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After reading
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Skillsets User Guide
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Information Flow During Crisis Management-Challenges to Coordination in the Emergency Operations Center
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, post a substantive discussion detailing the key points. Be sure to include address:
· The challenges to coordination in the emergency operations center (EOC).
· Determining the EOC organizational structure.
· The importance of aligning the EOC skill-sets within your own agency’s organizational structure.
Be SURE to consult the
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Skill-sets User Guide
downloadand
Information Flow During Crisis Management-Challenges to Coordination in the Emergency Operations Center
downloadto help guide you through the posting assignment.
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Information Flow During Crisis Management: Challenges to Coordination in
the Emergency Operations Center
Article in Cognition Technology and Work · March 2007
DOI: 10.1007/s10111-006-0059-3 · Source: DBLP
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The Ohio State University
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O R I G I N A L A R T I C L E
Information flow during crisis management: challenges
to coordination in the emergency operations center
Laura G. Militello Æ Emily S. Patterson Æ
Lynn Bowman Æ Robert Wears
Received: 1 October 2005 / Accepted: 1 October 2006 / Published online: 12 December 2006
� Springer-Verlag London Limited 2006
Abstract This paper discusses challenges to coordina-
tion in the emergency operations center (EOC). A
county-level EOC is made up of representatives from a
range of organizations including local government, fire,
police, hospital, utility, and Red Cross representatives.
These ad hoc teams are tasked with coming together
during an emergency to obtain and deliver resources to
first responders on the scene of the disaster, as well
coordinating transportation of casualties, tracking of
fatalities, and establishment of shelters. Two county-level
exercises were observed. Themes were identified across
the two exercises. Recommendations for better sup-
porting coordination in crisis management are offered.
Keywords Emergency operations center � Crisis
management � Team decision making � Team
coordination � Cross agency collaboration
1 Introduction
When studying large-scale coordination, considerable
attention is given to the topic of distributed teams and
the coordination difficulties they face, focusing on
issues such as team cognition, shared mental models,
and shared situation awareness (Salas and Fiore 2004;
Endsley and Garland 2000). This paper focuses on an
individual component of large-scale coordination: the
small command and control (C2) cell tasked with the
coordination of a large-scale response to an emergency
situation. The emergency operations center (EOC) is
an ad hoc team that assembles in a central location
during an emergency to support on-scene emergency
response personnel and coordinate the response across
incident command centers, with the media, and
through EOCs at different levels of government. EOCs
exist at all levels of government, from federal to indi-
vidual municipalities. Membership comprises govern-
ment representatives, private companies (e.g., hospital
administrators, utility companies, etc.), non-govern-
mental organizations (e.g., Red Cross), and sometimes
military representatives.
Challenges associated with coordinating crisis re-
sponse are well documented via lessons learned from
real-world disasters (The 9/11 Commission 2004; Au-
brey 2002; McEntire 2002; Perry 2003; Tierney et al.
2001). Much can be learned from these retrospective
analyses. This research is intended to build on the
existing knowledge base, using ethnographic methods
to examine team coordination in disaster exercises.
Exercises offer natural opportunities for observation,
occurring more frequently than real-world disasters,
thereby offering a rich data source.
2 Methods
County-level EOC exercises were observed in two
counties in Ohio. Both were functional exercises in
L. G. Militello (&) � L. Bowman
University of Dayton Research Institute,
300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45469-0158, USA
e-mail: militello@udri.udayton.edu
E. S. Patterson
The Ohio State University, 210 Baker Systems,
1971 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
R. Wears
University of Florida, 655 W 8th Street,
Jacksonville, FL 32209, USA
123
Cogn Tech Work (2007) 9:25–31
DOI 10.1007/s10111-006-0059-3
which actual EOC representatives gathered in the
county EOC facility to respond to a simulated disaster.
Exercise control cells were used to simulate calls to and
from incident command posts, the media, hospitals,
etc. A brief description of each exercise is included
below.
2.1 Exercise 1: tornado
The scenario used in this exercise included a tornado
that touched down twice in a largely urban and sub-
urban county. As the exercise began, participants were
told that they had been asked to report to the EOC
because of reports of severe weather with the possi-
bility of tornados in the area. Over the next 2 h, par-
ticipants received and placed calls to obtain
information about the unfolding situation and to field
resource requests from various emergency responders
at the scene as well as other emergency support orga-
nizations (simulated in the emergency control cell). As
EOC participants learned of a tornado touching down
in the local area, key events began to unfold, including
the collapse of a Sears department store in a large
shopping mall resulting in seven fatalities. An ele-
mentary school several miles away also collapsed,
trapping 72 children. Debris in the roadways sur-
rounding the school frustrated efforts to begin search
and rescue or even adequately assess the situation at
the school. Other events posed more challenges to the
EOC participants, such as a damaged veterinary clinic
resulting in the release of 50 dogs into the area, as well
as mobs of concerned parents at local hospitals and the
elementary school. The magnitude of this event re-
sulted in requests for National Guard assistance and
additional medical support from the state.
2.2 Exercise 2: train derailment
The second exercise simulated a terrorist attack in a
largely rural county. The scenario began with a loud
explosion outside a nearby plant. As the scenario un-
folded, it became evident that a bomb had been placed
on railroad tracks leading to the derailment of two rail
cars carrying hazardous material. Flying debris caused
a secondary incident involving a tanker truck also
carrying a hazardous substance. Bystanders were in-
jured by flying shrapnel, and a school bus was struck by
debris, killing the driver and a student. The need to
barricade a 1-mile perimeter, decontaminate those
exposed to hydrochloric acid from the rail cars, contain
the hydrogen gas released from the tanker truck, and
transport and treat the injured represented a significant
challenge to the rural county. As a result, additional
fire and police support were requested and mutual
support agreements with outlying hospitals were in-
voked. Resources such as cranes and barricades were
located, rented/hired, transported, and managed.
2.3 Participants
In both exercises, participants were recruited via a
request to local EOC representatives inviting them to
participate in a training exercise. Twenty-three people
participated in the tornado exercise, and 15 people
participated in the train derailment exercise. In both
exercises participants included an EOC director, hos-
pital coordinator, coroner, county engineer, and public
information officer (PIO), as well as representatives
from fire, police, and county administrative offices. The
tornado exercise also included animal control, SBC
911, a local bus company, and utility companies. The
train derailment exercise included a representative
from the local school district, the environmental pro-
tection agency, and an amateur radio organization. In
both exercises, the EOC representatives had little if
any previous experience working with their fellow
EOC colleagues.
2.4 Facility description
In both exercises, participants assembled in a dedicated
EOC facility, consisting of a room with large tables and
shared displays on the walls. The tables contained
nameplates and workstations assigned to each partici-
pant. Depending on the participant role, the worksta-
tion included a computer and a radio. All workstations
were equipped with telephones. Shared displays in-
cluded large-screen monitors for displaying television
news and projected computer images (i.e., maps).
