In this lesson, you will explore EOC staffing and assignments, various
aspects of team communications, and facility set-up considerations.
EOC Staffing and Assignments
As part of your organisation's EOC preparations, staffing plans should
be developed for the EOC. These plans often identify personnel from
other areas of the organisation who will be brought into the EOC during
an incident. This training and utilization of personnel from across the
organisation builds surge capacity for large and prolonged events.
EOC staffing plans should identify at least three suitably trained personnel for each position.
💡 Did You Know?
Every
EOC should have a written plan (or appendix in the overall plan) which
outlines (at a minimum) roles and responsibilities, procedures and
protocols, infrastructure and facility set-up requirements, technology
and communication systems, information and data requirements, and
staffing plans.
Assignment Considerations:
If you are responsible for establishing staffing and assignment plans, consider the following practices:
1. Ensure personnel are released from their regular duties when assigned to the EOC.
2. When possible, match personnel to EOC position that best align with their current skillset.
3. Limit shifts to no longer than 12 hours per day with at least one day off per week.
4. When feasible, schedule overlapping shifts so that outgoing personnel can appropriately brief their replacements.
5. Continually
monitor and adjust staffing levels based on emerging needs. Remind
personnel that they may need to change positions if operational
requirements change.
6. If you are required to scheduled extended
shifts, ensure appropriate supports are established for EOC personnel,
such as additional breaks, rest areas, food, refreshments.
💠Reflection
Is
your organisation's EOC staffing plan up to date? If not, what would be
required to ensure you have a suitably trained team to run the EOC
during an emergency?
In
addition to staffing lists and schedules, the EOC's Logistics section
should maintain an EOC wall display of the current organisational
structure and assigned personnel. This will be helpful to clarify roles
if you are not sure who is assigned to which positions. For supervisors,
this will be helpful to see overall personnel distribution and
deployment.
Assisting and Cooperating Agencies
During
an EOC activation, your EOC team may be complemented by representatives
from various external agencies or organisations. Although not official
members of your EOC team, it is often advisable to clarify the
communication and coordination lines with these representatives. These representatives can be defined as coming from either Assisting Agencies or Cooperating Agencies.
Assisting Agency
1. External agencies that are directly providing site-level operational/tactical personnel.2. Operating in direct collaboration with the EOC’s organisation.
3. Agency representatives from assisting agencies should communicate directly with EOC Operations.
4. May have a branch/unit activated within the EOC Operations Section.
Cooperating Agency
1. External agencies that support the incident or supply assistance that is not directly operational or tactical in nature.
2. May have agency representatives, but their role is not usually assigned a seat in the EOC.
3. EOC Liaison Officer will often be their primary contact point.
4. May also be called "Supporting Agencies".
Identifying outside agencies as either Assisting or Cooperating can help streamline EOC communication and coordination lines.
When outside organisations are not clearly designated, EOC personnel may
be engaged in briefings and communications which are not necessary and
use up limited resources, or operationally critical organisations may be
overlooked in communications, field-based planning and collaborative
decision-making.
💠Reflection
What assisting and cooperating agencies/organisations might your EOC be engaging with?
EOC Team Communications
An EOC operates within a clearly defined structure of accountability and
formal reporting. Beyond these formal lines, the exchange of general
information is encouraged among EOC staff, assisting agencies and other
EOCs.
General information can travel in many directions, but formal requests
or directives must go through the established lines of accountability.
EOC Manager/Director - Communication Links
In
addition to regular communications with members of the EOC Management
Team, the EOC Manager/Director is responsible for communicating with the
Policy/Executive Group (or higher level EOC) and other levels of
support. It is important for the EOC Manager/Director to keep these
lines of communication open.
Review each card and slide it to
either "Policy/Executive Group" or "Other Levels of Support" depending
on where the type of communication resides.
Operations Section - Communication Links
The
EOC Operations Section is usually the most active in communicating
internally and externally. They are the primary point of contact for
activities occurring at lower level EOCs or site/field level
operations.
Select the plus sign on each role to learn more about their communication with Operations.
Communication Links Between Sections
All
sections and functions in the EOC may need to communicate. This
activity focuses on communication between the Logistics Section and the
Finance Administration Section, and between the Planning Section and the
EOC Management Staff.
Review each card and slide it to
"Logistics ⬌ Finance & Admin" if they would be communicating about
the activity, OR "Planning ⬌ Management" if they would be communicating
about the activity.
EOC Workspaces & Set-Up
Depending
on available resources and operational requirements, EOCs may be
purpose-built centres or a dual-purpose facility drawing on existing
office and workspaces which are converted to EOC use when incidents or
emergency events occur. Purpose-built EOCs are more common in
very large organisations, at national and Ministry levels, or with
agencies that require a high-level of readiness. Your EOC's configuration and set-up can make a big difference in the
effectiveness of collaboration, coordination, and communication among
personnel. Regardless
of the EOC's overall type and size - time spent configuring the
workspace and overall EOC setting to facilitate informal and formal
collaboration and improved communications can increase the effectiveness
of the EOC team. When possible, related functions should be grouped
together and close to the displays and systems they utilize.
Select the plus sign in each EOC room to learn more about space considerations.
💠Reflection
How is your EOC configured? If you have not done so, connect with your emergency management personnel to learn more or arrange a tour of your EOC.
Summary
1. Staffing plans should be developed with at least three people identified for each position.
2. Personnel should be released from their regular duties if assigned full-time to an EOC.
3. EOC assignments should be posted in the EOC so all are aware of the reporting structure.
4. Identifying outside agencies as Assisting or Cooperating can improve communications and coordination.
5. Information can travel in many directions, but formal requests/directives must go through established lines.
6. EOCs should be configured and set-up in ways that support effective collaboration, coordination, and communication.
