Emergency Operations Centers must be designed to operate smoothly in a time of crisis. EOCs demand clear operating procedures, staff roles, and responsibilities as well as a supportive workspace, a safe location, and effective usable technology. All Hands Consulting offers an array of consulting services that can assist you in maximizing the effectiveness of your EOC. Let us help you design or improve your EOC facilities, integrate new technology, and improve overall organizational and procedural effectiveness.
All Hands Emergency Operation Center Services
All Hands Consulting can help you with your EOC in a number of ways:
- Design – we will design an effective and efficient EOC from the ground up.
- Review – we will review your existing EOC and help you improve it both physically and operationally by development of your EOC organization including writing your Operations Manual and developing Staff Action Guides.
- Technology – we will help you choose and implement the best technology and software solution and help you integrate existing or new technology with EOC functions.
- Training, Exercises and Drills – we will design, facilitate and conduct EOC exercises and drills that meet your specific needs.
Design
A properly designed EOC must serve as an effective and efficient facility for coordinating emergency response efforts. An EOC may serve a number of uses including operations, training, meetings and other uses. The EOC can optimize communication and coordination by effective information management and presentation.
All Hands works with you and your organization to customize the design of your EOC. We provide comprehensive guidance and recommendations on the development of EOC design and concept of operations, including effective space utilization and compatible multi-functional uses.
We provide guidance on all aspects of your EOC design, including recommendations involving electrical/data circuit layout, security considerations, lighting functionality, projection displays, visual aids, support and mission equipment, communication issues, UPS/backup power, and functional considerations including ergonomic, mission process and workflow thus avoiding potential pitfalls in EOC design, construction, and equipment functionality. This includes a review of architectural and engineering contract deliverables, including initial thru final design before acceptance by the jurisdiction. Follow-on review can be conducted including proposed amendments to ensure potential construction pitfalls are avoided.
Review
All Hands has developed a comprehensive EOC Review Methodology. We review your EOC operations using our 44-page assessment tool and provide you with a complete report and comprehensive recommendations for improvements. This review will include the organization, structure, operating and staff procedures, layout, and physical plant. The report will provide an analysis of the current facility using federal guidelines. Existing equipment, space, layout, displays, staffing, procedures are reviewed. Shortfalls and improvements needed are indicated.
All Hands will provide “Comprehensive Emergency Management Strategic Planning” to include:
- Evaluation of the current status of the local program to include hazard/risk assessment, capability assessment, current trends and conditions.
- Establishment of a “blueprint” for a comprehensive emergency management program based on local/state needs.
- Development of strategies for local/state/ performance partnerships.
- Development of a 1 – 5 year work plan to improve emergency management (based on a self evaluation questionnaire); accomplish goal setting and management by objectives; and implement multi-year strategic/work planning.
- Documentation of progress and performance measurements.
- Justification of CEM program and all-hazards approach to executive, legislative, public, and users groups.
- Development of the jurisdiction’s Partnership Performance Agreement (PPA) and Cooperative Agreement (CA) with the state office.
Technology
Command Center software must allow you to effectively manage the vast amount of information that is generated during a crisis. The ideal information system will make it easy for individuals from every functional area to quickly and accurately report on their progress using automated checklists and other timesaving features such as reports for incident tracking. We assist you in the selection, implementation, and configuration of command center software. We can also assist you with total integration of all telecommunications, computing, visual displays, video and video teleconferencing, and alarm systems onto computer platforms operating within a multiple screen, virtual desktop environment. All Hands provides the services that you need. Services may include:
- Populating databases
- Customizing for local issues
- Applying your nomenclature
- Modifying forms
- Integration of maps and mapping data
- Customizing reports
- Adding information and links
- Creating or modify documentation
- Organizing and defining roles
- Setting user role and security settings
- Acceptance testing
- Review of command center operations and communications
- Training staff and conduction exercises
- Training, Exercises and Drills
All Hands will design, facilitate and conduct EOC exercises and drills. We have extensive experience in conducting tabletop and functional exercises. In addition, All Hands provides Incident Command System (ICS) training. We will help your staff discover the need, purpose and benefits of implementing the ICS concepts in managing any type of emergency situation.
Experience
All Hands consultants are extremely experienced in the design and operation of emergency operation centers. More information, including our project work history is available upon request.