Fort Bliss Officials Defend Post’s Notification System

Fort Bliss September 22 defended the system used to alert Army personnel of the shooting at a convenience store that left two people dead. The post in Fort Bliss, Texas sent out an initial alert September 20 when a retired Army sergeant shot two women in the head at a post convenience store. The alert did not mention the shooting, but it informed personnel to stay clear of the area. Questions about the effectiveness of the system arose September 22 during a news conference with the post commander. The emergency manager for Fort Bliss said the alert was distributed through a mass-notification system inside the post’s installation operation center. The system distributed e-mail, text and voice messages to Army personnel in less than 6 minutes, he said. The system, which cost more than $200,000, includes 22 workstations, several televisions and a projection screen. It was installed about 6 months ago, he said. The emergency manager said the post tests the system every Wednesday, but that the post used the system in an official capacity only six or seven times. “The Monday incident was the first of that nature,” he said. “Most of the incidents were weather-related — high winds, rain and flooding.”