What are the current trends and innovations in emergency operations center technology and systems?

The use of Geospatial briefings is the path to the future. Why use an already-out-of-date PowerPoint slidedeck when you can show, live, what is happening in your jurisdiction. Through online Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) such as ArcGIS Online or Storymaps and dashboards, you are able to maintain live situational awareness integrating numerous data sources such as your public safety dispatch centers, debris or damage assessment overviews, and much more. Through GIS, you’re able to maintain historic datasets of the incident and clearly and quickly convey the most important messages to your stakeholders.

Consider any third party applications used in the EOC for security risks. Have your cyber risk managers conduct a vulnerability audit similar to a community risk analysis.

One of the keys to successfully managing an emergency is to listen to social media as well as use it as a communication tool. Separate groups should be assigned to listening and report often on trends and what's being said. Another group should be tasked with research, writing, and editing. A third group should take what is written and created and publish it, so that at least two sets of eyes can view/review it before it gets sent out into the world.

Monitoring Social Media is essential but a perspective must be maintained that social media data is a planning consideration, not the focus a true metric of a response operation. In the COVID area we saw the phenomenon of social media data being treated as fact in influencing decision-making. EOC work to define a chaotic situation into a fact-based response built around developing and sourcing capabilities. Also, PIO's supporting EOC's need to utilize social media as supporting information platforms backed by official releases from empowered authorities. The Twitter space authority is often based on the number of followers, not the lawful authority or accuracy of the source.

There’s also a gap in training of the EOC in relation to those on the ground. I think it would be beneficial for firefighters to have an understanding of what actually goes on in the EOC, along with the resources that it offers. I often hear people just say they know they are listening to the radio and doing research, but that’s the extent. That disconnect can be fixed by giving the firefighters info. The benefit would be the EOC might actually receive improved information from the ground based on knowledge of what goes on in the EOC.

One item that is not mentioned is the need for data interoperability. The big need for an EOC [or any ops ctr./PSAP for that matter] is “Real Time Situational Awareness” [RTSA]. But, you do not get RTSA based upon one data set; you need to know when something happened [temporal], where [geo spatial], information surrounding the event [sensors] and ideally be able to “see” it [streaming video]. To put these elements together to form RTSA, you need an architecture that supports data interoperability. There is an “information sharing framework” [ISF] that DHS CISA has put forward that will help an ops center deal with the issue. [see: https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/video/21_0929_cisa_approachfordeveloping_isf_v3_508_0.pdf ]

These trends are not isolated to just EOC operations. Each one of these topics should be applied to most aspects of daily operations to enhance efficiency, improve security, and provide more cost-effective alternatives. Off premises or "hosted" technology can significantly reduce initial cost, the onsite demands for space, and costly maintenance of infrastructure. Often times, this is bundled with a cybersecurity package for additional savings and security. Currently applying this process to LMR and it is providing a staggering savings to the system as a whole, with far more advanced services being provided. When applied correctly, there is a significant opportunity to provide higher grade of service with a reduced budget impact.