250th Air Force Community Partnership signed

Col. Rob Lyman, the Joint Base Charleston commander, meets with J. Al Cannon, the Charleston County sheriff, during a tour of the Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center, March 30, 2017. The Enhanced 911 initiative combines the call centers for the 628th Security Forces Squadron and fire department with the Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center, ultimately shortening response times, saving money and saving lives. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Megan Munoz)

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250th Air Force Community Partnership signed

Col. Rob Lyman, the Joint Base Charleston commander, signs a memorandum of agreement with Keith Bustraan, the Charleston County administrator, at the Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center, March 30, 2017. The Enhanced 911 initiative combines the call centers for the 628th Security Forces Squadron and fire department with the Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center, ultimately shortening response times, saving money and saving lives. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Megan Munoz)

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250th Air Force Community Partnership signed

Published April 5, 2017
By Airman 1st Class Megan Munoz
Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs & the Air Force Community Partnership Team

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. (AFNS) -- Leaders from Joint Base Charleston and the surrounding community signed the 250th Air Force community partnership agreement last week. This one aims to reduce emergency response time for local military and civilian first responders.

“Early intervention to a medical emergency is the key to saving someone’s life,” said Tech. Sgt. Lee Fast, the 628th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department’s NCO in charge of the emergency communication center. “If help gets there on time, we can try and make sure that person’s life is saved.”

With the formal signing of the memorandum of agreement on March 30, 2017, call centers for Charleston’s 628th Security Forces Squadron and fire department are now merged under the Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center. All emergency calls and texts will now be centrally answered by the Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center

The new streamlined dispatch process replaces an older system that required multiple agencies and call transfers. Previously, a caller would first need to be transferred to the appropriate authorities where they would have to relay the same information each time upon transfer before emergency units could be dispatched.

The Air Force Community Partnership Program oversees the creation of mutually beneficial partnerships to leverage resources, combine similar services, and improve relationships of Air Force bases and surrounding communities.

“This partnership is of particular interest to the Air Force because of its ability to be easily replicated at other installations and communities across the country,” Teran Judd, the AFCP Program director said. “Our goal is to spread the good word of these innovative partnerships to increase value and benefit for others as well.”

Since January 2013, the AFCP Program has inspired 61 installations and communities to implement more than 1,000 initiatives and 250 agreements that generated $32 million in Air Force benefits and $24 milion in community benefits.

The AFCP Program guides installations and communities to identify partnership opportunities across the spectrum of installation and community services, and mission support.

Installations and communities leverage the AFCP framework to identify and develop mutually beneficial partnerships, such as shared medical training, municipal services, and refuse management services.