NCJ Number
192494
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 25 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2001 Pages: 32-36
Date Published
November 2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines Emergency Operations Centers' preparation for catastrophic events.
Abstract
An Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is staffed by all the departments within jurisdictions that are responsible for critical services. This may include law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, power and gas, streets or highways, water services, sewer, governmental management, and press information. Local and State emergency management officials work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to prepare their jurisdiction for catastrophic events. EOCs are divided into Command, Operations Planning, Logistics, and Finance sections. The most critical component of any EOC is communications, not only with people in the field, but among all persons in the command center. Using mobile video technology from the field can be a force multiplier for emergency management. The article contains a brief description of EOC participation in a recent event in San Diego, CA. FEMA has in place many programs to assist local and state governments with clean-up and recovery after catastrophic events.