IS – 2200 Basic Emergency Operations Center Functions

Course Welcome
Welcome to the Basic Emergency Operations Center Functions online course.
This course will prepare Emergency Management Coordinators, senior
officials, EOC Directors, key EOC personnel, and others to function more
effectively in an EOC environment.
After taking this course, you should understand the role and functions of the
EOC during incident response and in the transition to recovery. You should
also be able to describe the common staffing and organizational models for
EOCs.

Lesson Objectives
At the completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

 Describe the course purpose.

 Describe the course objectives.

Course Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of this professional development course, is to prepare you to
function effectively in an EOC environment.
At the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Describe the role EOCs play in overall multiagency coordination.

2. Describe the processes and procedures for activating the EOC.
3. Describe the factors involved in staffing and organizing the EOC.
4. Describe factors for effective EOCs.
5. Identify considerations for deactivating the EOC within the context of
Recovery.
6. Given a scenario-based incident, utilize key EOC concepts to
successfully complete the scenario.

Lesson 1 Summary
You have completed the first lesson. This lesson introduced the course
purpose and content.
Lesson 2 will cover Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and Multiagency
Coordination.

Lesson 2 Overview
In this lesson, you will explore the role Emergency Operations Centers play in
multiagency coordination.

Lesson Objectives
At the completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

 Describe the role of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

 Relate EOC operations to National Incident Management System
(NIMS) requirements.
 Describe the role that EOCs play in overall multiagency coordination.
 Describe the relationship between MAC Groups, the EOC, and the on-
scene Incident Command System (ICS) organization.
 Identify the key factors for an effective EOC operation.

The Role of the EOC -

Coordination
The EOC provides multiagency coordination of information and resources to
support incident management (on-scene operations). This coordinated
support can be provided directly to an Incident Command or through another
EOC.
EOCs exist at all levels of government. EOCs are multidisciplinary, involving
multiple disciplines such as fire, law enforcement, EMS, public works, and
others. EOCs can be a temporary or a permanently established physical or
virtual facility.
The purpose and authorities of EOCs vary widely. EOCs demonstrate the
NIMS Guiding Principle of Flexibility - they are adaptable to the requirements
of the jurisdiction. Generally, EOCs do not command the on-scene response.
However, EOC Staff may share the load with the Incident Command by
managing operations such as emergency shelters or points of distribution.
EOCs may also perform incident command functions when on-scene incident
command is not established, such as in a snow emergency.
The EOC carries out the coordination function through:
  Collection, analysis, and sharing of Information
 Supporting Resource needs and requests
 Coordinating plans and determining future needs
 In some cases providing coordination and policy direction

The Role of the EOC -

Coordination (Continued)
EOC Teams normally consolidate and exchange information, support
decision-making, coordinate resources, and communicate with personnel on
scene and at other EOCs.
The coordination and decision-making at the EOC affects the incident
response as well as the public response. The decisions made at the EOC are
not normally tactical decisions; when an Incident Command is established,
tactical decisions are made by the Incident Commander and the Command
Staff at the incident scene.

 The EOC is the facility from which the multiple agencies or

organizations involved in an incident coordinate their support.
 The EOC plays a critical role in support of the on-scene response.

This course will provide an introduction to basic EOC functions.

EOCs and NIMS

Every day in this nation, jurisdictions and organizations work together to share
resources, integrate tactics, and act collaboratively.
Whether these organizations are nearby or are supporting each other from
across the country, their success depends on a common, interoperable
approach to sharing resources, coordinating and managing incidents, and
communicating information.
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) defines this
comprehensive approach.
EOCs are part of the standard, national framework for incident management
described in the Command and Coordination component of the National
Incident Management System (NIMS).
EOCs and NIMS (Continued)
NIMS is a flexible framework that is applicable to all hazards and jurisdictions.
NIMS represents a core set of doctrine, concepts, principles, terminology, and
organizational processes that enables effective, efficient, and collaborative
incident management.
NIMS is NOT:

 An operational incident management plan

 A resource allocation plan
 A terrorism-specific plan
 An international plan

NIMS Framework - Major

Components
NIMS consists of three major components:

 Resource Management
 Command and Coordination
 Communications and Information Management
The application of all three components is vital to successful NIMS
implementation.

ICS Review - ICS Structure

The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized approach to the
command, control, and coordination of on-scene incident management. This
system includes five major functional areas: Command, Operations, Planning,
Logistics, and Finance/Administration.
The standard Incident Command System (ICS) organizational structure is
shown here. The Incident Commander leads the effort and assigns those
Command Staff and General Staff that are needed to effectively manage the
incident.

EOCs—The Critical Link in

Emergency Response
EOCs coordinate with on-scene incident managers and other agencies and
organizations to:

 Acquire, allocate, and track resources.

 Manage and share information.
  Liaison and coordinate with other jurisdictions and other levels of
government.
 Provide legal, financial, and administrative support.

EOCs also coordinate with and support the Multiagency Coordination Group
(MAC Group). The MAC Group, sometimes also called the policy group,
consists of agency administrators, executives, or their representatives from
stakeholder organizations. MAC groups may not be at a physical location.
MAC Groups make multiagency decisions such as:

 Determining resource prioritization and allocation among incidents

 Enabling decision making among elected/appointed officials and the
Incident Command

EOCs—The Critical Link in

Emergency Response
(Continued)
Jurisdictions with well-organized EOCs have several distinct advantages over
other jurisdictions during an emergency because they:

 Serve as a conduit for information passed from the incident scene

(sometimes through lower-level coordination agencies such as another
operations center) to higher-level coordination entities such as the MAC
Group.
 Serve as a conduit for information passed from higher-level coordination
entities such as the MAC Group to the incident scene.
 Allow the Incident Commander to focus on managing the incident.
 Promote problem resolution at the lowest practical level.
 Provide strategic guidance and direction, normally from the MAC
Group, to support incident management activities.
EOC Functions
EOCs enable multiagency coordination by ensuring that response systems
are interconnected and complementary. They reinforce interoperability among
the various system components, and make response more efficient and
effective by coordinating available resources.
EOCs serve several main functions within NIMS Command and Coordination:

 Information management—collecting, analyzing, and interpreting

information from various sources and sharing essential information
 Resource Management—coordinating support for resource needs and
requests
 Planning—coordinating plans and determining current and future needs

EOCs can make decisions based on established policies and procedures

within the authority given to them by their jurisdiction.

EOC Functions (Continued)

In some jurisdictions or some specific incidents EOCs may also:

 Manage operations such as emergency shelters or points of distribution

(used for distributing food, water, medication) to allow the Incident
Command to focus on the incident.
 Direct tactical operations when an Incident Command is not established
(such as in a snow emergency).
  Coordinate the efforts of several geographically separated incidents or
activities.
 Provide coordination and policy direction.

In some cases, a jurisdiction may conduct Incident or Area Command from

the EOC.

EOC Purpose
Remember, the purpose of an EOC is to establish a central location where
government at any level can provide coordinated support to Incident
Command.
Incidents are best managed at the lowest possible level:

 Geographically
 Organizationally
 Jurisdictionally

EOC Purpose (Continued)

Local EOCs provide resource coordination and support to the on-scene
Incident Command. When local resources are not available, EOCs will
request resources from other local jurisdictions through mutual
aid agreements or compacts.
When a resource is unavailable locally, State EOCs may provide additional
expertise, resources, and support.
When State resources are exceeded, State EOCs may request additional
resource support and coordination assistance from other States through
mutual aid agreements or compacts, or from the Federal Government.

EOC Benefits
An effective EOC:

 Helps establish, maintain, and share situational awareness.

 Facilitates long-term operations.
 Improves continuity.
 Provides ready access to essential information.
 Simplifies information analysis and verification.
 Promotes resource identification and assignment.
A single EOC (physical or virtual) functions more efficiently. With a single
location for multiagency coordination, officials can more easily meet, make
decisions, and coordinate activities.

ICS/EOC Relationships
Incident Commanders have several critical needs with which EOC personnel
can assist. These needs include:

 Situational awareness—the EOC can collect and share essential

information that provides a shared picture of the incident between all
incident personnel. This is critical during incidents that are large or
complex, or involve personnel from multiple response agencies.
 Policy direction—the EOC can identify policy issues and communicate
policy decisions of the MAC Group to the Incident Command. This is
critical when jurisdictions with differing policies are involved in a
response.
 Communication support—The EOC can assist the Incident Command
in resolving communications challenges through communications
resource requests or communicating policy decisions of the MAC group.
Again, this can be critical in large, complex incidents or when multiple
jurisdictions are involved in a response.
 Resources—The EOC can support the Incident Command by
understanding resource requests, acquiring the needed resources, and
ensuring that the resources are delivered to the Incident. Resources can
includes people, teams, facilities, equipment, and supplies required for a
response.
 Strategic planning—By focusing on longer term planning, the EOC can
enable the Incident Commander to focus on tactics.
 Legal and financial support—Some functions such as legal
advisement, and financial or administrative support can be managed by
the EOC. This frees on-scene resources to focus on the response.

ICS/EOC Relationships
(Continued)
EOCs can help meet the needs at the incident scene by:

 Providing the “big picture” view of the incident.

  Communicating current policy or policy decisions to resolve conflicting
policies.
 Providing communications and messaging support.
 Managing public information issues and media requests.
 Providing and prioritizing resources.
 Authorizing emergency expenditures, when appropriate, and tracking
incident costs or other administrative issues.

Factors for an Effective EOC

Some factors to consider when designing an effective EOC include:

 Likely Threats and Hazards the jurisdiction faces

 EOC Organizational Structure
 Personnel/Staffing Requirements
 Facility Requirements
 Equipment Requirements
 Established EOC Authorities and Procedures
 Communication

Consider these factors when selecting an EOC or alternate EOC, when

designing a floor plan for the EOC, or when evaluating EOC operations.

Lesson 2 Summary
During this lesson, you reviewed:

 The role of the EOC.

 The relation of EOC operations to NIMS.
 The role that EOCs play in overall multiagency coordination.
 The relationship between MAC Groups, the EOC, and the on-scene
Incident Command System (ICS) organization.
 The key factors for an effective EOC operation.

Lesson 3 will focus on Activating the EOC.

Lesson 3 Overview
In this lesson, you will consider the processes and procedures for activating
the EOC.
Lesson Objectives
At the completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

 Determine when, how, and by whom the EOC will be activated.

 Define “time-phased” activation and determine when it might be
appropriate.
 Describe EOC activation levels.

Activating the EOC

EOCs are activated for various reasons based on the needs of a jurisdiction,
organization, or Incident Commander. A jurisdiction normally
defines circumstances and processes for EOC activation in policy. Listed
below are possible circumstances that might trigger an EOC activation:

 More than one jurisdiction becomes involved in an incident or a Unified

Command or Area Command is established.
 The Incident Commander indicates the incident could expand rapidly,
involve cascading effects, or require additional resources.
 A similar incident led to EOC activation in the past.
 The EOC director or appointed/ elected official directs EOC activation.
 An incident is imminent, such as hurricane warnings, slow river flooding,
predictions of hazardous weather, elevated threat levels.
 Threshold events describes in the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
occur.
 Significant impacts to the population are anticipated.

The Decision-making Process for

Activation
All personnel need to be aware of:

 Who makes the decision to activate the EOC

 What are the circumstances for activation
 When activation occurs
 How the levels are defined by the jurisdiction
 How the appropriate level of activation is determined
The decision-making process for EOC activation should be documented in
policy.