There were also whiteboards mounted on walls to aid
in tracking events and key information (i.e., fatalities,
injured people, etc.). In the train derailment exercise, a
paper map was mounted on the wall and annotated
with post-it notes.
2.5 Data collection
The primary data source was observation data. During
the tornado exercise, four observers were present
throughout the exercise. Each focused on a particular
portion of the room. All were asked to note:
– The roles and responsibilities that the participants
took.
– The key decisions that the participants made, and
how they came to these decisions.
26 Cogn Tech Work (2007) 9:25–31
123
– The information that the participants required but
did not have, and how they obtained this informa-
tion.
– The type of information that the participants needed
to disseminate, and the organizations that they sent
the information to.
– The issues that were unresolved at the end of the
exercise.
– Any difficulty or unique challenge in coordination or
information flow.
Time hacks were used so that exercise notes could
be integrated across observers. Due to space con-
straints in the train derailment exercise, only one ob-
server was allowed in the EOC. A second observer was
located in the exercise control cell. Part way through
the exercise, the observers switched locations so that
each observed first-hand the EOC and the exercise
control cell.
Handwritten notes were typed and shared across the
research team for analysis. A series of meetings to
identify and discuss themes that emerged from the
observations were held. These themes allowed con-
clusions to be drawn and recommendations to be made
to aid in future cross agency coordination.
3 Findings and implications
Observation data were examined across the two exer-
cises for common themes. Three challenges to EOC
coordination were identified including: (1) asymmetric
knowledge and experience, (2) barriers to maintaining
mutual awareness, and (3) uneven workload distribution
and disrupted communication. Each is discussed in turn.
3.1 Asymmetric knowledge and experience
One important element to consider is that many
counties employ a very small number of full-time
emergency management personnel. When an emer-
gency occurs, it is likely that the majority of the people
reporting to the EOC will not have extensive experi-
ence in crisis management. With the obvious excep-
tions of police, fire, and the Red Cross, most are
accustomed to working within an organization that
provides a service with relatively predictable day-to-
day operations. This disparity in experience level is
visible on several levels. In addition to differences in
experience level with regard to crisis management,
participants have varying levels of familiarity with
emergency response tools and procedures, and often
divergent knowledge of the roles and functions of
individual EOC members. This asymmetry creates a
coordination challenge as issues of trust and cohesion
become increasingly important during high-intensity
disasters.
In the tornado exercise, more than half of the par-
ticipants had very little experience, reporting that they
had participated in either zero or one functional
exercise previously. Six participants were moderately
experienced with between two and four previous
functional exercises, and three highly experienced
participants reported that they had participated in be-
tween 4 and 12 exercises previously. In this context
observers noted that most experienced participants
such as the police, fire, coroner, and Red Cross took on
leadership roles, while less-experienced personnel dis-
engaged from the exercise at times. More experienced
personnel seemed to know what tasks needed to be
done and understood the priorities necessary to man-
age the incident. For example, the coroner, who was
not overloaded with telephone calls, began to help the
less-experienced hospital representative track casual-
ties. The Red Cross representative anticipated the
need to set up centers for tornado victims and began
making calls to begin the process before an official
need was articulated. Interestingly, those with the most
experience seemed to be the most engaged in the
exercise, suggesting that they may obtain the greatest
training benefit. In the context of the exercise, partic-
ipants were quite patient with each other. It seems
likely, however, that in a real-world incident, with time
pressure and life risk involved, issues of trust in team
members’ abilities will arise more as experienced per-
sonnel find that they must rely on (or compensate for)
less-experienced personnel.
Coordination in the EOC also occurs across differ-
ent echelons of emergency management. Perhaps most
obvious to observers is the information flow inside the
EOC. However, it is also important to consider that
each EOC member is responsible for coordinating with
people outside the EOC. Police and fire have direct
communication with first responders at the scene of the
disaster. The hospital representative must coordinate
with local hospitals to direct the movement of patients
depending on equipment and specialties available at
individual hospitals, as well as overload conditions that
result in diversions to outlying hospitals. Local gov-
ernment officials must communicate the situation to
representatives up and down the chain of com-
mand—who may be located in another EOC and must
also manage aspects of the disaster from a different
role and perspective. Representatives tend to have a
high-level of expertise within their own specialty,
making them particularly well-suited for this type of
Cogn Tech Work (2007) 9:25–31 27
123
county-wide, specialty-specific coordination. Only the
most experienced in emergency response, however,
have a solid understanding of the roles others in the
EOC play. This asymmetry in knowledge and experi-
ence is multiplied across multiple levels of command.
3.2 Barriers to maintaining mutual awareness
In order for the coordination to go smoothly, it is
important that all participants in the EOC have a
shared understanding of the situation, current priori-
ties, and actions being taken. The amount of informa-
tion sharing that must happen within and outside of the
EOC is quite daunting. Although members of the EOC
are co-located, they are coordinating actions across a
county—and in real life, often across multiple counties.
Information comes in primarily via telephone and
radio communications. Simple communications are
easily distorted. For example, during the tornado
exercise observers noted that participants in the EOC
identified the collapsed elementary school by three
different names including ‘‘Orchard Park,’’ ‘‘Oak
Park,’’ and ‘‘Oakview,’’ creating significant confusion
over which elementary school was in fact damaged.
Overloaded telephone lines made confirmation of
information difficult, and noisy conditions increased
the likelihood that words would be misheard.
As communication channels were overloaded,
information flow quickly disintegrated. Some partici-
pants found work-a-rounds, such as moving closer to
the core group in order to overhear. This strategy,
however, was met with limited success. In the tornado
exercise, participants were worried about missing
important telephone calls. The telephones were wired
to each work station, so they were not mobile. Further,
the telephones all had identical rings and gave no vis-
ible indication regarding which phone was ringing.
Participants, therefore, were somewhat tethered to
their individual work stations. In the train derailment
exercise, the room was too crowded to allow for easy
movement. To encourage information sharing, the
EOC director requested frequent updates from each
participant. These verbal updates were potentially very
useful in establishing and maintaining a shared
understanding of the situation. However, noise level in
the room and the constant stream of telephone calls
into the EOC were significant barriers to this type of
information sharing.
Shared displays and information log forms have the
potential to aid in information sharing and a more even
distribution of workload. However, our observations
indicate that as workload increased, updating shared
displays and logging telephone calls were some of the
first tasks to be shed. This tendency was exacerbated by
unfamiliar forms and unfamiliar software. Because
emergencies do not occur routinely, less-experienced
participants must re-learn these tools to some extent
each time they are used. In the tornado exercise,
observers noted a cluster of 3–4 people around one
terminal trying to update the map during one portion
of the exercise. While one person sat at the keyboard,
others advised as to which menu to access, etc. In
addition, it was not always clear who was responsible
for updating the wall displays, making it difficult for
EOC members to know to whom they should com-
municate new information and to whom they should
direct questions. As a result, shared displays contained
incomplete or inaccurate information at times—infor-
mation that was available in the EOC, but had not
made its way into the display.
