What are the key features of an EOC layout and equipment?

While it would be great to place an EOC close to an incident. That is actually not the point. The EOC is not required to be anywhere near any particular event. The EOC is used to support the response ONLY and so the location could technically be in another country.

Based on my experience of setting up/strengthening Emergency Operation Centres in a few developed countries, i think following are key 1. Layout should have surge capacity, which can be in virtual or real sense as during crisis many more stakeholders are engaged. 2. Backup communication and data retrieving and processing equipment: Communication, data and processing data into information for decision making is a function and equipment should facilitate it. 3. Test, test and test: Nothing can more irksome than equipment not responding during the crisis. Test and test it during peace time. Lastly, its human resource who drives EOC, and it is the heart of the matter.

Having worked in an EOC and having to help stand up one that was an empty room when we started, your article seems to be lacking some substance. An EOC, at times, may only have power, or not. Even we, in emergency management must be self sustaining for at least 72 hours. Trust me on this one!!

Line of sight, as much as possible between the desks. I want to be able to look up and see in a glance who is at what desk. The EOC I have worked in also has glass windows between the conference rooms and the floor...they provide a private setting for discussion while remaining visible in time of need

The EOC is an administrative and support role. The incident is not usually "run" from there. The most important part of an EOC is to have communication with the site so they can offer supports which they require. If you are looking for equipment, I suggest having phones, internet access, computers, whiteboards and maps if available.

I work mostly in hospitals but have experience in municipal EOCs as well. I agree with line of sight is helpful. Tables for workgroups should be arranged in the ICS model or in functional groups to help support tasks that report up to a branch or section leader. Ideally the space is large enough where conversations or calls are not disturbing the work of others. Best practice is to have breakout rooms for communications or small group collaborations.

While I agree with Matthew, one can always hope and wish. An EOC in some jurisdictions is nothing more than a table with chairs around and a phone. While it is always great to have space and a dedicated area, it is not always possible. I do agree however that there should be separate areas for the different functions; especially the press. The press should be off site whenever possible.

We share our EOC with our Roads crew, which serves as their Ready Room. Our EOC is a “cold start” and takes a lot of effort to get going, which is primarily why we’ve switched into a virtual or hybrid format. It works but if we had a location dedicated to the EOC and equipped for folks to be operational, it would be a different story.

Redundancy of systems is of utmost importance. There is little benefit to having different radio networks, mobile phone and satellite systems, if power is all distributed from the same source or if systems do not have dedicated antennas, for example. A mix of power sources is also desirable, such as a combination of solar, wind, generator, mains and battery options, to allow for continued operations in most settings.

As a 20 year Emergency Management Director, two of the most important things you need (1) trained personnel in every position at least 4 deep. Training should be on going; (2) secure communication is a must. If you cannnot communicate you cannot coordinate. UHF/VHF/800 MHZ are great to start with. It should be backed up with satellite phone and more important HAM Amatuer Radio. That goes back to point number 1; trained HAM Operators. They were life savers for us during Hurricane Michael. They are the most outstanding professionals in the world. If there were a third suggestion that has already been mentione it would be redundant power at a minimum of three deep as well.

Drawing on 24 years of experience, it’s evident that technological efficacy is crucial, yet we often overlook the origins and reliability of these advancements in our pursuit of progress. In emergency operations, the significance of redundancy—while not necessarily implying novelty—cannot be overstated. An exemplary testament to this is the enduring relevance of amateur radio. Despite its vintage, it remains a dependable communication method during disasters, underscoring that modern equipment and technology should be reliable, compatible, and interoperable, yet also resilient and tested, to meet the comprehensive demands of emergency response and recovery effectively.

Just because an incident or an emergency has occcured does not mean that security and access control are out not in effect. Quite the contrary. This is when the EOC and critical building systems are likely at their most vulnerable because everyone has their eye on other issues. Get your security expert involved in the planning and drills and work through a plan on how to ensure the right people are in the EOC. This plan also includes a drills and exercises on how to check-in individuals when access control is down. Put the security team to work formulating a plan. If you don't have a security expert on staff, it's beneficial to bring in an independent consultant to advise on how to ensure saftey and security during an emergency.

Systems- I’ve been in training and real situations in the San Francisco EOC representing Law Enforcement. Receiving, Tracking, and Fulfilling requests for information, equipment, teams or other resources is essential. They must be prioritized and fulfilled asap. I’ve seen lost requests languish or just lost. Field Units should not have to make multiple requests for resources to help them do their jobs. You need a good manager in Logistics.

Staff should be hyper aware of ongoing operational needs. The initial POI might have passed but the threat can evolve or cascade. Staff should be capable of shifting gears on the fly, be ready to call on mutual aid for other disasters. In short, don’t put blinders on and become complacent.

It should have outdoor space and recovery rooms to facilitate stress management in a 24hour environment. Adequate room for meal delivery with flexibility for buffet style meals. Ample storage and facilities for shredding and legal hold document retention. Video conferencing and Teams conferencing is to ensure the facility is nimble to support hybrid members.

Something else to consider is using a virtual EOC model. Popular during COVID for obvious reasons, but the private sector has used this concept for years. Managing incidents all over the country and world with dozens of company employees and stakeholders without anyone having to leave their house.

It’s a great start; I would focus now on depth and a learning method to synthesize the complexity of what you are describing into usable learning. For example, while this makes perfect sense for someone with my depth of experience and knowledge, someone new would be clueless. Consider who will set this up in an emergency. While impossible to fully simulate having to execute emergency management, the right ideas and seeds should be planted to yield the right results for the individual attempting to learn and perform this. I don’t know what the optimum way of doing this would be, but I suggest having scenarios in the form of stories, events, sequences, and strategies. To create simpler HBR case study replicas, with an emergency mgmt focus.

In addition to the basic training that we all take to be familiar with emergency management and command/control, fundamental team development training should be implemented for any personnel that will or might need to operate during an incident or emergency in the EOC. This would create a more effective team and increase the well being of the team members. This has been very evident, especially after the COVID response.

Seldom-used skills and knowledge can quickly fade, creating inefficiencies in the response effort. We have many opportunities to reinforce training by implementing EOC procedures for events outside ordinary daily business operations. Implementing the EOC for commencement ceremonies or speaker events can familiarize people with the procedures necessary for an effective response. A business may coordinate these events but use different methods. Consistency is essential for training reinforcement. In addition to the training benefits, implementing an EOC plan in this fashion will help locate potential problems in processes, equipment, and staffing. Frequent use of the EOC can also drive the business case for funding EOC essentials.