Incident Complexity and

Resource Needs
As illustrated below, when incident complexity increases, your resource needs
and ICS structure grow accordingly.
Factors that are considered when determining the appropriate EOC activation
level for the incident include incident complexity, resource needs, and the ICS
structure. The level of activity within an EOC often grows as the size, scope,
and complexity of the incident grow.

Incident Typing: Overview

Incidents, like resources, may be categorized into five types based on
complexity.
The Incident Commander will normally categorize the incident based
on incident "type" in order to help the ICS staff and other incident personnel
understand the size, complexity, and level of resources required to manage
the incident.
EOC personnel should understand this common terminology.
Incident typing may be used to:

 Make decisions about resource requirements.

 Order Incident Management Teams (IMTs). An IMT is made up of the
Command and General Staff members in an ICS organization.
 Make decisions about appropriate EOC activation level and staffing
requirements.

Type 5 incidents are the least complex and Type 1 the most complex. The
next visuals briefly define each Incident Type.

Incident Typing: Overview

(Continued)
The incident type corresponds to both the number of resources required and
the anticipated incident duration. Clocks on image do not depict length of
incident time.

Clocks do not depict the length of the incident.

Type 5 Incident
Characteristics of a Type 5 Incident are as follows:

 The incident can be handled with one or two single resources with up to six
personnel.
 Command and general staff positions (other than the incident commander)
are not activated.
 No written Incident Action Plan is required.
 The incident is contained within the first operational period and often within an
hour to a few hours after resources arrive on scene.
 Examples include a vehicle fire, an injured person, or a police traffic stop.

Type 4 Incident
Characteristics of a Type 4 Incident are as follows:

 Command staff and general staff functions are activated only if needed.
 Several resources are required to mitigate the incident, including a task force
or strike team.
 The incident is usually limited to one operational period in the control phase.
  No written IAP is required but a documented operational briefing will be
completed for all incoming resources.
 The agency administrator may have briefings, and ensure the complexity
analysis and delegation of authority is updated.
 The role of the agency administrator may include operational plans, objectives,
and priorities.

Type 3 Incident
Characteristics of a Type 3 Incident are as follows:
 When incident needs exceed capabilities, the appropriate ICS positions should
be added to match the complexity of the incident.
 Some or all of the command and general staff positions may be activated, as well
as division/group supervisor and/or unit leader level positions.
 A Type 3 IMT or incident command organization manages initial action incidents
with a significant number of resources, an extended attack incident until
containment/control is achieved, or an expanding incident until transition to a
Type 1 or 2 IMT.
 The incident may extend into multiple operational periods.
 A written IAP may be required for each operational period.

Type 2 Incident
Characteristics of a Type 2 Incident are as follows:
 This type of incident extends beyond the capabilities for local control and is
expected to go into multiple operational periods. A Type 2 incident may require
the response of resources out of area, including regional and/or national
resources, to effectively manage the operations, command, and general staffing.
 Most or all of the command and general staff positions are filled.
 A written IAP is required for each operational period.
 Many of the functional units are needed and staffed.
 Operations personnel normally do not exceed 200 per operational period and
total incident personnel do not exceed 500 (guidelines only).
 The agency administrator is responsible for the incident complexity analysis,
agency administration briefings, and the written delegation of authority.

Type 1 Incident
Characteristics of a Type 1 Incident are as follows:
  This type of incident is the most complex, requiring national resources for safe
and effective management and operation.
 All command and general staff positions are filled.
 Operations personnel often exceed 500 per operational period and total
personnel will usually exceed 1,000.
 Branches need to be established.
 A written Incident Action Plan (IAP) is required for each operational period.
 The agency administrator will have briefings, and ensure that the complexity
analysis and delegation of authority are updated.
 Use of resource advisors at the incident base is recommended.
 There is a high impact on the local jurisdiction, requiring additional staff for office
administrative and support functions.

Management by Objectives
Incidents are managed using objectives. Objectives are communicated
throughout the entire ICS organization through the Incident Action Planning
Process.
The Incident Commander establishes the objectives that drive incident
operations.
Management by objectives includes the following:

 Establishing specific, measurable objectives

 Identifying strategies, tactics, tasks, and activities to achieve the
objectives
 Developing and issuing assignments, plans, procedures, and protocols
for various incident management functional elements to accomplish the
identified tasks
 Documenting results against the objectives to measure performance,
facilitate corrective actions, and inform development of incident
objectives for the subsequent operational period

Establishing and Implementing

Objectives
The steps utilized by an Incident Commander in establishing and
implementing incident objectives include:
  Step 1: Understand agency policy and direction.
 Step 2: Assess incident situation.
 Step 3: Establish incident objectives.
 Step 4: Select appropriate strategies and tactics to achieve the
objectives.
 Step 5: Perform tactical direction of resources based on defined
strategy and tactics.
 Step 6: Provide necessary followup.

Remember that the Incident Objectives are used to manage the tactical
execution of the response and are the responsibility of the Incident
Commander.
EOC directors often use a similar objectives-based approach to managing the
EOC, but these EOC objectives are directed toward fulfilling the EOCs role;
they are not tactical objectives for management of the incident.

Determining Incident Priority

When there are multiple incidents occurring simultaneously the same
resource may be needed in more than one incident.
Establishing the priorities among ongoing incidents is normally a function of
the MAC Group. The EOC will use this guidance to prioritize the incident
demands for critical resources.
Typically, a process or procedure is established by the EOC to coordinate
resource requests from the Area or Incident Commands, and to allocate
scarce resources based on the priorities defined by the MAC Group.
Some considerations used in determining priorities include:

 Life-threatening situations
 Threat to property
 High damage potential
 Incident complexity
 Environmental impact
 Economic impact
 Other criteria established by the Multiagency Coordination Group

Activating the EOC: Authority

SAMPLE JURISDICTIONAL EOC ACTIVATION GUIDANCE:
Emergency Function (EF) 1
MANAGING EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
The Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is the county’s 24-hour “crisis
monitor.” As emergency situations threaten to occur, the county EMA
Coordinator may activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to
facilitate evaluation and incident planning and possible activation and
implementation of emergency functions and resources. Certain near
instantaneous events may trigger immediate, full EOC activation. The EOC is
the key to successful response and recovery operations. With decision-
makers and policymakers located together, personnel and resources can be
used efficiently. Coordination of activities will ensure that all tasks are
accomplished and minimize duplication of efforts. (Excerpted from
Jefferson County, AL EOP)

Note that this sample Jurisdictional EOC Activation Guidance clearly

indicates:

 Who has the authority to activate the EOC.

 What are the circumstances under which the EOC is activated.

Activating the EOC: Roles and

Responsibilities
This section, describing the EOC, clearly defines the role of the EOC and the
EMA Coordinator.
D. Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

1. On behalf of the Emergency Management Council, the EMA

Coordinator has the responsibility for coordinating the entire emergency
management organization. The Coordinator makes all routine decisions
and advises the officials on courses of action available for major
decisions. During emergency operations, the Coordinator is responsible
for the proper functioning of the EOC. The Coordinator also acts as a
liaison with the State and Federal emergency agencies and neighboring
counties.
2. The EOC is the central point for emergency management
operations….Coordination and supervision of all services will be
through the EOC Manager and Section Chiefs to provide for the most
efficient management of resources.
3. During emergency situations, certain agencies will be required to
relocate their center of control to the EOC. During large-scale
 emergencies, the EOC will become the seat of government for the
duration of the crisis….

(Excerpted from Jefferson County, AL EOP)

Under this policy, the EMA Coordinator has the responsibility and authority for
managing the county’s emergency management organization and the EOC
during an emergency or disaster.

Determining When the EOC

Should Be Activated
Timing of EOC activation depends on the nature of the incident. Many
jurisdictions have phases of EOC activation.
Time-phased activation is appropriate:

 When an incident occurs that is expected to build over time, such as

wildfire.
 When there is a warning period before an emergency, such as when a
hurricane or riverine flooding has been forecasted.
 In preparation for planned events.

Time-Phased Activation
As the size, scope, and complexity of the incident grow, the level of activity
within an EOC often grows.
A jurisdiction or organization will often specify levels of activation for their
EOC in the emergency operations plan. This will often include which
organizations and/or personnel will be in the EOC for specific hazards and
activation levels. There is no one approach to EOC activation levels. Some
organizations use numbers or color designations, and the number of levels
vary between EOCs.
If a jurisdiction has developed its own activation level definitions, it is
recommended that EOC personnel use the standard NIMS activation level
titles listed below for communication outside their
jurisdiction/organization. Use of common terminology helps to
prevent confusion.
Determining the Level of
Activation
The level of EOC activation should be based on established triggers and
communication with the Incident Commander or Unified Command.
Levels of activation are linked to the jurisdiction’s hazard analysis. The Hazard
Analysis helps define triggers for activation, based on actual or anticipated
levels of damage for anticipated threats or hazards.
Communication between the Incident Commander (or Unified Command) and
the EOC is a critical element of an activation decision. On-scene command
has the most up-to-date information about the on-scene situation, knows
whether the situation is under control, and is aware of current and projected
incident needs.

EOC Location Factors

Where the EOC will be located is important. A poor selection can impact EOC
effectiveness.
The main factors involved in locating an EOC are shown below.
Safety
Is the EOC in a safe location? Consider:

 Is the EOC location safe from anticipated natural and other threats and
hazards?
 Is the EOC location safe from high-risk cascading events?
 Is the EOC located away from any likely terrorist targets?
 Can personnel walk safely to report to the EOC?
 Can personnel walk safely for meals and other amenities during EOC
operations?

Safety (Continued)
Other important EOC safety issues include:

 Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

 Removal of dangerous substances (i.e., asbestos)
 Ensuring appropriate security for EOC staff and visitors
 Adequate and sanitary restroom facilities and break areas
 Compliance with building codes
Size - Key Points to Consider
The EOC needs to accommodate the maximum number o
The number of staff members needed at any one
Rule of thumb: Allow between 50 and 85 square feet per
time
and meeting areas.

Space planning must include room for electronic equipm

The equipment the staff will use on the job
members need for EOC operations.

Consider operational requirements: needed line of sight,

How the equipment is configured
optimum configuration for operations is not always the m

Additional equipment required to ensure Do current communications and information managemen

interoperability and redundancy additional equipment must be planned for in the EOC.

Additional space for conferences, eating and Designate space (away from the noise of emergency ope
sleeping, and other identified uses during extended operations require space for non-work n

Lesson 3 Summary
During this lesson, you reviewed:

 When, how, and by whom the EOC will be activated

 “Time-phased” activation and when it might be appropriate
 EOC activation levels

Lesson 4 will focus on staffing and organization.

Lesson 4 Overview
In this lesson, you will consider options for staffing and organizing the EOC.

Lesson Objectives
At the completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

 Identify factors to consider when staffing an EOC.

 Determine staff to meet the requirements of key EOC operations.
 Describe three ways to organize the EOC staff.
 Distinguish between day-to-day staffing and incident staffing.
EOC Staffing: Factors To
Consider
There are several key factors to consider when staffing the EOC.
What must be done? The tasks to be performed are the critical driver for EOC s

What is the timeframe? Extended operations fuel a need for alternate and support

Who has the knowledge, skills, and abilities to All personnel must have the knowledge, skills, and abilitie
perform critical tasks? necessary, it must occur as part of the planning cycle.

