U. S. Marine Corps Improves Emergency Response System with Computer-Aided Dispatch

The Challenge

In 2009, a gunman opened fire at Fort Hood, Texas, killing 13 people and injuring more than 30 others. Soldiers and Fort Hood emergency personnel saved many lives that day, but the incident exposed gaps in the military’s emergency response model.

Following the incident, the U.S. Secretary of Defense undertook a complete study and ordered the U.S. Armed Forces to address shortfalls in its response systems, requiring implementation of E911 systems at military bases. The U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) was tasked with addressing the Secretary’s requirements.

The Solution

MCSC chose to implement a comprehensive solution called the Consolidated Emergency Response System (CERS). Foundational to the solution is Hexagon’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. The solution is being implemented at 13 Marine Corps sites, including three bases outside the U.S.

It will protect most Marine Corps personnel, their families, and others on base, increasing the effectiveness of law enforcement and fire and rescue personnel and reducing response times. MCSC was the first to meet the Secretary of Defense’s mandate and has gone above and beyond those requirements with the CERS solution.