3.3 Uneven workload distribution and disrupted
communication
Varying levels of experience, multiple levels of coor-
dination, noisy communication channels, and incom-
plete shared displays combined to create a situation in
which information did not flow smoothly throughout
the EOC. While some members of the EOC received
frequent updates directly from confederates simulating
personnel onsite at the disaster scene, this information
was not systematically shared throughout the EOC. An
interesting pattern emerged across the two exercises.
This pattern is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Figure 1
depicts information flow as it is expected to happen.
Fig. 1 Information generally flows directly from the community
to a core team, in this case the EOC director, fire, and police. In
theory, information would flow outward to the rest of the EOC,
and from there to specialists in the community
28 Cogn Tech Work (2007) 9:25–31
123
The bulk of information about the disaster itself came
in to the EOC director, police, and fire representatives.
Depending upon the type of disaster, these three are
often the most experienced people in the room with
handling crises. Further, they are accustomed to
working together and are able to smoothly coordinate
amongst themselves. In theory, a shared understanding
of the situation would move from this core team to the
rest of the EOC, allowing each member to coordinate
within his/her area of specialty, all working as part of a
coordinated effort.
In the exercises we observed, however, information
did not flow systematically out from the core team who
were busy fielding telephone calls and problem solving
(Fig. 2). Instead information flowed asymmetrically
throughout the room, resulting in fragmented situation
awareness. Some participants were overloaded, while
others were underutilized. As the workload for this
core group increased, they had less time to share
information and offload tasks. At the same time, others
in the room became more removed from the situation
as they did not have access to the frequent updates
from first responders. Those outside of the core group
had a difficult time maintaining enough awareness of
the situation to identify leverage points and offer help.
Those inside the core group did not have time to bring
the others up to speed and delegate tasks. The few
exceptions were those sitting close to the core group or
those who moved close enough to overhear the core
group. By simply overhearing, some participants were
able to offer relevant resources and become involved
in the disaster response. Others deliberately sought
information. For example, in the tornado exercise the
PIO received many requests from local TV stations to
confirm or deny rumors, or merely update the public
on the situation. The PIO had to be quite persistent to
get the attention of this core group as they were
dealing with a number of pressing issues throughout
the exercise. Examples of the types of information she
sought included:
– Confirmation or denial that martial law was being
established based on reports of military troops
sighted in the area.
– Information regarding the status of the Sears depart-
ment store and the collapsed elementary school,
including reported injuries and fatalities.
– The location of shelters established for tornado
victims.
A debrief session held after the tornado exercise
revealed that some participants could have provided
resources, but were unaware that they were needed.
Participants seemed to be frustrated during the exer-
cise, wanting to be more engaged, but unsure as to
what was needed.
3.4 Recommendations for improving coordination
Although many potential recommendations for
improving coordination in the EOC were generated,
we have focused primarily on interventions that are
available in the near term and likely to have high
payoff with limited resource investment. Table 1
summarizes our findings and the corresponding rec-
ommendations described in this section.
To better support a team with asymmetric knowl-
edge and experience, low cost—often paper-base-
d—tools can provide considerable support. In both
exercises notebooks, whiteboards, and telephone
books provided important tools for communication. In
the train derailment exercise, a paper wall map was
easily and efficiently updated. These low cost, manual
tools can be used for tracking data and sharing infor-
mation. Well-designed tools can also serve as job aids
by providing key information about roles, procedures,
and resources for less-experienced personnel. These
easy-to-learn artifacts also represent important redun-
dancy for situations in which power and internet con-
nectivity may be interrupted.
While electronic coordination tools and information
displays offer great potential in the EOC, onsite sup-
port may be necessary to facilitate effective use during
crises. It is unrealistic to assume that EOC members
will easily remember (or learn for the first time) how to
operate software tools that are used infrequently while
in the midst of a rapidly developing crisis.
Fig. 2 In both exercises observed, the EOC director, police, and
fire coordinated smoothly and efficiently. Information flow to the
rest of the EOC was sporadic and unsystematic
Cogn Tech Work (2007) 9:25–31 29
123
Perhaps the most powerful strategy for supporting a
team with asymmetric knowledge and experience is to
provide periodic exercises with representatives from all
member organizations. While high-fidelity functional
exercises are clearly the most beneficial, even low
fidelity exercises provide opportunities to interact, ex-
plore each other’s roles and resources, develop trust
relationships, become familiar with forms and tools
available, etc. It may be possible to design exercises
that focus specifically on issues identified here such as
managing a team with asymmetric knowledge, main-
taining shared situation awareness, and avoiding un-
even workload distribution.
Overcoming challenges to maintaining mutual
awareness can be addressed in a number of ways.
Dedicated communication systems with flexible chan-
nels that do not rely on vulnerable infrastructure such
as cell phone towers or the internet are an important
component. Being able to maintain communication
between the EOC and the incident command posts, as
well as other EOCs is critical, as these channels are
used continuously throughout the incident.
Re-designing the EOC facility is another means to
encourage a shared understanding of the situation as it
unfolds. In the two exercises we observed, the layout of
the room had an impact on how information moved
throughout the room. The train derailment exercise
took place in a crowded EOC in which it was difficult for
participants to move around. This limited their ability to
move into small groups to problem solve, to stand near
shared displays to study the situation, or even move to
the shared displays to update them. In contrast, the
tornado exercise took place in a larger room, which
facilitated movement and communication between
members who were not seated close to each other.
We would recommend designing a room that would
encourage movement and communication. This might
include configurable workstations that would allow
EOC members to form small groups to work on a
specific problem. There should be space around the
shared displays, allowing room for small groups to
examine the displays and discuss the situation. Noise
damping materials that would reduce the amount of
ambient noise, but allow small groups and individual
telephone calls to be heard would likely reduce the
sense of confusion in the room. The room configura-
tion should also take into account the need for regular
verbal briefings.
Likewise, shared displays are a potentially powerful
tool for sharing information. If displays are updated as
information becomes available, team members can
refer to them as needed, reducing the need to search
the room for the individual with the most recent
information on a specific topic. Accurate and up-to-
date displays can serve to greatly reduce the level of
confusion and chaos in the room. Whether this display
is projected on the wall for group problem-solving or
viewed on individual, networked terminals, it is critical
that specific personnel are assigned to update and
maintain shared displays. Making this role visible to all
team members will ensure that all participants know to
whom new information should be delivered as well as
to whom questions should be addressed regarding the
accuracy/recency of information on the display.