Who has the authority to make critical decisions? All persons assigned to the EOC must have the authority t

What Must Be Done?

Begin by considering essential functions to be performed at the EOC. Proper
identification of essential functions is critical for effective EOC operations.
Other aspects of the EOC are designed around these functions.
If an essential function is not properly identified, there will be no arrangements
to perform that function.
On the other hand, identifying too many functions as essential can lead to
confusion during EOC operations.

What Is the Timeframe?

The possibility of extended operations will require planning for second- and/or
third-shift personnel, backup personnel, and support personnel for EOC
operations.

 Alternate staff assignments are necessary during extended operations

to ensure an adequate level of staffing for 24/7 operations when
needed.
 EOC facility support staff is necessary to perform support tasks, such as
systems and facility maintenance, trash collection, food preparation and
cleanup, administrative tasks, etc.
Who Has the Knowledge, Skills,
and Abilities To Perform EOC
Functions?
When considering EOC staffing, look at:

 Knowledge of the functions that the EOC must perform

 Understanding of the specific EOC Skillsets and tasks required to
perform an assigned EOC function
 The ability to:
o Work under pressure
o Interact well with others
o Work extended hours, if necessary

Who Has the Authority To Make

Critical Decisions?
Ensuring that all personnel have the authority to perform the tasks assigned is
of paramount importance.
For example...

 Many people may have the knowledge, skills, and ability to manage a
contract; few have the authority to execute a contract.
 Most staff have an opinion of what policy to implement; few have the
authority to enact policy.

Who Has the Authority To Make

Critical Decisions? (Continued)
The best way to ensure that EOC staff are authorized to perform their
essential functions is to pre-delegate authorities for enacting policy or making
decisions. Most agencies routinely use Delegations of Authority so decisions
can be made in the absence of key decision-makers.
Delegations of Authority:
  Should be developed before an incident to define specific authorities
that the EOC will be delegated during an incident.
 Take effect when an emergency occurs that requires EOC activation or
when normal channels of direction and control are disrupted.
 Terminate when the emergency ends or when normal channels of
direction and control are restored.

Who Has the Authority To Make

Critical Decisions? (Continued)
During an emergency situation, Delegations of Authority:

 Effect a rapid response.

 Establish a clear chain of command.

Orders of Succession
All agencies activated for EOC operations need to have a clearly defined
order of succession in place. An order of succession takes effect when
government or agency leaders are incapacitated or unavailable in an
emergency requiring EOC activation.
An order of succession should be deep enough to ensure an agency can
continue managing and directing its operations while remaining viable during
an emergency.

Staffing to Support EOC

Functions
EOCs must retain the ability to perform its function even with reduced staffing.
Plan for training and cross-training of all EOC staff. There are a variety of
reasons why staffing may be reduced:

 Some primary staff may be injured or may not be available.

 Transportation routes to the EOC may be disrupted, prohibiting primary
staff from reaching the facility.
 In longer term activations, some primary staff may need to be replaced
for a shift or longer.
  In longer term operations, staff may need to divided into two or more
shifts to maintain 24/7 operations.

All personnel must be trained for their jobs in the EOC. As a contingency,
specific staff should be cross-trained to ensure that EOC operations can
continue with a smaller number of staff than originally planned.

Configuration of Emergency
Operations Centers (EOCs)
EOC teams vary widely. Organization of the EOC staff can vary based on:

 Jurisdictional/organizational authorities
 Available staffing
 Partners and stakeholders represented
 EOC facilities and capabilities
 Political considerations
 The nature and complexity of the incident or situation

NIMS identifies three common ways of organizing EOC Teams:

1. ICS or ICS-like structure

2. Incident Support Model structure
3. Departmental structure

Like ICS, EOCs utilize the NIMS Management Characteristic Modular

Organization.

ICS or ICS-like EOC Structure

Many jurisdictions/organizations configure their EOCs using the standard ICS
organizational structure. The structure is familiar and it aligns with the on-
scene incident organization.
Some jurisdictions/organizations modify organizational titles to create an ICS-
like organization that distinguishes EOC functions from ICS.
Incident Support Model (ISM)
EOC Structure
Jurisdictions/organizations that focus their EOC team's efforts on information,
planning, and resource support may choose to separate the situational
awareness function from planning and combine operations and logistics
functions into an incident support structure.
In an ISM EOC situational awareness/information management reports
directly to the EOC director and resource sourcing, ordering, and tracking is
streamlined.
Departmental EOC Structure
Jurisdictions/organizations may opt instead to use their day-to-day
departmental/agency structure and relationships in their EOC. By operating in
the context of their normal relationships, department/agency representatives
can function in the EOC with minimal preparation or startup time.
In this configuration, the organization’s emergency manager or a senior official
typically coordinates EOC efforts among the departments and agencies.

Staffing the EOC

Planning for EOC staffing is an important aspect of EOC management. Just
as you must plan for surge capacity during complex, extended incidents, you
also need to develop staffing for day-to-day EOC operations. Actual staffing
for your EOC must be determined based on an analysis of the minimum
staffing needed to perform the defined day-to-day (non-incident) functions for
your specific EOC.

Designing an EOC Structure

- EOC Skillsets
 There is no single NIMS organizational model for EOCs.
 EOC leaders determine EOC structure.
 EOCs normally perform common functions.
 There are common EOC Skillsets.

EOC Skillsets Concept

  EOC skillsets support EOC personnel qualifications while remaining
flexible for the diversity of EOC organization structures.
 EOC leaders choose which skillset(s) to assign to specific positions in
their EOCs, and combine them together to form task books that reflect
the needs of their EOCs.
 Unlike standard ICS Position Task Books, skillsets combine in multiple
ways to create a wide variety of positions.
 EOC Skillsets can be used to clarify requirements for mutual aid
requests.

EOC Skillsets
Action Tracking Public Affairs Coordination

Center Management Recovery Coordination

Document and Records Management Resource Ordering and Ac

EOC Facility Management Resource Sourcing

Finance Resource Tracking

Legal Counseling Safety Advising

Organizational Representation Situational Awareness

Performance Improvement Understanding the Resourc

Planning
Click on EOC Skillsets User Guide for more information.

Day-To-Day Staffing
Considerations
What functions may be performed in the EOC between incidents?
Although day-to-day functions vary among jurisdictions of various sizes and
threat levels, minimal day-to-day functions can include:

 Maintaining situational awareness

 Maintaining communications
 Developing plans
  Process improvement
 Training and exercising the EOC
 Coordinating and developing agreements
 Developing and disseminating Public Information
 Finance and Administration
 Logistics support for the EOC facility and staff
 Security of the EOC facility and staff

There may be additional functions needed for your EOC.

One staff person may have responsibilities for multiple functions.

Incident Staffing
EOC staffing should expand and contract with the needs of the incident. The
composition of the EOC team can vary depending on the nature and
complexity of the incident or situation.
Larger and/or more complex incidents will normally require a greater level of
activation and a larger number of staff.
In day-to-day operations or partial activation, one staff member may perform
multiple skillsets in the EOC. At full activation, the staff members may be
focused on a single EOC function, position or skillset, and some functions
may require multiple personnel.
For example, in activation for a small, less complex incident, one EOC staff
member may handle all resource-related tasks and may be assigned other
duties as well. In a larger, more complex incident, the EOC may require
multiple people to efficiently perform resource tasks; some may focus on
receiving orders, while others acquire resources and others track those
resources.

Lesson 4 Summary
During this lesson, you reviewed:

 Factors to consider when staffing an EOC.

 Staff requirements of key EOC operations.
 Three common ways to organize the EOC staff.
 The difference between day-to-day staffing and incident staffing.

Lesson 5 will focus on EOC operations.

Lesson 5 Overview
In this lesson, you will look at EOC operations and the ICS/EOC interface. We
will also address functions performed during EOC operations including
communications, information management, situational awareness, and
resource management.
Resource: The EOP Resource Management Annex for your jurisdiction is
needed to complete an activity.

Lesson Objectives
At the completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

 Describe how NIMS Command and Coordination structures are

interconnected.
 Identify NIMS communications principles.
 Describe the types of information managed by the EOC.
 Explain Situational Awareness (SA).
 Explain how resource management is provided by the EOC.

Interconnectivity of NIMS
Command and Coordination
Structures
NIMS structures enable incident managers to manage incidents in a unified,
consistent manner.
Interconnectivity of NIMS structures is important to allow personnel in diverse
geographic areas, with differing roles and responsibilities, and operating within
various functions of ICS and/or EOCs to integrate their efforts through
common organizational structures, terminology, and processes.

 When an incident occurs or threatens, local emergency personnel

manage response using NIMS principles and ICS.
 If the incident is or becomes large or complex, local EOCs activate.
 EOCs receive senior level guidance from MAC Groups.
 A Joint Information Center (JIC) manages the Joint Information
System (JIS) operations to ensure coordinated and accurate public
messaging among all levels: ICS, EOC, and MAC Group.

If required resources are not available locally, they can be obtained

under mutual aid agreements from neighboring jurisdictions, or State, tribal,
territorial, and interstate sources and assigned to the control of the Incident
Commander or Unified Command.

EOC Function Review

The most common ICS/EOC interface issues center around roles and
delegated authorities, communications, Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs), resource management, personnel training and experience, and
shared information. Communication and Information Management concerns
were covered in an earlier lesson. This topic will focus on SOPs, resource
management, and personnel training.
National Response Framework
The National Response Framework (NRF) is a guide to how the Nation
responds to all types of disasters and emergencies. The NRF describes
specific authorities and best practices for managing incidents that range from
local emergencies to large-scale terrorist attacks and catastrophic natural
disasters with national-level impacts.
The National Response Framework is always in effect, and elements can be
implemented at any time. It is built on scalable, flexible, and adaptable
concepts identified in the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The
structures, roles, and responsibilities described in the NRF can be partially or
fully implemented in the context of a threat or hazard, in anticipation of a
significant event, or in response to an incident. Selective implementation of
NRF structures and procedures allows for a scaled response, delivery of the
specific resources and capabilities, and a level of coordination appropriate to
each incident.
Click on NRF access a copy of the National Response Framework

NIMS Principles for

Communications and
Information Management
NIMS identifies four principles of communications and information
management:

 Interoperability
 Reliability, Scalability and Portability
 Resilience and Redundancy
 Security

Each of these requirements will be described on the screens that follow.

