Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) are the facilities where governments and other organizations coordinate and manage their response to disasters. They are a critical element in being able to respond quickly and effectively. One aspect of 21st Century EOCs has to do with the integration of various technologies into these centers. In this podcast, my guest is Brendan McCluskey who is the Director of Emergency Management for King County (WA), which is the 12th largest county in the United States by population. He provides his perspective on how to organize an EOC and then we have more of an in-depth conversation about their recent technology upgrades costing over $2M to their King County EOC. If you are looking for a place to tour to see what is being done with EOC technology, this would be one place to have your list of facilities to visit. I’d add that the building is a combined EOC/911 Call Center and it too should be looked at if you operate from such a combined facility.
This episode is sponsored by Bent Ear Solutions which offers comprehensive capabilities and deep industry knowledge necessary to help you solve the most complex issues of your organization. We advise public and private organizations on an all-inclusive approach to disaster preparedness that addresses governance, planning, operational procedures, technology implementation, training, and exercises in order to achieve a successful and sustainable program.
Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com.