Yet another strategy for encouraging mutual
awareness in the EOC is the use of groupware tools
(Grudin 1994). Given the high workload in the EOC,
there is a need for tools that support passive informa-
tion sharing as well as deliberate activities such as
verbal briefings. NASA mission control uses voice
Table 1 Summary of findings
and recommendations for
improving coordination in the
EOC
Findings Recommendations
Asymmetric knowledge and experience
Crisis management
Tools and procedures
Roles of EOC members
Job aids for less-experienced personnel
Easy-to-learn artifacts
On-site support for tool use
Frequent exercises
Barriers to maintaining mutual awareness
Overloaded communication channels
One EOC too crowded to move around
One EOC tethered to telephones
Noise level limits overhearing
Diffused responsibility for shared displays
Communication systems that do not rely on
vulnerable infrastructure
Facility layout re-design
Increase ability to overhear via facility design
and groupware tools
Assign role to update displays
Uneven workload distribution and disrupted
communication
Core team high workload
Non-core team unable to contribute
Core team too busy to share info
Assign role to field info requests to and
from core team
Assign role to ensure periodic updates
Make job functions and resources of each
member known in EOC
30 Cogn Tech Work (2007) 9:25–31
123
loops to allow team members to listen in on commu-
nications in which they are not directly involved
(Patterson et al. 1999). Adapting this technology for
use in the EOC would allow participants to hear
communications between the EOC director, police,
and fire representatives, reducing the frequency with
which these high workload positions need to engage in
deliberate information sharing activities.
With regard to uneven workload distribution and
disrupted communication, re-engineering the EOC to
better support the core team pattern seen in both
exercises would result in more effective information
flow and delegation. For example, assigning specific
EOC personnel the task of fielding information re-
quests to and from the core team would likely aid
communication flow. Assigning someone outside of the
core team to the role of periodically ensuring that
information updates are occurring and displays are
updated would serve as an additional check during
intense, highly dynamic situations. Key to the success
of any re-engineering would be to make the roles clear
to all EOC members, so that each individual knows
who to send information to and who to seek informa-
tion from.
4 Discussion
Perhaps the most significant observation from these
two exercises is the issue of ‘‘stovepiping’’ between the
core team and other members of the EOC. Although
this phenomenon has been described in terms of nat-
ural fault lines, we are hesitant to use that label here.
The term natural fault line suggests somewhat stable
groupings, rather than movable lines. We suspect that
membership in the core group will vary somewhat
depending on the nature of the incident and the
experience level of the participants in a given EOC.
Despite this variability, it seems likely that in nearly
every crisis, a core group will receive large amounts of
information, as well as tasking, from those on scene at
the disaster. Without adequate tools, procedures, and
training, those in this core group will become increas-
ingly busy while those outside the core group will be-
come increasingly removed from the situation.
Given the many challenges the EOC faces, the dis-
parate experience levels within the EOC, and the very
unpredictable nature of disasters, there is a tendency to
simply accept that coordination in this setting will be
somewhat chaotic and inefficient. Certainly, this is not
a situation in which communication paths and roles can
be easily scripted. However, our observations indicate
that we can provide the tools, facilities, procedures,
and training that will facilitate smooth coordination,
even for an ad hoc team facing unpredictable and
highly variable disasters.
Acknowledgments This work was funded in part by contract #
F33615-99-D-6001 and was sponsored by the Air Force Research
Laboratory, Logistics Readiness Branch (AFRL/HEAL).
References
Aubrey L (2002) The hard lessons of September. Mod Healthc
32(4):50
Endsley MR, Garland DJ (2000) Situation awareness analysis
and measurement. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah
Grudin J (1994) Computer-supported cooperative work: history
and focus. IEEE Comput 27(5):19–27
Hackman JR (1990) Groups that work (and those that don’t):
creating conditions for effective teamwork. Jossey-Bass, San
Francisco
McEntire DA (2002) Coordinating multi-organizational re-
sponses to disaster: lessons from the March 28, 2000, Fort
Worth tornado. Disaster Prev Manag 11(5):369–379
Patterson ES, Watts-Perotti J, Woods DD (1999) Voice loops as
coordination aids in space shuttle mission control. Comput
Support Coop Work 8(4):353–371
Perry RW (2003) Emergency operations centers in an era of
terrorism: policy and management functions. J Contingen-
cies Crisis Manag 11(4):151–159
Salas E, Fiore SM (2004) Team cognition: understanding the
factors that drive process and performance. American
Psychological Association, Washington
The 9/11 Commission (2004) Final report of the national
commission on terrorist attacks upon the United States.
Retrieved September 2004 from http://www.gpoaccess.gov/
911/
Tierney KJ, Lindell MK, Perry RW (2001) Facing the unex-
pected: disaster preparedness and response in the United
States. Joseph Henry, Washington
Cogn Tech Work (2007) 9:25–31 31
123
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- Information flow during crisis management: challenges �to coordination in the emergency operations center
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Exercise 1: tornado
Exercise 2: train derailment
Participants
Facility description
Data collection
Findings and implications
Asymmetric knowledge and experience
Barriers to maintaining mutual awareness
Uneven workload distribution and disrupted communication
Recommendations for improving coordination
Discussion
Acknowledgments
References
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National Incident Management System
Emergency Operations
Center Skillsets User Guide
September 2018
FEMA
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Skillsets User Guide
Contents
EOC Skillsets User Guide ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
Background ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
How to Use EOC Skillsets ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
Step 1: Determine Your EOC Organizational Structure ……………………………………………………. 3
Step 2: Create EOC PTBs …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Step 3: Use EOC PTBs to Qualify Personnel ………………………………………………………………….. 6
Appendices ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
Appendix 1: EOC Skillsets Format ……………………………………………………………………………….. 7
Appendix 2: EOC Skillsets with Task Categories ……………………………………………………………. 9
Appendix 3: Organizational Structure/Skillset Alignment Examples ……………………………….. 11
Appendix 4: Skillsets/Organizational Structure Crosswalk ……………………………………………… 18
Appendix 5: Acronyms ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 19
Appendix 6: Reference List ………………………………………………………………………………………… 20
ii
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Skillsets User Guide
1
EOC Skillsets User Guide
Introduction
Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) across the Nation play a critical role in managing
incidents large and small. By bringing together representatives from diverse organizations,
EOCs1 facilitate the flow of resources and information across organizational lines. EOCs vary
widely—some support multiple disciplines in a single jurisdiction, and some support a single
discipline across multiple jurisdictions. All operate under varying authorities, with diverse
resources and missions. EOC Skillsets provide a flexible approach to EOC qualifications, letting
you, as an EOC leader, build position qualifications according to your organization’s needs and
resources.
The diversity among EOCs can create challenges when sharing personnel across EOC
organizations, which may use different titles for positions performing similar functions or assign
different responsibilities to similarly titled positions. As a part of the National Qualification
System (NQS), EOC Skillsets support standardized qualifications for EOC personnel, while
remaining flexible enough to accommodate EOCs of all sizes and kinds. You can mix and match
skillsets to create the right combination of skills and abilities for your EOC. Additionally, the
EOC Skillsets also help create a national vocabulary so that you can clearly communicate desired
capabilities when you need to request additional personnel to support your EOC.