Interoperability
Many jurisdictions believe that their communications systems are
interoperable, but interoperability problems often emerge in a large-scale
emergency or disaster.
Interoperable communications systems enable personnel and organizations to
communicate within and across jurisdictions and organizations via voice, data,
and video systems in real time. Interoperability plans address governance,
standard operating procedures (SOPs), technology, training and exercises,
and usage during routine operations and major incidents.
Interoperability Video Transcript
The ability for first responders and those who support them to communicate
with each other is a longstanding issue.
Interoperability-the ability for public safety agencies to exchange voice and/or
data on demand and in real time has been pointed to as an issue in
emergencies as diverse as hurricanes and floods…earthquakes… and
terrorist attacks.
Lack of redundant, interoperable communications can delay a response make
even the most urgent response inefficient and, ultimately, cost lives.
Why is interoperability such a difficult issue to solve? Recent studies have
identified five key reasons for lack of interoperability:
· Aging or incompatible communications infrastructure.
· Limited funding to update or replace equipment, coupled with different
funding priorities and budget cycles.
· Limited and fragmented planning.
· The reluctance of agencies to give up control over their
communications systems.
· Limited and fragmented radio spectrum availability.
The communication infrastructure in many jurisdictions is antiquated. Old
equipment means higher maintenance costs, reduced reliability, and
obsolescence for public safety agencies. Many systems in use today are
obsolete or will become obsolete as manufacturer support is discontinued.
Some newer digital communications systems lack interoperability with other
systems because of proprietary software. Additionally, standards for
technology and equipment are limited.
There is limited funding to replace and update communications equipment-
and different communities and levels of government have different funding
schedules and budget priorities. Additionally, regulations in one jurisdiction
may conflict with those in another, funding is often stovepiped to meet
individual agency needs, and spending decisions may be based on old
strategies that did not consider the need for interoperability.
Planning for interoperability remains limited and fragmented. Without
adequate planning, time and money can be wasted, and end results can be
disappointing.
Competition among agencies, jurisdictions, and different levels of government
inhibit the partnership and leadership required to develop interoperability.
Interoperability requires a certain amount of shared management, control, and
coordination of policies and procedures. Agencies are naturally reluctant to
give up management and control of their communications system.
Finally, as public safety agencies share radio frequencies with television and
radio, government users, and commercial users, the amount of radio
spectrum available to public safety agencies has become fragmented.
Advancing technology is placing greater requirements on spectrum, making it
more scarce and more valuable-at a time when public safety agencies need
additional spectrum to support emerging technologies.
So how can your public safety agencies, your jurisdiction, and your State
improve its communications interoperability? First, determine your current
level of interoperability. After determining where you are, you can work on
what you need, and how to get it. This unit will help you with each of these
steps.

Reliability, Scalability, and

Portability
Communications and information systems should be reliable and scalable to
function in any type of incident. This means they should be suitable for use
within a single jurisdiction or agency, a single jurisdiction with multiagency
involvement, or multiple jurisdictions with multiagency involvement.

 Reliability means that regular use of communications and information

systems helps ensure that they are familiar, applicable, and acceptable
to users; readily adaptable to new technology; and reliable in any
situation.
 Scalability means that systems can be expanded to support any
situation—including a major incident or several incidents that involve
numerous responders and support personnel from multiple jurisdictions
and organizations—and that the number of users on a system can be
readily increased. Portable technologies and equipment ensure the
effective integration, transport, and deployment of communications
systems.
 Portability includes the standardized assignment of radio channels
across jurisdictions, which allows incident personnel to participate in an
incident outside their jurisdiction and still use familiar equipment.

Resilience and Redundancy

Resilience and redundancy in communications help to ensure the
uninterrupted flow of information. Resilience is the ability of systems to
withstand and continue to perform after damage or loss of infrastructure.
Redundancy is achieved through the duplication of services. It enables the
continuity of communication when primary communications capabilities suffer
damage through diverse alternative methods.
What will you do if your primary communications system fails?
Much of the communications infrastructure in the Gulf Coast region was
heavily damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, making emergency
communications difficult or impossible for some period of time.
Having redundant systems in place and ensuring that all agencies involved in
a response know what those systems are and how they will be notified to
switch to the backup system may be critical to maintaining communications.
The EOC will likely be responsible for implementing backup communications
systems and notifying personnel to switch to the backup system.

Security
Some information communicated from, among, and to incident personnel is
sensitive. Additionally, EOC and incident personnel may have access to
critical assets, such as industrial control systems, that could cause
widespread impacts if compromised.
Incident personnel should work with IT and security experts to incorporate
data, network, and systems protection best practices into incident
communications and data sharing. Intelligence/investigations function staff, for
example, may discuss sensitive, personally identifiable, or classified
information and must shield this information in accordance with applicable
law.
Incident communications and information sharing should comply with data
protection and privacy laws.

Information Management: What

you need to determine
Before you can manage information, you need to determine:

 What information you need

 What you will do with it
 How you will protect it
 How you will preserve it

Types of Information
The types of information managed in the EOC fall into two categories:

1. Emergency operating records include records in various

mediums/formats (print, electronic), that are essential to EOC
operations and response support.
2. Legal and financial records include records, regardless of media, that
are critical to carrying out the legal and financial responsibilities for the
response.
Identifying and Reviewing
Required Information
Identify the information needed during EOC operations by compiling a detailed
list of the records. This list needs to be reviewed and updated routinely, at
least on an annual basis.
Other events that should trigger a review include:

 Changes in key personnel in the jurisdiction. Personnel changes can

necessitate changes to orders of succession, delegations of authority,
call-down rosters, and other records.
 EOC activation. After-action reports document past incidents and can
provide information needed to prepare to support future incident
response.

Meeting Information Needs

How you use information, will determine how you manage it. Look at the
information used, how it is used, and by whom it is used to determine whether
your current management strategy is the best available.
Information Use Information

Information many people need access to

or Provide easy access, allowing for ease of update and
Information that is used at several different locations

Secure or classified information Secure storage and controlled access are critical cons

Information transmitted to the public Provide ready accessibility to those with authority to

Providing Information to Key

Personnel
During an incident, key personnel rely on timely, accurate information. An
effective operation at the EOC will help to manage and provide access to the
essential information needed to make good, timely decisions. Key personnel
must have access to:
  Email and shared electronics systems or drives access.
 All information that they would have at the incident scene or at
department headquarters such as incident situation reports, objectives,
resources committed, communications used, etc...
 Operational data from departmental or other databases such as
resources available.
 Information needed from other key personnel in the Incident Command,
EOC, MAC Group, and Joint Information Center (JIC).

Sharing Situational Awareness -

Video Transcript
[Pre-Video Text]: This is a recording of Lori Hodges from the State of
Colorado from an appearance on “Viewpoints.” In the clip, Lori is talking about
the role of an Emergency Operations Center and development of situational
awareness.
[Lori:] Yeah, what I've seen most, I work in a lot of local Emergency
Operations Centers as it's part of my job. I'm the direct connection to the State
so I go to where they are, and what I’ve seen with communities that don't have
an Emergency Operations Center is that there is no hub of information, there's
no one place where people can get that full picture, again, of the whole
community. So, if I have the nongovernmental entities, the private sector, the
traditional governmental departments, if they don't have a place to go to share
information, you're gonna have a lot of stovepipes going on, you're not gonna
have a good one-stop situational awareness. So, what the Emergency
Operations Center can do is, number one, they're gonna get a good idea
about that incident footprint. What is the Incident Commander doing, what are
their objectives, what do they need? Because obviously that's one of the
primary focuses of an Emergency Operations Center.
[Lori:] But outside of that, you have that consequence management piece,
which is now, we're looking at globally what is going on in the community.
How are they reacting? Are we meeting the needs of the community as a
whole? And with that, you have multiple partners that aren't in your traditional
response. So, in order to get good situational awareness, you need to have
those people who can come to a place and say, "here's what's going on in our
organization, here's how we're supporting this incident." And then you can
feed that information then up to those policy group members so that they have
a better idea and can inform the public about what's going on.
Review: Situational Awareness
Situational Awareness is the ability to identify, process, and comprehend the
critical information about an incident.
More simply, it is knowing what is going on around you.
Situational Awareness requires continuous monitoring of relevant sources of
information regarding actual incidents and developing hazards.
A common core function of EOCs is gaining, maintaining, and
sharing Situational Awareness and developing a Situational Picture (SitPic)
that is shared between ICS, EOC, MAC Group, and JIS participants in the
incident.
In the early stages of activation the EOC will obtain Situational Awareness.
This is important because accurate, timely information will enable more
informed, effective decision-making.

Review: Shared Situational

Picture
Shared information supports a common understanding of the incident. A Shared
Situational Picture (SitPic) refers to a continuously updated overview of an incident.

The SitPic includes the key information needed for incident planning, tracking, and
decision-making. This information is shared so that all personnel from all organizations
at all locations have a common set of information about the incident.

The Shared Situational Picture is based on Situational Awareness of a number of

elements including:

 Incident Objectives and progress in meeting objectives

 Current status (what is happening now)
 Evolving Situation (what is anticipated to happen)
 Availability and location of resources
 Needed resources
 Policy Guidance and delegations in effect for the incident
 Public/Media perceptions of the incident

An EOC's responsibility in the development of a Shared Situational Picture usually

begins following the initial stages of an incident. The EOC develops a Shared
Situational Picture for those who are participating command and coordination for the
incident. The EOCs also share Situational Awareness with neighboring jurisdictions and
States.
Information Elements
Properly managed information enables effective, consistent, coordinated, and timely
decision-making. There are several information terms that EOC personnel should be
familiar with:

 Data is unprocessed material that may be incorrect, irrelevant, redundant, or

useful. Data must be validated and analyzed to become meaningful information
or intelligence.
 Information is processed data that is presented in a context which makes it
useful. Data is turned into information through validation and analysis. Incident-
related information is used to support decision-making.
o Essential Elements of Information (EEI) are those important and
standard information items, which support timely and informed decisions.
All information is not useful for decision-making. EEI provides context,
informs decision-making, and contributes to analysis and population of the
Shared Situational Picture
 Intelligence in NIMS refers exclusively to threat-related information developed
by law enforcement, medical surveillance, and other investigative organizations.
Intelligence normally has special access and handling requirements.

Visualizing Information
Management
This graphic depicts the management of incident information to support
situational awareness.

 Data is received by the EOC. The top left shows the gathering of data
from different sources.
 In the top middle, the EOC staff verifies the data is correct and analyzes
it to determine if it is pertinent to the situation. Processed data is called
information or intelligence.
 All information is not equally useful. On the right side, the EOC “filters”
data based on defined Essential Elements of Information (EEI) to make
information that is most useful available. The bottom of the graphic
depicts EEI being used to update the Shared Situational Picture (SitPic).
 This common source of incident information is used to inform those who
have contributed, those who are impacted, and those who may become
impacted by the event.
Documentation Tools
There are several ways to capture information from an EOC’s activation.
Some of the documentation tools include:

 EOC management software (off the shelf or internally developed)

 Online information portals and/or shared data storage
 Internal EOC plans, logs, and forms
 Incident Action Plan/ICS Forms developed by the Incident
Commander/Unified Command
 State and Federal Disaster assistance forms
 Video, still pictures, and audio recordings
 Geographic Information System and hazard modeling software and
products
 Delegations of Authority and Policy Statements
 Public Information/Media Releases

And, when all else fails, a pencil and a piece of paper can be used for
documentation.
After documenting information, it must be archived for future use. Do not
delete documentation until it is properly archived!

MAC Group Policies and

Procedures
Policies are high-level guidance that are generally developed by senior
management. Policies provide goals and direction to all agencies that may
respond to an incident.
Procedures specify the methods or steps to be followed routinely for the
performance of designated operations or in specific situations. Procedures
describe how policies will be implemented.
Together, policies and procedures clarify:

 What key players will do

 How they will interact
 How they will be held accountable

The jurisdiction or organization's Senior Official/Executive normally develops

standing policies and procedures for incident response. During an incident the
Senior Official or the MAC Group makes policy decisions when existing policy
does not address the specific circumstance, or when a multijurisdictional
policy approach must be defined.

