An emergency operations center (EOC) is a central
command and control "coordination structure" responsible for managing
emergency response
Emergency services and rescue services are organizations that ensure public safety, security, and health by addressing and resolving different emergencies. Some of these agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies, while oth ...
,
emergency preparedness
Emergency management (also Disaster management) is a science and a system charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actua ...
,
emergency management
Emergency management (also Disaster management) is a science and a system charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actu ...
, and
disaster management
Emergency management (also Disaster management) is a science and a system charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actua ...
functions at a strategic level during an emergency. Based on the organizational needs of the entity that has implemented the EOC, as well as the emergency being dealt with, the specific responsibilities and tasks executed by a given EOC may vary vastly and could include ensuring the continued operation of a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
,
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
,
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
or
emergency service
Emergency services and rescue services are organizations that ensure public safety, security, and health by addressing and resolving different emergencies. Some of these agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies, while oth ...
, or other
organization
An organization or organisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences) is an legal entity, entity—such as ...
.
EOCs were originally created as part of
United States civil defense and can be found in many nations, at all government levels, as well as in larger corporations that deal with large equipment or numbers of employees. In corporations and smaller jurisdictions, the EOC may be co-located in the same room as an
emergency communications center.
An EOC is responsible for strategic direction and operational decisions and does not normally directly control field assets, instead leaving tactical decisions to those in the field. The common functions of an EOC is to collect, gather and analyze data, make decisions that protect life and property, maintain continuity of an organization, and disseminate information to involved agencies and individuals.
When an EOC is operated in a vehicle such as a
truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construct ...
or
trailer, or is otherwise capable of moving quickly (or being operated while moving), it is usually called a mobile command center (MCC), mobile command unit (MCU), or mobile forward control facility.
Structure
United States
In the United States, an emergency operations center established to deal with matters involving public safety will follow guidelines established by
FEMA and
ICS. The EOC will include personnel assigned to:
* An Operations Section "responsible for implementing tactical incident operations described in the IAP (incident action plan)."
* A Planning Section "responsible for collecting, evaluating, and disseminating operational information related to an incident
n order to
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages, and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
help prepare and document the IAP (incident action plan)."
* A Logistics Section "responsible for providing facilities, services and material support for an incident."
* A Finance / Administration Section "responsible for an incident’s administrative and financial considerations."
See also
*
Emergency management
Emergency management (also Disaster management) is a science and a system charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actu ...
*
Incident Command System
The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized approach to the command, control, and coordination of emergency response providing a common hierarchy within which responders from multiple agencies can be effective.
ICS was initially develop ...
*
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
*
Tactical operations center
*
Office of emergency management
References
External links
CDC Emergency Operations Center
Emergency services
Disaster preparedness
Continuity of government
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