Last modified Wed., February 14, 2007 - 05:29 PM
Originally created Thursday, February 15, 2007

Use '#57' to report terrorist, other threats

By MCSA Dmitry Chepusov, Periscope Staff

CS1(SS) Michael Hollenbeck acting as Command Duty Officer of NSB Kings Bay dials #57 to trace a suspisious caller to the quarterdeck Feb. 10th. "It is important to try and keep the caller on the line for as long as possible or until they hang up," he said. "As soon as you loose the call, hang up and then dial #57 to activate the system. After that, all you have to do is call security and give the Watch Commander as much information as possible." Photo by MCSA Dmitry Chepusov

Standing quarterdeck watch can be hectic for some watch standers as they check the validity of identification cards of all visitors, answering phones calls and tending to other duties passed on by the command duty officer.

Then the phone call comes. The non-descript voice announces there is a bomb at one of the base's facilities and it's going to explode very soon. There is silence and the line goes dead. Without missing a beat, the watch presses three simple buttons on the phone: #-5-7 and then places the appropriate calls to security dispatch and Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

It was two years ago the Kings Bay NCIS field office employed the use of the #57 Trap and Trace system that increased the likelihood of identifying and apprehending a threatening caller. The feature identifies the number of a threatening or prank caller from all official Kings Bay telephones by storing the number for later retrieval.

''The '#57 Trap and Trace' telephonic capability of the Kings Bay telephone system is a way to track terrorist and criminal threats aimed at Kings Bay, the tenant commands or personnel,'' said Michael Eversman, an NCIS special agent. "The trap and trace system is easy to use and should be second nature to all command personnel after a little training and familiarity."

The call taker should primarily try to find out as much as possible about the caller; When is the bomb going to explode, where is it right now, what does it look like, the reasons for the bomb's placement, and the name and best description possible of the caller, including speaking manner and voice type. That is just some of the basic information that the watch stander should try to get from the call.

In addition to this, immediately after the caller hangs up, the watch should hang up the phone and then dial #57. A ring should be heard, followed by a recording which says "The trace you have requested has been completed". After this the watch should contact base security at 2145 or 2146 and ask for the watch commander for further instructions.

When you dial #57, a certain set of computers logs the information from the last call made to be retrieved in the event of a follow-up investigation. This feature is designed to be used only in the event that a formal complaint or report is to be made with the police or security forces. When this occurs, the Kings Bay security detachment works in conjunction with NCIS and information assurance officers to retrieve information and to investigate based on the data collected by the system.

"This is an essential tool to have in the case of a suspicious call," said Lt. LeeAnn Peek, watch commander at Kings Bay Security Detachment. "It just needs to be fully integrated into the fleet, because a lot of people don't know how to use it."

It is advisable that all commands using the base phone system post clear instructions and provide periodic training and drills demanding the use of '#57 Trap and Trace' feature.

''The correct use of the system is a valuable force protection tool against terrorist threats, bomb threats and suspicious telephone calls,'' said Eversman.

The #57 system can also be added to your home phone by contacting your service provider. For more information on the #57 system, contact NCIS Special Agent Mike Eversman at 573-2765.