Policies and Guidelines:

Examples
The following are examples of agency policies and guidelines that can affect
management of an incident:

 Pre-incident plans
 Standard operating procedures
 Emergency operations plans
 Continuity of operations plans
 Community preparedness plans
 Mutual aid and assistance agreements
 Wildland Fire Situation Analysis (WFSA)
 Wildland Fire Implementation Plan (WFIP)
 Corrective action plans
  Mitigation plans
 Recovery plans
 Tribal, State, regional, and national mobilization guides
 Field operations guides
 Delegations of authority

SOPs
Develop Standard Operating Procedures for every EOC position. Be sure to
include:

 What is required of the position.

 When the SOP is effective.
 The timeframe for mobilization, operations, and demobilization.
 When the SOP is no longer effective.
Meeting the Public’s Information
Needs
The public also has information needs. The Joint Information System (JIS)
must include:

 Protocols for coordinating information dissemination to the public.

 Templates for key communications, such as warnings, public-service
announcements (PSAs), and other emergency information.
 A Joint Information Center (JIC) as a central location for disseminating
information to the media.
 Staff at the JIC trained as Public Information Officers (PIOs).

Incident Resource Management

Process
Incident resource management includes standardized procedures,
methodologies, and functions. The EOC works with the Incident Command to
ensure that these tasks are completed. The following six resource
management tasks are performed during an incident:

 Identify Resource Requirements

 Order and Acquire Resources
 Mobilize Resources
 Track Resources and Report Resource Status
 Demobilize Resources
 Reimburse Resource Providers and Restock Supplies

In addition to the activities conducted during an incident, there are Resource

Management activities that take place in preparation for incidents including:

 Identifying and Typing Resources

 Qualifying, Certifying and Credentialing Personnel
 Planning for Resources
 Acquiring, Storing and Inventorying Resources
 Developing Mutual Aid Agreements and Compacts
Anticipating Incident Resource
Needs
The graphic illustrates that the resource needs of an incident may build faster
than resources can arrive. It is important for both the Incident Command and
the EOC to think ahead and anticipate what resources will be needed.
During the Incident Action Planning Process, in the Tactics Meeting, the
Incident Command staff forecast resource requirements for the next
operational period. EOCs need to understand these potential resource
requests as early as possible in order to begin determining where they can
acquire the resources.
Experience and training will increase the ability of an EOC staff to predict
workloads and corresponding staffing and resource needs.
On the right of the graphic we see the other side of the resource challenge in
an incident. Eventually, a sufficient number of resources arrive and begin to
control the incident. However, as the incident workload declines, resources
can exceed incident needs. It is important for both the Incident Command and
the EOC to think ahead here as well in order to begin planning for
demobilization of resources that are no longer needed.

Asking for Help

The Incident Commander identifies resource requirements as part of the
Incident Action Planning Process. Then the Incident Commander will process
and submit the resource order according to the jurisdiction’s protocols. EOCs
may also make resource requests to support the ongoing EOC activation.
The Incident Commander or EOC director makes a request that describes the:

 Kind of resource (personnel, teams, facilities, equipment, or supplies)

 Type of resource (minimum level of capability required to perform a
function based on size, power and capacity for equipment, and
experience and qualifications for personnel or teams)
 Mission requirement or task(s) to be accomplished

The Incident Commander or EOC director may delegate the responsibility for
placing resource orders.
The EOC is normally the location that receives these resource requests, finds
a source to fill the resource request, and tracks the resource until it is
delivered to the Incident Command (or EOC).

Asking for Help (Continued)

The Incident Commander's resource request, identified using kind and type
definitions, is processed by the EOC according to the jurisdiction or
organization's defined ordering processes (commonly described in the
Emergency Operations Plan).
The EOC staff may consult with other experts to determine the specific
resource required. For scarce resources, The MAC Group may have to
prioritize where a resource is assigned.
The EOC Staff determine whether to:

 Fill the request internally with a resource controlled by a participating

jurisdiction or organization.
 Request the resource externally under an existing mutual aid agreement
or compact.
 Pass the request to the State or Federal government as a mission
request.

This topic is explored in much greater detail in the IS-703 NIMS Resource
Management course.

Resource Management
Resource management can be an area of confusion between the on-scene
command structure and the EOC. As shown in the table below, however, the
role of the EOC complements that of the ICS structure.
Compare resource management at the Incident Command Post (ICP) versus
the EOC:
Incident Command Post (ICS)

Identify resource needs Receive resource requests

Order resources Prioritize resource requests based on incident priorities M

Check in resources Locate/order resources

Assign resources Assign according to priorities

Track resources Track resource use

Demobilize resources Pay for resources

Resource Management
(Continued)
The on-scene Incident Command manages resources based on:

 Initial Incident Sizeup

 Subsequent Incident Objectives
 Tactics

The principles of ICS ensure an orderly approach to identifying incident

resource needs.
When incidents grow in size and/or complexity and more tactical resources
are required, the EOC and the MAC Group play an increasingly important role
in resource management.

Criteria for Determining

Priorities
The following criteria are commonly used for setting priorities:
Life Safety
  Threat to responders
 Threat to public

Incident Stabilization

 Damage potential
 Incident complexity
 Infrastructure protection

Property Conservation

 Real property threatened

 Environmental impact
 Economic impact

Other criteria may be established by the coordinating organization.

Switching Resource Ordering to

the EOC
One common issue around resource managers is the question of when the
Incident Commander should request resources from the EOC rather than from
the dispatch center. Many jurisdictions have established triggers to help the
Incident Commander make that decision. Possible triggers are shown in the
table below.
Activation of the EOC Some jurisdictions automatically switch their resource ordering a

Dispatch workload increases beyond The call load for dispatch rises as an incident expands. Dispatch
specified threshold and/or cannot provide large-incident logistical support.

Establishment of a Unified Command or Multiple agencies with shared responsibility for a response, or m
Area Command will need resource management from the EOC.

Normal mutual aid resources are exhausted There is a need for increased delegation of authority to commit f

Switching Resource Ordering To

the EOC (Continued)
To help all personnel recognize triggers for switching resource ordering to the
EOC, the process should be:

 Stated clearly in the jurisdiction’s Emergency Operations Plan.

 Implemented through the jurisdiction’s chain of command.
 Supported by dependable communications.

The procedures for switching resource ordering to the EOC should be trained
and exercised regularly.

Planning for Incident Support

 EOC Staff conduct planning activities in support of EOC and Incident
Command.
 The Incident Command Planning Section is focused on planning future
operational cycles and developing the IAP.
 The EOC Plans Function develops near term plans to achieve EOC
support of an incident.
 The EOC Plans Function can also develop longer term plans that
anticipate future requirements for incident response and recovery.
 Continuity of Operation Planning (COOP) and contingency planning for
incidents can also be performed by an EOC.

The Operational Period Planning

Cycle (Planning P)
The Operational Period Planning Cycle is the process used in the incident to
develop the Incident Action Plan for the next operational period. The Incident
Action Plan is completed each operational period utilizing the progression of
meetings and briefings shown in the Planning P.
The EOC will also have a defined Operational Cycle of information
updates, meetings, briefings, and reports.
The operational period for the incident and the EOC may not be the same. For
example, in a rapidly changing incident the Incident Command may have a
four hour operational cycle, but the EOC may be operating on 8 or 12 hour
operational periods to facilitate shift work.
The key is synchronizing inputs and outputs between the EOC and Incident
Command so that each has the information necessary for situational
awareness, decision support, and proactive actions.
Coordinating With Other EOCs
Typically, coordination with other EOCs occurs when:

 Mutual aid is requested. The provision of mutual aid is a trigger for

coordination between or among the EOCs of the jurisdictions involved.
 Technical specialists are required. The provision of technical specialists,
such as those provided by State environmental agencies, research
universities, and/or outside contractors, often triggers coordination
between EOCs and other NIMS multiagency coordination entities.
  The emergency is widespread or a Federal disaster is declared.
Widespread emergencies or federally declared disasters automatically
trigger the activation of NIMS Command and Coordination elements and
entities in multiple jurisdictions and organizations.

Coordinating With Other

EOCs (Continued)
The most common coordination point with other parts of the NIMS Command
and Coordination structure is when external assistance is needed. Commonly,
this is done through mutual aid agreements. A model process for requesting
external assistance is shown below.

In this model, requests for mutual aid may be made directly to another EOC,
or processed through the State EOC. Resource orders to the next higher level
of government may first need a formal request for assistance.
Requesting Assistance From
Other EOCs and Multiagency
Coordination Partners
When requesting assistance from outside of the organizations represented in
your EOC, it is important to make the request as complete as possible. All
requests should be made formally and include:

 The type of incident

 The time the incident occurred (or is expected to occur)
 Actions already taken
 Areas and number of people involved
 Estimates of loss of life, injuries, and extent of damage
 The type and amount of assistance required
 The time and place for delivery
 Contact information for follow-up questions

A formal request for assistance should always be followed up by the actual

resource order. The resource order provides detailed information on the kind
and type of resource that is needed—what, where, and when.

Tips for Requesting External

Assistance
When requesting assistance:

 Ask sooner rather than later. Coordination takes time. There will be
some delay between the time that a resource is requested and the time
it arrives and can be assigned.
 Make all resource requests based on the mission, task, incident
objectives, and established priorities.
 Follow established procedures for requesting external resources to
ensure that the resource assignments can be made and tracked
accurately.

Lesson 5 Summary
During this lesson, you looked at key aspects of EOC operations. Additional
topics addressed:

 How NIMS Command and Coordination structures are interconnected.

 The NIMS communications principles.
 The types of information managed by the EOC.
 Situational Awareness (SA).
 How resource management is provided by the EOC.

Lesson 6 will cover transitioning to recovery and deactivation.

Lesson 6 Overview
In this lesson, you will examine the role of the EOC in the Transition from
Response to Recovery, and considerations for deactivating the EOC.

Lesson Objectives
At the completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

 Describe the Recovery Continuum.

 Explain the role of the EOC in the Recovery Continuum.
 Describe considerations for deactivating the EOC.

Definition: Recovery
Recovery is defined as "those capabilities necessary to assist communities
affected by an incident to recover effectively."
Recovery is focused on a timely restoration, strengthening, and revitalization
of communities affected by a catastrophic incident:

 Infrastructure Systems
 Housing
 Economic Recovery
 Health and Social Services
 Natural and Cultural Resources

Successful recovery ensures that we emerge from any threat or hazard

stronger and positioned to meet the recovery needs of the future.
You can find more information about these Recovery core capabilities from
National Preparedness Goal.

National Disaster Recovery

Framework
The National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) is a guide that enables
effective recovery support to disaster-impacted States, Tribes, Territorial and
local jurisdictions. It provides a flexible structure that enables disaster
recovery managers to operate in a unified and collaborative manner. It also
focuses on how best to restore, redevelop and revitalize the health, social,
economic, natural and environmental fabric of the community and build a
more resilient Nation. The NDRF includes:

 Core Recovery Principles

 Roles and responsibilities of recovery coordinators and other
stakeholders
 Coordinating structure that facilitates communication and collaboration
among all stakeholders
 Guidance for pre-disaster and post-disaster recovery planning
 Overall process by which communities can capitalize on opportunities to
rebuild

To learn more about Recovery, you can read the National Disaster Recovery
Framework at this link: National Disaster Recovery Framework.

The Recovery Continuum

The recovery process is a sequence of activities that move a community
toward recovery. These activities are interdependent and may overlap. For
example, some aspects of short-term recovery may begin before the response
to an incident or event has been completed; some large scale, long term
recovery activities may need to be initiated within days after a disaster.
Because there is a need for recovery action immediately following a disaster,
communities benefit from pre-disaster preparation. Decisions and priorities
established before a disaster and early in the recovery process will impact
how quickly and comprehensively the community will be able to recover from
an incident.
The graphic shows the interconnectedness of recovery activities from pre-
incident recovery preparation through the long term recovery.
Transition to Recovery: EOC
Role
At some point the incident is over and the community must work to recover
from the impacts. EOCs have a role in transitioning a community from
response toward recovery. Some activities that an EOC may perform to
support this transition include:
 Coordination of incident documentation (gathering and archiving all documents
regarding the incident).
 Archiving of data and contact information (ensuring that data and
information is available for use through the recovery process).
 Conducting after-action reviews.
 Advocating for State and Federal Assistance (documenting the incident for the
purpose of obtaining Federal assistance).
 Managing Emergency Shelters.
 Establishing Disaster Recovery Centers (normally the responsibility of the
impacted community).
 Working with FEMA, the State, and other Federal entities. (EOC staff liaison with
State and Federal officials as the jurisdiction conducts joint damage assessments
and seeks Federal assistance under the Stafford Act).
 Helping the community to manage expectations for recovery through Public
Information.
Deactivating the EOC
The on-scene commander is aware of the current incident status and knows:

 Current incident status and requirements for continued coordination and

support.
 Ongoing and future requirements to meet incident objectives.
 Length of time required to meet incident objectives.
 When the demand for resources and coordination slows down.

The EOC leadership must also consider recovery needs. Often, the EOC must
remain activated to facilitate recovery needs after the Incident Command
completes its on-scene mission.

Deactivating the EOC

The decision-maker for deactivating EOC functions will vary by jurisdiction. In
many cases, this will be the Emergency Management Coordinator or EOC
Director will make the decision jointly with agency key personnel and the
Senior Officials of the jurisdiction.
As previously discussed, EOC decision-makers should make the decision to
release personnel and other resources only after discussion with on-scene
commanders.

Deactivating the EOC

(Continued)
The authority to begin full or partial deactivation should be clearly stated in the
jurisdiction’s EOP, and all personnel should know:

 Who has the authority.

 The process that will be followed for deactivation.

Recommendation: Deactivate in phases. It is more efficient and cost effective

to deactivate personnel as they are no longer needed.

Post-Incident Evaluation
EOC operations should be evaluated after every activation, and every aspect
of operations should be evaluated. The persons listed below should be
included in the evaluation process:

 All key EOC personnel

 The Incident Commander(s)
 Jurisdiction leadership or their designees who were involved at the EOC
 Others as appropriate under the circumstances, such as utility company
representatives, members of the media, and representatives from
nongovernmental organizations

After-Action Analysis and

Reporting Process
As a minimum, the following activities should be included as part of after-
action analysis and reporting:

 Report EOC performance completely

 Develop solutions, rather than merely listing problems
 Develop a plan to train, test, and exercise the proposed solutions
 Carry after-action results over to the EOP

Recommendation: Adopt a “nonattribution rule” to encourage open and honest

discussion of what worked well and what didn’t.

Lesson 6 Summary
During this lesson, you looked at the Recovery Continuum, the role of the
EOC in the transition to recovery, and considerations for deactivating the
EOC.
Lesson 7 will provide an opportunity for you to apply what you have learned
about EOCs in an activity.

Lesson 7: Application Activity

Lesson Objective
At the completion of this lesson, you should be able to successfully apply key
course concepts in a scenario-based activity.
Through the scenario, you will have the opportunity to:
  Determine incident complexity and incident typing.
 Determine EOC objectives.
 Determine appropriate level of EOC activation.
 Determine staffing requirements for the EOC.
 Describe information requirements for situational awareness and
decision support.
 Identify appropriate EOC actions to support resource management.
 Identify considerations for deactivating the EOC.

Scenario: Liberty County

The scenario for this activity takes place in Liberty County.
Liberty County is located in the fictional State of Columbia, on the Atlantic
Coast between Canada and Mexico.
Liberty County is primarily rural with large tracts of forests, grazing lands, and
farmlands.
The population of the county is 302,412. Almost half of the population resides
in Central City, and another quarter of the county’s permanent residents live in
four smaller cities: Fisherville, Harvest Junction, Kingston, and Bayport.
Liberty County government includes a Sheriff’s Department, Emergency
Management Center, Public Health Department, Public Works Department,
and Board of Schools. The county infrastructure includes a dam and reservoir,
a seaport, and two airports.
Liberty County Map
Central City
Central City is the county seat for Liberty County and houses a population of
149,000. It is a diverse city with industrial areas, commercial areas, multi-
family housing complexes, and single family sub-divisions.
Central City government includes a Fire Department, Police Department, and
Public Works Department. The city has a separate School District, four
Hospitals, and Two Universities.
Your Role
You are a member of the emergency management community within Liberty
County.
You are senior supervisory level person in the EOC during this incident. In this
activity, you will apply what you have learned in this course to choose the
appropriate EOC actions to support the initial response by the Incident
Command.

Liberty County Fairgrounds

The Liberty County Fairgrounds are located northwest of Central City.
Fairgrounds Avenue, the southern boundary of the fairgrounds, is one street
north of the city limits, within the jurisdiction of Liberty County.
The indoor and outdoor facilities at the Liberty County Fairgrounds are utilized
throughout most of the year.
Liberty County Fair and Rodeo
It is the week of the annual Liberty County Fair and Rodeo. This event
is hosted at the fairgrounds and attracts several thousands of visitors daily.
Early in the evening large crowds fill the 127 acre complex. People stream to
and from the parking areas; traffic is congested; and the Midway area, outdoor
stage, and Grandstand are filled to capacity.
Small elements of the County Sheriff’s office, the Central City Police
Department, the Central City Fire Department and County Emergency Medical
Services (EMS) are located in and around the fairgrounds to provide for public
safety at the event. These organizations are operating cooperatively, but no
centralized incident command structure has been established.

Tanker Truck Crash

At about 5 p.m., a large truck traveling fast heading west on Fairgrounds
Avenue veered off the road, jumped the curb near the fairgrounds entrance,
and passed through the crowd. The vehicle stopped when it collided with an
exhibit hall next to the outdoor stage.
A few moments later, as the crowd began to react, the large truck caught
fire. Several people were injured as the tanker truck passed through the
crowd. The scene was chaotic as some attempted to flee and others tried to
help.
Public safety personnel on scene, law enforcement, fire, and EMS responded
immediately to the incident. Both the Central City and Liberty County
Emergency Operations Centers were notified of these events.
At the time of the incident, the city and county EOCs were at a normal/steady
state activation level. EOCs are assessing any additional resources or other
support required for the incident. The State of Columbia EOC is at
normal/steady state activation level and has not yet been notified of this
incident.

Establish Command
It is now 5:15 pm, 15 minutes after the incident began.
The Central City Fire Department established Incident Command.
Several single resources such as fire trucks, ambulances, and law
enforcement have responded to the incident.
The incident is anticipated to be resolved within a few hours (a single
operational period).

Hazards and Safety Concerns

The Incident Commander has identified the following hazards:

 Vehicle fire with a potential to spread to structures

 Potential for explosions if the fire encounters fuel or compressed gas
cylinders
 Damaged utilities that could harm incident survivors and responders
 Potential structural collapse of the building hit by the tanker truck

The identified safety concerns include:

 Harm to survivors or responders from the hazards

 Injured people unable to self-evacuate from the immediate area of the
fire
 Uninjured people fleeing the incident scene
 Traffic congestion that restricts responder vehicle access to the incident
Incident Typing
You should recall from this course that a useful way of characterizing
incidents is by Incident Typing based on complexity.
Incidents are categorized into five types based on complexity. Type 5
incidents are the least complex and Type 1 incidents are the most complex.
Factors that impact the determination of incident type include size of the ICS
structure, number of resources employed, and the length of time the incident
response is anticipated to last.

Incident Typing (Continued)

Review the following definitions and determine what Incident Type is
appropriate for the incident in this scenario.

 TYPE 5 INCIDENT: One or two single response resources with up to 6

response personnel, the incident is expected to last only a few hours, no
ICS Command and General Staff positions activated
 TYPE 4 INCIDENT: Several single response resources required,
response will be limited to one operational period, select ICS Command
and General Staff activated only as needed
 TYPE 3 INCIDENT: Resource requirements will exceed the initial
response resources, may extend into multiple operational periods, some
or all ICS Command and General Staff are activated
  TYPE 2 INCIDENT: Regional or National resources will be required, the
incident will extend into multiple operational periods, most or all ICS
Command and General Staff positions are filled
 TYPE 1 INCIDENT: National level resources are required, the incident
will extend into multiple operational periods, all ICS Command and
General Staff positions are utilized and Branches need to be
established

Clocks do not depict the length of the incident.

Activation Levels
EOCs are activated for various reasons based on the needs of a jurisdiction,
organization, or Incident Commander; the context of a threat; the anticipation
of events; or in response to an incident.
The level of activity within an EOC often grows as the size, scope, and
complexity of the incident grow.
Based on your assessment of Incident Type, what would you recommend as
an appropriate activation level for the Liberty County EOC?
Activation Level Description

 Activities that are normal for the EOC when no incident or spe
3 Normal Operations/Steady State  Routine watch and warning activities if the EOC normally hous
 Activation Level Description

 Certain EOC team members/organizations are activated to mon

Enhanced Steady-State/Partial
2 response to a new and potentially evolving incident
Activation

 EOC team is activated, including personnel from all assisting a

1 Full Activation threat

Media Attention
As you increase your EOCs activation level to Level 2 partial activation to
better support the incident, you receive additional information about media
attention to the incident.
Numerous first-hand reports of the incident are on social media. One local TV
station was on-scene when the incident occurred, but has not yet interrupted
normally scheduled programming to report on the incident.
The incident has not yet been reported through online news sources but the
EOC is receiving initial media inquiries.
It is anticipated that there will be reporting on this incident by the news media
no later than the next news cycle at 6 pm.

Incident Objectives
You also receive information from the Incident Commander on incident
objectives.
The Incident Command has not yet developed a written IAP for the incident.

The Incident Commander identified the top priorities were to evacuate and
treat the injured personnel. He identified the following initial incident
objectives:

1. Evacuate all injured personnel from the vicinity of the crashed tanker
truck to the on-scene medical personnel within 15 minutes (by 5:30 pm)
 2. Provide on-site triage, stabilization, and hospital transport for incident
survivors within 30 minutes (by 5:45 pm)
3. Extinguish vehicle fire within 30 minutes (by 5:45 pm)
4. Mitigate leaks of flammable fuels and compressed gas to prevent
expansion of the fire within 1 hour (by 6:15 pm)
5. Establish a controlled perimeter around the incident within 45 minutes
(by 6 pm)
6. Manage traffic on Fairgrounds Avenue, C Street, and E Street to ensure
responder access within 30 minutes (by 6:45 pm)

EOC Functions
From this course you have learned that the primary functions of staff in EOCs
include:

 Collecting, analyzing, and sharing information

 Supporting resource needs and requests, including allocation and
tracking
 Coordinating plans and determining current and future needs
 In some cases, providing coordination and policy direction

We will explore these functions from your perspective as the supervisor in the
Liberty County EOC.

EOC Objectives
As the EOC supervisor, you must direct the actions of the EOC staff. This
includes defining what the EOC staff should be focused on.
Think about what you know about the incident and the Incident Commander’s
objectives. Then, based on your knowledge of EOC functions, develop some
initial guidance, or objectives, for the EOC staff.
Incident Objectives
Evacuate all injured personnel from the vicinity of the crashed tanker truck to the on-scene medical personnel w

Provide on-site triage, stabilization, and hospital transport for incident survivors within 30 minutes (by 5:45 pm

Extinguish vehicle fire within 30 minutes (by 5:45 pm)

Mitigate leaks of flammable fuels and compressed gas to prevent expansion of the fire within 1 hour (by 6:15 p

Establish a controlled perimeter around the incident within 45 minutes (by 6 pm)
 Manage traffic on Fairgrounds Avenue, C Street, and E Street to ensure responder access within 30 minutes (by

Incident Information
Requirements
Collecting, analyzing, and sharing information is an EOC function.
EOCs need appropriate information to develop and maintain situational
awareness and to support decision making.
Remembering that the EOC is supporting the incident, what important
information do you assess the EOC should be seeking for this incident?

Incident Resource Requirements

Supporting resource needs and requests and planning for current and future
needs are functions of EOCs.
The Incident Commander has identified the following additional incident
resource requirements that must be met:

 Ambulances with medical personnel

 Fire trucks with firefighter personnel
 Law enforcement for traffic control

These are resource requirements that can currently be met using the internal
resources of Liberty County and Center City.
The EOC is in partial activation and resource requests are increasing so
resource requests will now be handled by the EOC.
At this point in the scenario, do you see any actions related to resources that
the EOC can take to support the incident?

Incident Action Planning Process

You can see that anticipating requirements is important for an effective EOC.
In this course, you learned about the Operational Period Planning Cycle, a
sequence of meetings and briefings followed by the Incident Command to
develop an Incident Action Plan for the next Operational period.
Incident Command Structure
As the Incident commands is established, the Incident Commander informs
the EOC that the following ICS functions were activated:

 A Public Information Officer (PIO) to interface with the media and others
needing incident information.
 A Safety Officer to monitor incident operations and advise the Incident
Commander on health and safety.
 An Operations Section to plan and perform tactical activities to achieve
the incident objectives.
  A Logistics Section has not been established, but a staging area
manager was designated under the Operations Section to meet the
incident’s initial resource management needs.

The Incident Commander did not establish Planning, Intelligence/

Investigations, Logistics and Finance/Administration because he assessed
they were not needed based on the size, complexity, and expected duration of
the incident.

EOC Staffing
Acting as the EOC supervisor, you have set objectives and determined your
initial information and resources support requirements.
Now that you understand what you are trying to accomplish and what support
is needed for the Incident Command, you need to think about how to ensure
that your EOC structure will meet the support requirements.
There are several NIMS Management Characteristics that can be applied to
determining the appropriate EOC staffing for an incident:

 Manageable Span of Control: The EOC structure must be of a

sufficient size to assist the EOC director in effectively supporting the
incident. A key to this is controlling the number of subordinates or
functions that each supervisor manages.
 Modular Organization: What pieces of the EOC structure are needed
to support the incident? Think ahead to the next operational period
because what you need then often must be asked for now.

EOC Staffing (Continued)

The Liberty County EOC uses an ICS-like EOC Model. You are in the position
of the EOC Director. The EOC is at a partial activation and you have limited
staff.
Review the EOC Graphic and select two other functions that - based on what
you know about the incident and the EOC role - you assess should be
prioritized to be filled with available staff.
Keep in mind that all of these functions will be needed – the question here is
what functions will need the greatest level of staffing at this point in the
incident?
Scenario Update
It is now just after 6 p.m. and the situation appears to be contained and
improving.
There were over a dozen casualties and one death. All casualties were
successfully stabilized and transported to local hospitals.
The vehicle fire initially spread to the building, but was extinguished before it
could spread to surrounding structures.
The crowds are under control, but traffic has not yet completely cleared from
the area and continues to slow the ingress and egress of emergency
management resources.
The vehicle driver was located and the origin and contents of the large truck
have been identified. Concerns that this could have been an intentional act or
that the truck could have been transporting something hazardous have been
eliminated.
This incident is decreasing in complexity and will transition to recovery.

EOC Deactivation
Based on the scenario update, what are some considerations for deactivating
the EOC?
As the EOC Director, assess the following items:

 Incident Command
 Nature and magnitude of the incident
 Hazards and safety concerns
 Priorities and resource requirements
 EOC activation level and staffing

Lesson 7 Summary
This concludes the scenario based activity for ICS 2200.
In this lesson, you applied key course concepts from this course in a scenario
based activity including:

 Determine incident complexity and incident typing.

 Determine EOC Objectives.
 Determine appropriate level of EOC activation.
 Determine primary functions of EOC staff.
 Determine staffing requirements for the EOC.
  Describe information requirements for situational awareness and
decision support.
 Identify appropriate EOC actions to support resource management.
 Identify considerations for deactivating the EOC.

Lesson 8 Overview
This lesson provides a brief summary of the Basic Emergency Operations
Center Functions course content. After reviewing the summary information,
you will receive instructions for taking the course Final Exam.
At the completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

 Summarize concepts from the course.

 Complete the final exam for the course.

The Role of the EOC -

Coordination
The EOC provides multiagency coordination of information and resources to
support incident management (on-scene operations). This coordinated
support can be provided directly to an Incident Command, or through another
EOC.
EOCs exist at all levels of government. EOCs are multidisciplinary, involving
multiple disciplines such as fire, law enforcement, EMS, public works, and
others. EOCs can be a temporary or a permanently established physical or
virtual facility.
The purpose and authorities of EOCs vary widely. EOCs demonstrate the
NIMS Guiding Principle of Flexibility - they are adaptable to the requirements
of the jurisdiction. Generally, EOCs do not command the on-scene response.
However, EOC Staff may share the load with the Incident Command by
managing operations such as emergency shelters or points of distribution.
EOCs may also perform incident command functions when on-scene incident
command is not established, such as in a snow emergency.
The EOC carries out the coordination function through:

 Collection, analysis, and sharing of Information

 Supporting Resource needs and requests
 Coordinating plans and determining future needs
 In some cases providing coordination and policy direction
EOC Functions
EOCs enable multiagency coordination by ensuring that response systems
are interconnected and complementary. They reinforce interoperability among
the various system components, and make response more efficient and
effective by coordinating available resources.
EOCs serve several main functions within NIMS Command and Coordination:

 Information management—collecting, analyzing, and interpreting

information from various sources and sharing essential information
 Resource Management—coordinating support for resource needs and
requests
 Planning—coordinating plans and determining current and future needs

EOCs can make decisions based on established policies and procedures

within the authority given to them by their jurisdiction.
In some jurisdictions or some specific incidents EOCs may also:

 Manage Operations such as emergency shelters or points of distribution

to allow the Incident Command to focus on the incident
 Direct tactical operations when an Incident Command is not established
(such as in a snow emergency).
 Coordinate the efforts of several geographically separated incidents or
activities.
 Provide coordination and policy direction.

In some cases a jurisdiction may conduct incident or Area Command from the
EOC.

Incident Typing: Review

Incidents, like resources, may be categorized into five types based on
complexity.
The Incident Commander will normally categorize the incident based
on incident "type" in order to help the ICS staff and other incident personnel
understand the size, complexity, and level of resources required to manage
the incident.
EOC personnel should understand this common terminology.
Incident typing may be used to:

 Make decisions about resource requirements.

  Order Incident Management Teams (IMTs). An IMT is made up of the
Command and General Staff members in an ICS organization.
 Make decisions about appropriate EOM activation level and staffing
requirements.

Type 5 incidents are the least complex and Type 1 the most complex.

Configuration of Emergency
Operations Centers (EOCs)
EOC teams vary widely. Organization of the EOC staff can vary based on:

 Jurisdictional/organizational authorities
 Available staffing
 Partners and stakeholders represented
 EOC facilities and capabilities
 Political considerations
 The nature and complexity of the incident or situation

NIMS identifies three common ways of organizing EOC Teams:

1. ICS or ICS-like structure

2. Incident Support Model structure
3. Departmental structure

Like ICS, EOCs utilize the NIMS Management Characteristic Modular

Organization.

Interconnectivity of NIMS
Command and Coordination
Structures
NIMS structures enable incident managers to manage incidents in a unified,
consistent manner.
Interconnectivity of NIMS structures is important to allow personnel in diverse
geographic areas, with differing roles and responsibilities, and operating within
various functions of ICS and/or EOCs to integrate their efforts through
common organizational structures, terminology, and processes.

 When an incident occurs or threatens, local emergency personnel

manage response using NIMS principles and ICS.
 If the incident is or becomes large or complex, local EOCs activate.
 EOCs receive senior level guidance from MAC Groups.
 A Joint Information Center (JIC) manages the Joint Information
System (JIS) operations to ensure coordinated and accurate public
messaging among all levels: ICS, EOC, and MAC Group.

If required resources are not available locally, they can be obtained

under mutual aid agreements from neighboring jurisdictions, or State, tribal,
territorial, and interstate sources and assigned to the control of the Incident
Commander or Unified Command.

NIMS Principles for

Communications and
Information Management
NIMS identifies four principles of communications and information
management:

 Interoperability
 Reliability, Scalability, and Portability
 Resilience and Redundancy
 Security

Visualizing Information
Management
This graphic depicts the management of incident information to support
situational awareness.

 Data is received by the EOC. The top left shows the gathering of data
from different sources.
 In the top middle, the EOC staff verifies the data is correct and analyzes
it to determine if it is pertinent to the situation. Processed data is called
information or intelligence.
 All information is not equally useful. On the right side, the EOC “filters”
data based on defined Essential Elements of Information (EEI) to make
information that is most useful available. The bottom of the graphic
depicts EEI being used to update the Shared Situational Picture (SitPic).
 This common source of incident information is used to inform those who
have contributed, those who are impacted, and those who may become
impacted by the event.
Meeting Information Needs
How you use information will determine how you manage it. Look at the
information used, how it is used, and by whom it is used to determine whether
your current management strategy is the best available.
Information Use Information

Information many people need access to

or Provide easy access, allowing for ease of update and
Information that is used at several different locations

Secure or classified information Secure storage and controlled access are critical cons

Information transmitted to the public Provide ready accessibility to those with authority to

Resource Management
Resource management can be an area of confusion between the on-scene
command structure and the EOC. As shown in the table below, however, the
role of the EOC complements that of the ICS structure.
Compare resource management at the Incident Command Post (ICP) versus
the EOC:
 Incident Command Post (ICS)

Identify resource needs Receive resource requests

Order resources Prioritize resource requests based on incident priorities M

Check in resources Locate/order resources

Assign resources Assign according to priorities

Track resources Track resource use

Demobilize resources Pay for resources

The Operational Period Planning

Cycle (Planning P)
The Operational Period Planning Cycle is the process used in the incident to
develop the Incident Action Plan for the next operational period. The Incident
Action Plan is completed each operational period utilizing the progression of
meetings and briefings shown in the Planning P.
The EOC will also have a defined Operational Cycle of information
updates, meetings, briefings, and reports.
The operational period for the incident and the EOC may not be the same. For
example, in a rapidly changing incident the Incident Command may have a
four hour operational cycle, but the EOC may be operating on 8 or 12 hour
operational periods to facilitate shift work.
The key is synchronizing inputs and outputs between the EOC and Incident
Command so that each has the information necessary for situational
awareness, decision support ,and proactive actions.
Transition to Recovery: EOC
Role
At some point the incident is over and the community must work to recover
from the impacts. EOCs have a role in transitioning a community from
response toward recovery. Some activities that an EOC may perform to
support this transition include:
 Coordination of incident documentation (gathering and archiving all documents
regarding the incident).
  Archiving of data and contact information (ensuring that data and
information is available for use through the recovery process).
 Conducting after-action reviews.
 Advocating for State and Federal Assistance (documenting the incident for the
purpose of obtaining Federal assistance).
 Managing Emergency Shelters.
 Establishing Disaster Recovery Centers (normally the responsibility of the
impacted community).
 Working with FEMA, the State, and other Federal entities. (EOC staff liaison with
State and Federal officials as the jurisdiction conducts joint damage assessments
and seeks Federal assistance under the Stafford Act).
 Helping the community to manage expectations for recovery through Public
Information.

