. "This way we know where to focus manpower and attention to get problems fixed," said Tammie Hanlin, lead production operation analyst.