This EOC Skillsets User Guide is for use by EOC leaders at any level of government and within
the private sector and nongovernmental organizations (NGO). It explains what EOC Skillsets are
and how to use them to construct EOC Position Task Books (PTB), supporting the qualification
and certification of EOC personnel.
The purpose of EOC Skillsets is not to replace existing qualification systems, but to provide
minimum baselines when qualifications do not exist. Using these skillsets allows you to build the
capabilities and qualifications of EOC personnel, and, in doing so, help improve the
professionalization of EOC personnel and contribute to the resiliency of our Nation.
1 Because incident support is conducted in a wide variety of different facilities, as well as virtual structures, the
National Incident Management System (NIMS) and supporting documents use the term “EOC” to refer to all such
facilities, including emergency coordination centers.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Skillsets User Guide
2
Background
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) describes standard structures and vocabulary
to enable incident personnel from across the Nation to work together to save lives, stabilize
incidents, and protect property and the environment. A performance-based approach to personnel
qualifications ensures the capabilities of personnel to perform in incident-related positions. The
NIMS Guideline for the National Qualification System provides guidance for organizations
establishing performance-based qualifications processes, including personnel qualification,
certification, and credentialing.
National Qualification System (NQS)
The NQS provides jurisdictions and organizations with guidance to certify their personnel according to
national baseline qualifications. Through NQS, FEMA is developing common terminology, templates and
other tools, and a standard approach for qualifying, certifying, and credentialing deployable incident
personnel—enabling mutual aid partners to communicate resource needs quickly and precisely.2
On-scene personnel use the Incident Command System (ICS), which defines common position
titles and responsibilities, enabling people from different organizations or jurisdictions to
seamlessly integrate into a common incident structure.
EOC personnel support on-scene actions and, like on-scene personnel, can be shared across
organizational and jurisdictional lines. Unlike on-scene personnel, however, there is no nation-
wide structure like ICS guiding all EOCs. Instead, EOCs across the nation define their own
positions, processes, and structures. This diversity is necessary, given the unique missions,
authorities, and resources of EOCs, but it can create challenges for EOC leaders in requesting
and sending personnel through mutual aid. FEMA developed the EOC Skillsets to help relieve
these challenges.
NIMS structures are adaptable to any situation. You, as an EOC leader, are best positioned to
shape your organization based on its mission and resources. EOC Skillsets define tasks
associated with common EOC functions, giving you building blocks to define qualifications for
your personnel, no matter what organizational structure or position titles you use. EOC Skillsets
also facilitate mutual aid by establishing common terminology for defining requirements when
requesting personnel, while remaining flexible enough to accommodate the diversity of EOC
organizational structures across the Nation.
Regardless of EOC structure, EOC personnel typically perform these common functions:
Collect, analyze, and share information;
Support resource needs and requests, including allocation and tracking;
Coordinate plans and determine current and future needs; and
In some cases, provide strategic coordination and policy direction.
EOC Skillsets break these functions down into discrete responsibilities aligned with
demonstrable tasks that leaders can use to build EOC PTBs, qualify personnel, and request
support.
2 For additional information on NQS, see www.fema.gov/national-qualification-system
http://www.fema.gov/national-qualification-system
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Skillsets User Guide
3
How to Use EOC Skillsets
As an EOC leader seeking to qualify your personnel and ensure they are prepared to perform
their incident responsibilities, you can choose which skillsets or combination of skillsets to
assign to specific positions in your EOC. To do this, follow the steps outlined in Table 1.
Table 1: Steps for Using EOC Skillsets
Steps Specific Actions
Step 1: Determine Your EOC
Organizational Structure
Determine the structure and processes that best suit your EOC’s
authorities, resources, and mission
Step 2: Create EOC PTBs
Align EOC Skillsets with the positions in your organizational
structure
Determine whether to add additional tasks to individual skillsets
Add evaluation forms and other documentation to complete the
task books
Step 3: Use EOC PTBs to
Qualify Personnel
Issue EOC PTBs to personnel and begin the qualification process
At the end of this process, you will be able to qualify EOC personnel based on your EOC’s
unique needs.
Step 1: Determine Your EOC Organizational Structure
EOCs vary in their missions, authorities, and resources. Some EOCs have an incident support
role, while others lead incident management efforts. Still others change roles according to the
type of incident. EOC structures vary accordingly, and NIMS does not promote a single EOC
organizational model, nor any EOC position titles or position descriptions. If your EOC already
has an established structure, proceed to Step 2.
Table 2 describes three types of EOC organizational structures described in NIMS, along with
some of the benefits of each.3 These examples are not mandatory, definitive, or exclusive. Your
EOC may use one of these structures, a combination of elements from different structures, or a
structure not listed here. Each type of structure has advantages, so it is up to you to determine
what works best for your EOC.
3 For additional information and details on these structures, see the following sections of NIMS: Command and
Coordination: Emergency Operations Centers (EOC), pages 35-39, and Appendix B: EOC Organizations, pages
116-123; https://www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system.
https://www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Skillsets User Guide
4
Table 2: Sample Types of EOC Organizational Structures
Structure Type Benefits
ICS or ICS-like Structure
The ICS organizational structure is familiar to those with ICS training. It most
closely aligns with the structure used for on-scene incident management.
Incident Support Model
This structure puts the EOC director4 in direct contact with those conducting
situational awareness and information management. It streamlines resource
sourcing, ordering, and tracking.
Departmental Structure
By operating in the context of their normal relationships, department/agency
representatives can function in the EOC with minimal preparation and startup
time.
EOC directors expand or contract their organizational structures based on available personnel
and the incident’s needs. Some incidents might require multiple people to perform a single
function; in other situations, a single person might perform multiple functions. You should
consider both minimum and maximum staffing levels in your EOC when determining position
responsibilities and required skills.
Step 2: Create EOC PTBs
Once you have determined the organizational structure that best fits your EOC reporting
structure and functional alignment, use the skillsets to build EOC PTBs for each position. This
process involves three actions:
1. Align the EOC Skillsets with your organizational structure
2. Determine whether to add additional tasks to individual skillsets
3. Add evaluation forms and other documentation to complete the task books
How Are EOC Skillsets Different from PTBs?
Many incident personnel are already familiar with PTBs, which define demonstrable tasks for defined
positions. Performing these tasks supports a person’s qualification for a position.
Like PTBs, EOC Skillsets establish minimum performance criteria. However, unlike on-scene positions,
which are defined through ICS, EOC positions have no standard definitions or PTBs. Instead, EOC
leaders can mix and match EOC Skillsets to build custom EOC PTBs that align with the unique roles and
responsibilities of positions in their EOC. This allows EOC leaders to qualify their personnel with the
combination of skills necessary to perform the EOC’s functions.