Deactivating the EOC

The on-scene commander is aware of the current incident status and knows:

 Current incident status and requirements for continued coordination and

support.
 Ongoing and future requirements to meet incident objectives.
 Length of time required to meet incident objectives.
 When the demand for resources and coordination slows down.

The EOC leadership must also consider recovery needs. Often, the EOC must
remain activated to facilitate recovery needs after the Incident Command
completes its on-scene mission.

Course Summary
You have completed the Basic Emergency Operations Center Functions
Course.
You should now be able to:

 Describe the role EOCs play in overall multiagency coordination.

 Identify requirements to activate the EOC.
 Identify staffing needs and organizational structure at the EOC.
 Determine whether your EOC organization is conducive to effective
coordination.
  Describe the role of the EOC in transitioning to Recovery and
deactivation.
 Apply concepts learned in the course to your jurisdiction.

You may now take the final course exam. You will also have an opportunity to
provide feedback about the course.

Lesson 8 Overview
This lesson provides a brief summary of the Basic Emergency Operations
Center Functions course content. After reviewing the summary information,
you will receive instructions for taking the course Final Exam.

The Role of the EOC -

Coordination
The EOC provides multiagency coordination of information and resources to
support incident management (on-scene operations). This coordinated
support can be provided directly to an Incident Command, or through another
EOC.
EOCs exist at all levels of government. EOCs are multidisciplinary, involving
multiple disciplines such as fire, law enforcement, EMS, public works, and
others. EOCs can be a temporary or a permanently established physical or
virtual facility.
The purpose and authorities of EOCs vary widely. EOCs demonstrate the
NIMS Guiding Principle of Flexibility - they are adaptable to the requirements
of the jurisdiction. Generally, EOCs do not command the on-scene response.
However, EOC Staff may share the load with the Incident Command by
managing operations such as emergency shelters or points of distribution.
EOCs may also perform incident command functions when on-scene incident
command is not established, such as in a snow emergency.
The EOC carries out the coordination function through:

 Collection, analysis, and sharing of Information

 Supporting Resource needs and requests
 Coordinating plans and determining future needs
 In some cases providing coordination and policy direction
EOC Functions
EOCs enable multiagency coordination by ensuring that response systems
are interconnected and complementary. They reinforce interoperability among
the various system components, and make response more efficient and
effective by coordinating available resources.
EOCs serve several main functions within NIMS Command and Coordination:

 Information management—collecting, analyzing, and interpreting

information from various sources and sharing essential information
 Resource Management—coordinating support for resource needs and
requests
 Planning—coordinating plans and determining current and future needs

EOCs can make decisions based on established policies and procedures

within the authority given to them by their jurisdiction.
In some jurisdictions or some specific incidents EOCs may also:

 Manage Operations such as emergency shelters or points of distribution

to allow the Incident Command to focus on the incident
 Direct tactical operations when an Incident Command is not established
(such as in a snow emergency).
 Coordinate the efforts of several geographically separated incidents or
activities.
 Provide coordination and policy direction.

In some cases a jurisdiction may conduct incident or Area Command from the
EOC.

Determining the Level of

Activation
The level of EOC activation should be based on established triggers and
communication with the Incident Commander or Unified Command.
Levels of activation are linked to the jurisdiction’s hazard analysis. The Hazard
Analysis helps define triggers for activation, based on actual or anticipated
levels of damage for anticipated threats or hazards.
Communication between the Incident Commander (or Unified Command) and
the EOC is a critical element of an activation decision. On-scene command
has the most up-to-date information about the on-scene situation, knows
whether the situation is under control, and is aware of current and projected
incident needs.

Clocks do not depict the length of the incident.

Incident Typing: Review

Incidents, like resources, may be categorized into five types based on
complexity.
The Incident Commander will normally categorize the incident based
on incident "type" in order to help the ICS staff and other incident personnel
understand the size, complexity, and level of resources required to manage
the incident.
EOC personnel should understand this common terminology.
Incident typing may be used to:

 Make decisions about resource requirements.

 Order Incident Management Teams (IMTs). An IMT is made up of the
Command and General Staff members in an ICS organization.
 Make decisions about appropriate EOM activation level and staffing
requirements.

Type 5 incidents are the least complex and Type 1 the most complex.

Configuration of Emergency
Operations Centers (EOCs)
EOC teams vary widely. Organization of the EOC staff can vary based on:

 Jurisdictional/organizational authorities
 Available staffing
 Partners and stakeholders represented
 EOC facilities and capabilities
 Political considerations
 The nature and complexity of the incident or situation

NIMS identifies three common ways of organizing EOC Teams:

1. ICS or ICS-like structure

2. Incident Support Model structure
3. Departmental structure

Like ICS, EOCs utilize the NIMS Management Characteristic M odular

Organization.
EOC Skillsets
Action Tracking Public Affairs Coordination

Center Management Recovery Coordination

Document and Records Management Resource Ordering and Ac

EOC Facility Management Resource Sourcing

Finance Resource Tracking

Legal Counseling Safety Advising

Organizational Representation Situational Awareness

Performance Improvement Understanding the Resourc

Planning

Interconnectivity of NIMS
Command and Coordination
Structures
NIMS structures enable incident managers to manage incidents in a unified,
consistent manner.
Interconnectivity of NIMS structures is important to allow personnel in diverse
geographic areas, with differing roles and responsibilities, and operating within
various functions of ICS and/or EOCs to integrate their efforts through
common organizational structures, terminology, and processes.

 When an incident occurs or threatens, local emergency personnel

manage response using NIMS principles and ICS.
 If the incident is or becomes large or complex, local EOCs activate.
 EOCs receive senior level guidance from MAC Groups.
 A Joint Information Center (JIC) manages the Joint Information
System (JIS) operations to ensure coordinated and accurate public
messaging among all levels: ICS, EOC, and MAC Group.

If required resources are not available locally, they can be obtained

under mutual aid agreements from neighboring jurisdictions, or State, tribal,
territorial, and interstate sources and assigned to the control of the Incident
Commander or Unified Command.

NIMS Principles for

Communications and
Information Management
NIMS identifies four principles of communications and information
management:

 Interoperability
 Reliability, Scalability, and Portability
 Resilience and Redundancy
 Security

Visualizing Information
Management
This graphic depicts the management of incident information to support
situational awareness.

 Data is received by the EOC. The top left shows the gathering of data
from different sources.
 In the top middle, the EOC staff verifies the data is correct and analyzes
it to determine if it is pertinent to the situation. Processed data is called
information or intelligence.
 All information is not equally useful. On the right side, the EOC “filters”
data based on defined Essential Elements of Information (EEI) to make
information that is most useful available. The bottom of the graphic
depicts EEI being used to update the Shared Situational Picture (SitPic).
 This common source of incident information is used to inform those who
have contributed, those who are impacted, and those who may become
impacted by the event.

Meeting Information Needs

How you use information will determine how you manage it. Look at the
information used, how it is used, and by whom it is used to determine whether
your current management strategy is the best available.
Information Use Information

Information many people need access to

or Provide easy access, allowing for ease of update and
Information that is used at several different locations

Secure or classified information Secure storage and controlled access are critical cons

Information transmitted to the public Provide ready accessibility to those with authority to

Resource Management
Resource management can be an area of confusion between the on-scene
command structure and the EOC. As shown in the table below, however, the
role of the EOC complements that of the ICS structure.
Compare resource management at the Incident Command Post (ICP) versus
the EOC:
Incident Command Post (ICS)

Identify resource needs Receive resource requests

Order resources Prioritize resource requests based on incident priorities M

Check in resources Locate/order resources

Assign resources Assign according to priorities

Track resources Track resource use

Demobilize resources Pay for resources

The Operational Period Planning

Cycle (Planning P)
The Operational Period Planning Cycle is the process used in the incident to
develop the Incident Action Plan for the next operational period. The Incident
Action Plan is completed each operational period utilizing the progression of
meetings and briefings shown in the Planning P.
The EOC will also have a defined Operational Cycle of information
updates, meetings, briefings, and reports.
The operational period for the incident and the EOC may not be the same. For
example, in a rapidly changing incident the Incident Command may have a
four hour operational cycle, but the EOC may be operating on 8 or 12 hour
operational periods to facilitate shift work.
The key is synchronizing inputs and outputs between the EOC and Incident
Command so that each has the information necessary for situational
awareness, decision support ,and proactive actions.
Transition to Recovery: EOC
Role
At some point the incident is over and the community must work to recover
from the impacts. EOCs have a role in transitioning a community from
response toward recovery. Some activities that an EOC may perform to
support this transition include:
 Coordination of incident documentation (gathering and archiving all documents
regarding the incident).
 Archiving of data and contact information (ensuring that data and
information is available for use through the recovery process).
 Conducting after-action reviews.
 Advocating for State and Federal Assistance (documenting the incident for the
purpose of obtaining Federal assistance).
 Managing Emergency Shelters.
 Establishing Disaster Recovery Centers (normally the responsibility of the
impacted community).
 Working with FEMA, the State, and other Federal entities. (EOC staff liaison with
State and Federal officials as the jurisdiction conducts joint damage assessments
and seeks Federal assistance under the Stafford Act).
 Helping the community to manage expectations for recovery through Public
Information.

Deactivating the EOC

The on-scene commander is aware of the current incident status and knows:

 Current incident status and requirements for continued coordination and

support.
 Ongoing and future requirements to meet incident objectives.
 Length of time required to meet incident objectives.
 When the demand for resources and coordination slows down.

The EOC leadership must also consider recovery needs. Often, the EOC must
remain activated to facilitate recovery needs after the Incident Command
completes its on-scene mission.
Course Summary
You have completed the Basic Emergency Operations Center Functions
Course.
You should now be able to:

 Describe the role EOCs play in overall multiagency coordination.

 Identify requirements to activate the EOC.
 Identify staffing needs and organizational structure at the EOC.
 Determine whether your EOC organization is conducive to effective
coordination.
 Describe the role of the EOC in transitioning to Recovery and
deactivation.
 Apply concepts learned in the course to your jurisdiction.

You may now take the final course exam. You will also have an opportunity to
provide feedback about the course.