Section I: General Information
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is the physical location where the coordination of information and resources to support incident management (on-scene operations) activities normally takes place. An EOC may be a temporary facility or may have a permanently established location. EOCs are used to focus on the response and initial recovery from an emergency. The core functions of an EOC include coordination, communication, resource allocation and tracking, and information collection, analysis and dissemination related to a specific incident. EOCs help form a common operating picture during an incident, provide external coordination to on-scene command, and secure additional resources. EOCs facilitate the sharing of operational information and subject matter expertise in support of incident management and response activities. EOCs may be organized by major functional disciplines (e.g., fire, law enforcement, medical services); or by jurisdiction (e.g., federal, state, regional, tribal, city, county); and are operated using the Incident Command System (ICS). While some EOCs maintain standing watch teams, most EOCs are activated to support an incident.*
*Source: Department of Homeland Security
Additional Information: