In the event of a large-scaled disaster, Grant County
activates an Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which is
a room where officials and agency department heads get
together and make the important response and recovery
decisions. This system allows all the government
agencies — local, county, regional, state and federal —
an opportunity to work together to ensure the most
effective response and recovery of a disaster.
|
The EOC is the County’s command center for
executive leadership and direction. Staffed with
senior elected officials and support
organization representatives, it is their job to
determine how they can most efficiently help
departments deal with the urgent demands and
critical resource requirements they face in
helping the community directly. Often this
involves finding and deploying resources that
exceed the capabilities or purview of a single
agency. |
Representatives from several
Grant County agencies conduct an exercise at the
Emergency Operations Center |
Some of the primary functions that are performed at the
EOC include: coordination, resource management,
planning, information tracking and dissemination,
logistical support, financial management and support,
and emergency public information.
Overall, the main goals of the EOC are to:
-
Save
and protect the greatest number of people at risk.
-
Ensure the safety of first responders and other City
employees.
-
Save and protect as many residential, business and
industrial properties as possible.
-
Save and protect as much vital infrastructure as
possible.
-
Restrain the spread of environmental damage.
-
Minimize human suffering and economic interruptions.
The EOC is equipped with various communications systems
(radio and telephone, amateur radio, displays and maps,
weather monitoring systems) to enhance information flow.
The EOC has the capability of staffing 24/7 should a
disaster occur.
The EOC centrally coordinates public information to give
the media and the public the most up-to-date and
complete account of how the County is responding to the
crisis, in addition to those steps that citizens should
take to help the County, and to ensure they can receive
necessary assistance and are protected from any harm.
Lastly, the EOC at the earliest practical time starts
the recovery process so that the public can receive all
eligible assistance so Grant County can return to a
state of normalcy at the earliest time.