Action 1: Align the EOC Skillsets with your organizational structure
As an EOC leader, you determine which skillsets your personnel need to achieve the EOC’s
mission. There are 17 functional skillsets, which determine what a position will do, and three
level of responsibility skillsets, which determine where in your structure the position falls. These
4 The term “EOC director” is used throughout this document to refer to the individual who heads the team that
works in an EOC when it is activated. In actual practice, this position may have a variety of titles, such as EOC
Manager or EOC Coordinator, depending on the plans and procedures of the jurisdiction/organization.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Skillsets User Guide
5
20 skillsets can be mixed and matched to create thousands of unique combinations in order to
accommodate the diversity of EOCs across the Nation. Ultimately, you decide what your EOC
needs. Table 3 presents a list of the skillsets, and Appendix 2 describes them in greater detail.
Table 3: EOC Skillsets
Level of Responsibility
Coordination and Individual Contribution
Leadership
Policy and Direction
Function
Action Tracking Public Affairs Coordination
Center Management Recovery Coordination
Document and Records Management Resource Ordering and Acquiring
EOC Facility Management Resource Sourcing
Finance Resource Tracking
Legal Counseling Safety Advising
Organizational Representation Situational Awareness
Performance Improvement Understanding the Resource Requirement
Planning
As you group skillsets together to align position responsibilities and build your desired reporting
structure, consider the following guidelines:
• You can assign the same skillset to multiple positions.
• You can assign multiple skillsets to a single position.
• You should assign a level of responsibility skillset to every position.
Assign Coordination and Individual Contribution to every position in your EOC.
Additionally, assign the Leadership skillset to all supervisory positions in your EOC.
Many organizations do not consider Multiagency Coordination Group (MAC
Group)/Policy Group members as part of the EOC staff, in which case those individuals
should be assigned the Policy and Direction skillset, not the Coordination and Individual
Contribution skillset.
Appendices 3 and 4 provide examples of EOC Skillsets aligned with various organizational
structures.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Skillsets User Guide
6
Tip: When aligning skillsets with positions, consider both personnel roles/responsibilities and your EOC’s
standard processes, such as resource ordering. This can provide a helpful check of your alignment. See
Appendix 3 for examples.
Action 2: Determine whether to add additional tasks to individual skillsets
EOC Skillsets establish minimum criteria for EOC qualifications—they do not cover the full
range of activities that EOC personnel perform. As an EOC leader, you can add tasks to the
baseline skillsets. A fully compiled EOC PTB describes the full range of roles and
responsibilities for the position, including all significant tasks a trainee should perform to be
qualified in that position.
Tips for Compiling an EOC PTB
– Include a level of responsibility. All PTBs include either:
1) the Coordination and Individual Contribution skillset,
2) the Coordination and Individual Contribution and the Leadership skillsets, or
3) the Policy and Direction skillset.
– Skillset order is not important. Evaluators can evaluate tasks in any order, so the order in which the
skillsets appear in the EOC PTB does not matter.
– Use any title that meets your needs. Position names vary across the country—use the title that makes
the most sense for your organization.
Action 3: Add evaluation forms and other documentation to complete the task book
In addition to tasks, PTBs also include evaluation forms, guidance
on how to use the PTB, and additional qualification requirements
(such as training courses or physical and medical fitness
requirements). This helps ensure consistency in qualification
processes and standards beyond demonstrable tasks. You can add
organization-specific requirements and processes to the standard
EOC PTB introductory language5 or use the template as is.
Once you have added any evaluation sheets and introductory
language to the skillsets, you have created an EOC PTB similar to
an NQS incident management PTB. See Figure 1.
Step 3: Use EOC PTBs to Qualify Personnel
An EOC PTB is a tool to support your EOC’s qualification,
certification, and credentialing processes. As with field
positions, qualified evaluators assess trainees during incidents,
exercises, and other work situations and sign off as the trainee
demonstrates completion of each task. Once all tasks are
complete, the trainee submits the completed PTB and proof of completion of any training
requirements6 for final approval, according to your EOC’s qualification review processes.
5 To see EOC PTB introductory language and find additional information on evaluating PTB completion, visit
https://www.fema.gov/national-qualification-system.
6 EOC skillsets do not specify accompanying training courses, but FEMA provides training guidance through the
NIMS Training Program. See https://training.fema.gov/nims/ for more information.
Figure 1: EOC PTB for a
nonsupervisory, non-
Policy Group position
https://www.fema.gov/national-qualification-system
https://training.fema.gov/nims/
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Skillsets User Guide
7
Appendices
Appendix 1: EOC Skillsets Format
EOC Skillsets contain the following sections, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Example EOC Skillset
Skillset Title: The skillset title reflects the function or level of responsibility described in the
skillset.
Task Categories: These items summarize groups of similar tasks in the skillset.
Tasks: These are specific, demonstrable actions necessary for successful performance of a
skillset. Trainees (people seeking to complete a task book) must demonstrate completion of all
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Skillsets User Guide
8
numbered tasks. You, as the EOC leader, may add additional tasks or make the criteria stricter to
address specific needs, hazards, or risks within your jurisdiction, organization, or agency.
Bulleted statements below tasks provide examples or clarification; the trainee does not need to
demonstrate all bulleted items in order to complete the task.
Codes: Each task has at least one code indicating the circumstances in which the trainee can
perform the task for evaluation. If a task has multiple codes, the evaluator may evaluate in any of
those circumstances; the trainee does not have to perform in all listed circumstances.
Code C: Task performed in training or classroom setting, including seminars and workshops.
Code E: Task performed during a full-scale exercise with equipment.
Code F: Task performed during a functional exercise.
Code I: Task performed during a real-world incident or event. Examples include oil spill, search
and rescue operation, hazardous materials (hazmat) response, fire, and emergency or
nonemergency (planned or unplanned) events.
Code J: Task performed as part of day-to-day job duties.
Code T: Task performed during a tabletop exercise.
Code R: Task performed very rarely and required only if applicable to the incident. The
Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) can use this when adding tasks to a skillset.
Evaluation Record Number and Evaluator Initials and Date: The evaluator uses these spaces to
document when the trainee completes the task. The AHJ evaluates as if the EOC PTB were a
standard PTB and includes corresponding evaluation forms as necessary. See the NIMS
Guideline for the National Qualification System and EOC PTB introductory language for
information on the role of evaluators and the PTB certification process.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Skillsets User Guide
9
Appendix 2: EOC Skillsets with Task Categories
Table 4 below describes each skillset and its associated tasks.
