Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
manner, these features and concepts will become transparent to the user as they will
not be a source of discomfort. This will dramatically improve the level of performance
as fatigue and frustration play a prominent role in degrading operational effectiveness.
The impact of design becomes even more apparent as the scale of an event escalates
as these challenges become more complex due to the impact of their potential conse-
quences. Time and time again, we read of the failings of response efforts, such as with
Hurricane Katrina and in the earthquake in Haiti, when events of a catastrophic nature
can overwhelm the system. Logistical entanglements, lack of communication, or con-
flicting requests produce chaos and unacceptable results. Make no mistake, facilities,
whether physical or virtual, without a well-coordinated plan along with effective com-
munications and logistical support will not produce the needed result.
Fundamentals
Each jurisdiction needs to have a solution tailored to its needs. The following narrative
and accompanying diagrams illustrate several of the fundamental ways in which the
focal point of an EOC, the operations room, can be configured to optimize the effec-
tiveness of a jurisdiction's response. As the reader reviews the concepts, it is important
to keep in mind that the efficiency of operation improves when the functional space
is purposefully built yet affords the flexibility to adjust for refinement of operation.
At times this may seem an unreachable goal, but it is achievable. This discussion deals
primarily with the space and big-picture issues of technology integration and not its
deployment nor optimal position assignment for the responding entities. Additionally,
each of the plans presented can support the requirements and goals of the National
Incident Management System (NIMS), some better than others.
One should also remember that many of these requirements, including situ-
ational awareness, asset control, and collaborative problem solving, are scalable to
all jurisdictional levels. Furthermore, the need for this capability and attendant
sophistication increases as the jurisdictional landscape and physical area encom-
passed grow due to increased political complexity. Regardless of the many variations
of layout currently in use, the design of the operations room can be characterized by
six basic configurations, each of which can be applied to all levels of response. For
the purposes of this analysis, we will describe them as follows:
◾
Traditional multipurpose
◾
Cubicle cluster
◾
Horseshoe
◾
Stadium/theater
◾
Collaboration pods—theater style
◾
Iris
Even virtual centers will utilize similar organizational structures for the network
control center.
