Municipal Offices of Emergency Management

The Emergency Operations Center

Whether the local area is large or small, the EOC should be an important part of each municipality's disaster risk reduction strategy and its arrangements for tackling emergencies. The main elements of an EOC are location, role, and functions.

In terms of location, the EOC should be situated in an easily accessible area, but one that it not significantly at risk of hazard impact. Thus, if the main local risk is flooding, the EOC should be located outside the floodable area. The building should be resistant to damage by explosions, windstorms, earthquakes, or whatever impact is feared locally.

For example, in Tehran, Iran, the municipal EOC is located in the south of the city close to major highways and is built with much structural cross-bracing, so that it can withstand the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that is forecast for the area. Accessibility is important. For instance, in Florence, Italy, the EOC, which is shared between the governments of the city and province, is located next to a main railroad line (from which goods could be offloaded), and less than a mile from the local airport and the end of the autostrada (freeway) network. It is not in one of the floodable parts of the city, and is built to resist earthquakes. In general, the EOC should also be equipped with robust, redundant communications, its own electricity generator and, if necessary, water supply.

The most typical layout of an EOC is bicameral. One room should contain a conference table and enough seating around it to accommodate the heads of all local services involved in emergency response. Here, in an [Page 432]atmosphere of relative tranquility, decisions will be made during emergency situations and strategic planning will take place. Decisions such as how to allocate emergency resources, or on whether to evacuate local residents, will be communicated to the other chamber, the operations room. In this area during an emergency, there will be frenetic activity associated with the direction of field operations by radio, telephone, and all other possible means of communication. The bicameral facility should be supplemented by a third room, which is for rest and refreshment; this can be highly necessary during a long, drawn-out emergency. Vehicle parks and equipment stores may be located in the vicinity. Finally, many EOCs have a classroom, or an area that can be used for teaching and training purposes. Some of the larger complexes have a room designated for press briefings.

The role of the EOC is to direct local emergency operations, and also to act as a natural home for the local emergency plan. When a crisis occurs, it acts as a point of reference for on-site activities. It is also a clearinghouse through which emergency resources are channeled, and a place where information and data are collected, analyzed, and used for decision making.

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