Table 4: EOC Skillsets with Task Categories
Skillset Title Description Task Categories
Coordination and
Individual
Contribution
Common tasks related to individual
accountability and coordination that apply
to all EOC positions
● Complete common coordination and
accountability tasks associated with all
positions within the EOC
Leadership
Generic leadership tasks that apply to
anyone in an EOC leadership position
● Be proficient in the job, both technically and
as a leader
● Supervise staff to ensure understanding and
accomplishment of duties and tasks
● Coordinate to foster unity of effort
Policy and
Direction
Tasks suitable for MAC Group/Policy
Group roles, to support coordinated
incident management among all parties
● Demonstrate an understanding of the
authorities, policies, priorities, capabilities,
constraints, and limitations of the
organization/jurisdiction you represent
● Demonstrate an understanding of coordinated
response/Unified Command and the roles and
responsibilities of the parties involved
Action Tracking
Tasks for communicating and tracking
action items through resolution
● Perform action tracking
Center
Management
Tasks related to overseeing all center
activities
● Establish EOC support for incident/event
● Coordinate EOC activities
● Ensure proper support for resource needs and
requests, including allocation and tracking
● Ensure development and coordination of
plans
● Ensure collection, analysis, and sharing of
information internally and externally
Document and
Records
Management
Tasks for gathering, handling, sharing, and
archiving incident documentation
● Collect and store documents and records
● Provide documents and records upon request
EOC Facility
Management
Tasks associated with the operational and
logistical management of the EOC facility
● Ensure that EOC infrastructure is operational
● Support the needs of EOC personnel
● Ensure security of the EOC
Finance
Tasks related to EOC procurement policies
and fiscal management activities
● Administer financial management for
jurisdictional expenditures
● Advise EOC leadership and staff on financial
matters associated with jurisdictional activities
Legal Counseling
Tasks for advising EOC personnel on
relevant laws and regulations
● Advise EOC leadership and staff on legal
matters and provide other legal services
Continued on next page
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Skillset Title Description Task Categories
Organizational
Representation
Tasks associated with representing your
organization in the EOC to support incident
operations
● Represent your organization and support EOC
activities
● Understand discipline-specific resource
streams
Performance
Improvement
Tasks for collecting and analyzing
information about EOC operations to
support process and performance
improvements during and after an incident
● Collect and analyze information regarding
EOC activation and activities
● Suggest process improvements and solutions
during EOC operations
● Support process improvement following EOC
deactivation
Planning
Tasks focused on developing incident-
specific plans
● Reference pre-incident plans
● Develop and write EOC action plans and other
incident-specific plans
● Disseminate plans
● Facilitate the ongoing planning process
Public Affairs
Coordination
Tasks for working with the media and
disseminating information to the public
● Manage EOC-related efforts to provide
information and warning to the public
● Advise the EOC Policy Group, leadership, and
personnel about public information and
warning
Recovery
Coordination
Tasks focused on understanding the
incident’s impact on the community and
preparing for long-term recovery
● Understand the complexities of recovery
● Demonstrate an understanding of community
impacts
● Prepare for long-term recovery
Resource Ordering
and Acquiring
Tasks for understanding how to order and
acquire resources
● Order/request resources
Resource Sourcing
Tasks for understanding resource options
in order to acquire resources to support
incident operations
● Understand potential sources
● Develop, evaluate, and implement courses of
action for resource fulfillment
Resource Tracking
Tasks for tracking acquired resources from
mobilization through demobilization
● Track resources
Safety Advising
Tasks focused on communication and
fostering safety within the EOC
● Promote the safety of EOC personnel
Situational
Awareness
Tasks for gathering and analyzing an
incident’s situational information to inform
EOC actions and decision-making
● Gather data and information
● Analyze data and information
● Disseminate information
Understanding the
Resource
Requirement
Tasks for gathering and understanding
resource needs in order to communicate
resource specifications
● Understand and validate the resource
requirement
● Communicate requirement in plain language
and use national standards and common
terminology
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Appendix 3: Organizational Structure/Skillset Alignment Examples
This appendix contains three examples that each use slightly different lenses to match skillsets to
positions. The first two examples demonstrate how EOC leaders use skillsets in EOCs with
differing organizational structures, staffing levels, and missions. The third example shows the
variation in resource management-related skillsets in different EOCs. All approaches have the
same goal: to assign EOC personnel the skillsets they need to be successful in their duties.
Example 1: Aligning Skillsets with an ICS-like EOC
Person A is the director of an EOC that is configured based on the ICS (Step 1). The Operations
Coordination Section is made up of organizational representatives from various Emergency
Support Functions (ESF). The director typically has one person assigned to coordinate and
support the ESF representatives and five additional personnel organized according to the
structure shown in Figure 3.
The director now wants to align the EOC Skillsets with the positions in this EOC (Step 2). Since
the EOC uses an ICS-like structure, the director uses Appendix 4, Table 8 as a starting point for
skillset alignment. However, this EOC uses a resource ordering process that differs from the
standard ICS process. In this EOC, the Logistics Coordination Section tracks resources, and the
Operations Coordination Section Chief determines the best source for resources. After moving
those skillsets accordingly, the EOC director completes the skillset/position alignment, as shown
in Figure 4. The director can now issue the EOC PTBs to the appropriate personnel and begin the
qualification process (Step 3).
Figure 3: EOC Organizational Structure with Emergency Support Functions (ESF)
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Figure 4: EOC Organizational Structure with Skillsets Aligned
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Example 2: Situational Awareness Section and Planning Support Section
Person B is the director of an EOC that focuses on information, planning, and resources support.
The EOC uses an Incident Support Model matching the model described in NIMS (Step 1). The
director uses Appendix 4, Table 7 as a starting point to align skillsets with the responsibilities of
the EOC sections. During activation, the director works directly with the Policy Group and has a
deputy to oversee EOC operations. Therefore, the director assigns himself the Policy and
Direction level of responsibility skillset and the deputy receives the Leadership and Coordination
and Individual Contribution skillsets.
Figure 5: Incident Support Model Section Skillset Alignment
The director, who has access to enough personnel to assign multiple people to each section, now
starts to align the skillsets with individual positions, starting in the Situational Awareness and
Planning Support sections (Step 2). When these sections are fully staffed, the director has five
people in the Situational Awareness Section and six people in the Planning Support Section (see
Tables 5 and 6).
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Situational Awareness Section: This section has one leader and four staff positions. The
director assigns the Section leader all of the section’s skillsets plus the Leadership skillset. The
staff positions receive skillsets associated with the functions they perform. See Table 5.
Planning Support Section: In this section, the director has one supervisor, one Recovery
Coordination point of contact (POC), and various support positions. The director assigns the
section leader position the Leadership skillset and all other skillsets relevant to the section except
the Recovery Coordination skillset. The section leader does not have to be qualified in that
skillset as long as a qualified person occupies the Recovery Coordination POC position. The
director also assigns skillsets to the section’s staff positions. See Table 6.
The EOC director can now issue the EOC PTBs to the appropriate personnel and begin the
qualification process (Step 3).
