HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – 66th Security Forces Squadron personnel here are reminding Hanscom residents and visitors to abide by the installation’s recreational vehicle and rideshare policies.
According to officials, the reinforcement of RV guidelines follows a rise in improper recreational vehicle use across Hanscom.
“With the spike in summer activities, SFS has been seeing an increase in recreational vehicles randomly parked around the installation,” said Senior Master Sgt. Ronald Young, operations superintendent, 66th Security Forces Squadron.
According to base policy, personnel must park their RVs in the base RV lot, located in the civil engineering compound, adjacent to building 1811 on Grenier Street. However, before storing an RV there, the owner must register with Outdoor Recreation. A few exceptions include base housing, where RVs can be parked for up to 24 hours, and one of the many temporary or marked spaces around the base, which are acceptable for short-term repairs or cleaning.
To register your RV, contact the Outdoor Recreation Center at 781-225-6621.
A few other guidelines to note:
Trailers longer than 28 feet are not considered RVs; they are classified as house trailers. Incoming Hanscom personnel must have orders authorizing them to travel with their house trailer. They must then make arrangements to park their trailers at the 66th Force Support Squadron-run FamCamp. Outgoing personnel whose travel orders do not authorize them to move with their trailers must sell or otherwise dispose of them before the owner departs the installation.
For those interested in using their RVs, the nearby FamCamp campsite is open to all eligible military and DOD cardholders. They offer 73 RV sites, 56 full-hookup sites with water, sewer, and electric and 17 partial-hookup sites with water and electric. In addition, it also offers 10 tent camping sites.
Other FamCamp facilities include bathhouses, a coin-operated laundry facility, an outdoor pavilion, and hiking trails.
All authorized personnel, including military members, dependents, retirees, and Department of Defense civilian employees that operate rental trucks, RVs, or towing trailers carrying campers, boats, motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles that are not commercial in nature, are allowed base access without requiring a search.
Go-carts, motorized scooters, and mechanical carts, provided they are designated as low-speed vehicles, are authorized for use on base. Snowmobiles, ATVs, dirt bikes, and other off-road motorized vehicles are not permitted.
The safety office recommends “personnel operating Go-carts, motorized scooters, and mechanical carts, wear a Snell or U.S. Department of Transportation approved helmet if operating low speed vehicle on the base roadways," said Master Sgt. Henrie Young, operational safety superintendent, 66th Air Base Group.
Senior Master Sgt. Ronald Young has also received many questions regarding base access for rideshare and food delivery services. A few guidelines he notes, include:
Rideshare services such as Uber, Lyft, The Ride, limo, or taxis, as well as food delivery services such as UberEats, Grubhub, and DoorDash, can be processed onto the installation. The sponsor requesting these services must contact the Base Defense Operations Center to provide their information, including name, DOD identification number, contact information, date of birth, the delivery address, as well as the contact information of the driver.
Once the delivery has been properly vetted, a Defense Biometrics Identification System, or DBIDS, pass will be issued to the driver for 20 minutes. Entry control will utilize the sponsor's information to issue the pass. The service driver's mobile number must be recorded on the visitor pass. A cursory check of the vehicle will be conducted prior to entry.
While on base, entry control will maintain physical custody of the delivery driver's license until he or she exits the installation. Upon exiting, the delivery person will exchange the visitor pass for his or her driver's license. If the individual does not return in 30 minutes, the BDOC will dispatch a patrol to the delivery location and attempt to contact the sponsor.
To contact the BDOC, call 781-225-5000.