In
this lesson, you will develop a general understanding of EOCs and how
they fit within an overall Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM)
framework.
What is an EOC?
What is an EOC?
When a complex incident occurs, it can overwhelm our response systems and limit capabilities.
These
incidents can impact our ability to communicate, provide clear and
consistent directions, coordinate efforts, and effectively deploy
resources. Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) help to address
organisational needs during emergencies, and should be a key component
of an emergency management programme.
EOCs
bring together decision-makers and key personnel to enhance
communication, collaboration, coordination, and to implement effective
emergency measures.
Many
government and non-government organisations utilize EOCs at various
levels, to support response and recovery efforts, manage information,
mobilize resources, and facilitate multi-agency coordination.
EOCs
are predesignated facilities with plans and procedures, infrastructure
and systems, and trained personnel which build organisational capacity
in response to emergencies and disasters.
Alternate Content - Audio recording of above text - "What is an EOC?"
Some EOCs may go by different names. Within the health sector, you may come across the following EOC names:
Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) may refer to a more general
EOC supporting all aspects of health services for a region or community. Depending on the emergency, a HEOC would include representatives from public health and other health disciplines.
A Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOC) is a focused EOC that integrates essential public health services in response to public health incidents. To support multi-stakeholder coordination, a PHEOC may have representatives from other health disciplines (e.g. Animal Health) or related sectors.
Did You Know?
The
general EOC structure and many core processes taught in this course,
can be applied to a variety of different types of EOCs across
government, non-government, and in the private sector. This consistency enhances interoperability, improves communications, and supports standardized training.
In
this course, we will describe EOCs in a general sense which includes
Public Health. When feasible, examples will be provided from a health
perspective. If you come from a different sector, consider similar
examples which might apply to your situation
EOC's During Non-Activation
increased incident response capabilities are not required, an EOC may
fully demobilize with personnel returning to their regular roles, or EOC
personnel may transition to more routine and pro-active duties as part
of a Public Health Emergency Management team, or similar department.
These roles and duties, may include:
This
structure and the EOC's role during "non-activation" may vary by
organisation and across the different levels of response. Typically, you
will see more established PHEM teams/departments at the national level.
The important role of Public Health Emergency Management and their
range of activities, is covered further in the following section.
Health Emergency Management (PHEM) is a specialized area of emergency
management that focuses on assessing risk, prevention/mitigation,
preparedness, response, and recovery from emergencies and disasters
within the Public Health sector. EOCs are an important component
of an organisation's emergency management (or PHEM) programme and will
be developed through various planning, training and exercising
initiatives within their preparedness phase of PHEM. PHEM encompasses a wide range of activities and functions aimed at mitigating the impact of emergencies on public health. A general knowledge of PHEM and it's phases or elements will provide you a broader context for your work within an EOC.
PHEM programme needs to be engaging in all phases of emergency
management to develop broader community resilience and mitigate impacts
of future emergency events.
operate within the emergency or disaster management framework for their
nation and/or sector. Within this framework, there is often a Concept
of Operations (ConOps) which outlines the various levels of EOCs and
other response entities, and how they report, coordinate, and
communicate during emergency incidents. Understanding
who your EOC reports to, coordinates with, and directly supports will
help in clarifying your responsibilities and the EOC's overall
coordination efforts.
Summary
1. EOCs bring together decision-makers and key support personnel to enhance communication, collaboration, and coordination.
2. There may be different names for EOC's across different sectors, but fundamentally they are working in similar ways
3. PHEM includes different phases including risk assessment, prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery
4. Knowledge of EOCs at strategic and operational levels, and how they interact with the tactical level, will strengthen overall communication and coordination efforts.