Table 5:
Situational Awareness
Section
Situational Awareness Section
Role Skillsets
Situational Awareness
Section Leader
● Leadership, Document and Records Management, Situational
Awareness, Coordination and
Individual
Contribution
Situational Awareness
Specialist
● Document and Records Management, Situational Awareness,
Coordination and
Individual Contribution
Information Analysis
Specialist
● Situational Awareness, Coordination and Individual Contribution
Information Analysis
Specialist
● Situational Awareness, Coordination and Individual Contribution
Information Management
Support Specialist
● Document and Records Management, Coordination and Individual
Contribution
Table 6:
Planning Support Section
Planning Support Section
Role Skillsets
Planning Support Section
Leader
● Leadership, Planning, Performance Improvement, Document and
Records Management, Coordination and Individual Contribution
Recovery Point of Contact
● Recovery Coordination, Performance Improvement, Coordination and
Individual Contribution
Future Planning Specialist
● Planning, Performance Improvement, Coordination and Individual
Contribution
Future Planning Specialist
● Planning, Document and Records Management, Coordination and
Individual Contribution
Current Planning Specialist ● Planning, Coordination and Individual Contribution
Performance Improvement
Specialist
● Document and Records Management, Performance Improvement,
Coordination and Individual Contribution
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Example 3: Resource Management Skillset Combinations
There is considerable variety in how different EOCs align resource management functions
between sections and positions, though the EOC Director generally oversees the entire resource
management process. This example shows how the resource management skillsets align with
sections in some common EOC organization structures.
Figure 6 shows an EOC which is organized according to ICS and which uses ICS resource
management processes exactly how they are used in the field. The Operations Section personnel
are responsible for understanding the resource requirement—these personnel determine what
resources are needed to accomplish the objectives, and it is their job to communicate the need.
The Planning Section personnel track the resources, and the Logistics Section personnel source
and acquire resources.
Figure 6: Resource management skillset alignment in a pure-ICS EOC
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Not all EOCs follow ICS processes exactly, even if they use an ICS-like structure. A common
modification is for the Logistics Coordination Section to be responsible for resource tracking,
and for the Operations Coordination Section Chief to play a role in deciding whether to obtain a
resource internally (such as from an ESF) or externally (such as through a request for assistance
to the state). Those modifications give us the “ICS-like” structure depicted in Figure 7, where the
Operations Coordination Section personnel are responsible for the Understanding the Resource
Requirement, Resource Sourcing, and Organizational Representation skillsets. The Logistics
Coordination Section personnel are also responsible for understanding the resource requirement,
along with acquiring the resource, and tracking the resource.
In an “Incident Support Model” structure, all of the resource management activities, and
therefore all the resource management skillsets, align to the Resource Support Section, leading to
the alignment shown in Figure 8.
Figure 7: Resource management skillset alignment in an ICS-like EOC
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Figure 8: Resource management skillset alignment in an Incident Support Model EOC
Figure 9 depicts a Departmental Structure with one emergency manager coordinating with many
organizational representatives. In this organization the emergency manager/EOC Director leads
resource management activities with support from organizational representatives. The Center
Management skillset covers resource management at a high level. However, in this example, the
EOC Director will be implementing all resource management tasks, so the leaders of this EOC
opted to assign the resource management skillsets to the EOC Director position. All of the
departmental representatives in this EOC are responsible for completing the Organizational
Representative and Understand the Resource Requirement skillsets.
Figure 9: Resource management skillset alignment in a Departmental EOC
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Appendix 4: Skillsets/Organizational Structure Crosswalk
The Incident Support Model and ICS are two common ways of organizing an EOC. Tables 7 and
8 depict how functional skillsets align within those structures.
Table 7: Functional skillsets aligned with an Incident Support Model organizational structure
EOC Director Legal Advisor
Public
Information
Officer
Situational
Awareness
Section
Planning Support
Section
Resources Support
Section
Center Support
Section
Center Management Legal Counseling
Public Affairs
Coordination
Information
Management
Planning Resource Sourcing
EOC Facility
Management
Situational
Awareness
Recovery
Coordination
Resource Ordering
and Acquiring
Finance
Performance
Improvement
Resource Tracking
Understanding the
Resource
Requirement
Document and
Records
Management
Organizational
Representation
Understanding the
Resource
Requirement
Incident Support Model EOC Skillset Crosswalk
Table 8: Functional skillsets aligned with a pure ICS EOC organizational structure
EOC Director Legal Advisor
Public Information
Officer
Operations Section Planning Section Logistics Section
Finance/Admin
Section
Center Management Legal Counseling
Public Affairs
Coordination
Understanding the
Resource
Requirement
Document and
Records
Management
Understanding the
Resource
Requirement
Finance
Organizational
Representation
Situational
Awareness
Resource Ordering
and Acquiring
Recovery
Coordination
Planning Resource Sourcing
Resource Tracking
EOC Facility
Management
Performance
Improvement
Pure ICS Model EOC Skillset Crosswalk
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Appendix 5: Acronyms
AHJ Authority Having Jurisdiction
EOC Emergency Operations Center
ESF Emergency Support Function
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
ICS Incident Command System
NGO Nongovernmental Organization
NIMS National Incident Management System
NQS National Qualification System
PTB Position Task Book
RTLT Resource Typing Library Tool
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Appendix 6: Reference List
National Incident Management System (NIMS)
On the NIMS website, users can find links to NIMS documents, guidelines, and operational
tools, as well as training information, implementation guidance, the latest updates, and
contact information for FEMA’s Regional NIMS Coordinators.
The Resource Management section of NIMS contains specific information on the
qualification, certification, and credentialing of incident personnel. It also defines pertinent
terms, to ensure common terminology among all qualification system users.
www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system
FEMA Resource Typing Library Tool (RTLT)
The RTLT is an online catalog of national resource typing definitions and NIMS job titles/
position qualifications.
www.fema.gov/resource-management-mutual-aid
FEMA Training Resources
FEMA provides a variety of training courses for incident management and incident support
personnel. The FEMA training website includes information about web-based independent
study as well as in-person courses.
https://training.fema.gov/
NIMS Guideline for the National Qualification System
The NIMS Guideline for the National Qualification System describes the components of a
qualification and certification system, defines a process for certifying the qualifications of
incident personnel, describes how to stand up and implement a peer review process, and
introduces the process of credentialing personnel.
https://www.fema.gov/national-qualification-system
NIMS Guideline for Mutual Aid
The NIMS Guideline for Mutual Aid provides guidance based on common practices for
mutual aid agreements, compacts, and plans for use before and after an incident or planned
event. Private, nonprofit, faith-based, and government organizations can use this guidance
in developing or refining mutual aid agreements or plans.
www.fema.gov/resource-management-mutual-aid
NIMS EOC Toolkit
The NIMS EOC Toolkit provides customizable tools for EOC leaders.
www.fema.gov/emergency-operations-center-toolkit
http://www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system
http://www.fema.gov/resource-management-mutual-aid
https://training.fema.gov/
https://www.fema.gov/national-qualification-system
http://www.fema.gov/resource-management-mutual-aid
http://www.fema.gov/emergency-operations-center-toolkit
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