EOP & EOC Approaches

View the Tidal Basin EOP & EOC Approaches brochure to learn how we help jurisdictions design emergency plans and operational structures for resilience.

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Government Support Services

Emergency Operations Plans and Emergency Operations Centers

Preparedness

Traditional Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Format The Basic Plan contains broad, overarching information. This typically includes a description of expected hazards, basic agency roles and responsibilities, and plan implementation and maintenance. • Functional Annexes document the methods, procedures, and actions of critical functions during emergency operations. Examples include Mass Care and Sheltering Operations Annex, Communications Annex, and Public Information Annex. • Hazard-Specific Appendices focus on response strategies for specific hazards. Examples include Civil Unrest Appendix, Extreme Temperatures Appendix, and Hazardous Materials Spill Appendix. Emergency Support Function (ESF) Format The ESF Format is used in the National Response Framework to delineate federal response activities, and includes the following sections: the Basic Plan, Appendices, ESF Annexes, Support Annexes, and Incident Annexes. • The Basic Plan provides an overview of the jurisdiction’s emergency management system, and outlines the ESF’s activated during emergencies by detailing hazards, capabilities, needs, and demands. • Appendices contain relevant information not addressed in the Basic Plan, such as lists of terms and definitions, guidelines for revision, and forms.

• ESF Annexes delineate the ESF coordinator and any primary and support agencies. The ESF Annex describes mission assignments for each emergency phase and tasks to accomplish them. •  Support Annexes describe multijurisdictional coordination. • Incident Annexes describe specific details for particular incident types, addressing relevant policies, concept of operations, and responsibilities. Agency/Department-Focused Format The Agency/Department-Focused Format describes tasks for each department or agency in separate sections. • The Basic Plan contains the overview of the jurisdiction’s abilities to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from emergencies. It summarizes tasks and defines how the plan is developed and updated. • The Lead Agency section outlines the emergency functions completed by individual response units. • The Support Agency section outlines the emergency functions completed by other agencies or community partners. • The Hazard-Specific Procedures section addresses the preparedness, response, and recovery strategies for each department.

Response

Recovery

Mitigation

Be stronger than before

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Common approaches Emergency Operations Centers (EOC)

Incident Command System (ICS) EOC Structure  Many jurisdictions configure EOCs using the standard ICS structure. This approach aligns well with the on-scene incident organization, and titles in the standard ICS structure can be modified. There is no requirement for EOCs to organize using this approach.

EOC Director

Public Information Officer

Operations Coordination Section

Planning Coordination Section

Logistics Coordination Section

Finance/Administration Coordination Section

Incident Support Model (ISM) Structure This approach focuses on the most common EOC functions in a jurisdiction. This approach can be successful for jurisdictions with little operational capacity or jurisdiction, as it focuses on “support.”

EOC Manager

Officers, Liaisons and Advisors

Situational Awareness Section

Planning Support Section

Resources Support Section

Center Support Section

Departmental EOC Structure This approach organizes around existing department, agency, or business functions. This is a common approach in private sector EOCs.

Emergency Manager

Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Natural Resources

Department of Public Works

Department of Public Safety

Department of Administration

Department of Education

Emergency Support Function (ESF) Structure This structure is centered around the federal Emergency Support Functions (ESFs). This approach is common in state EOCs, or within jurisdictions with large populations or complex response factors. Some EOCs will modify the ESF format, creating a hybrid ESF structure.

Regional Response Coordination Center FEMA Region X

RRCC Director Deputy Director

Admin Asst/Special Asst Congressional Liaison External Affairs ESF 15

Defense Coordinating Officer

Operations

Planning

Logistics

Finance/Admin

Emergency Services Branch – ESF 4, 8, 9, 10, 13

Comptroller/ Funds Control

Coordination Planning Unit – ESF 2, 7

Situation Status Unit ESF 15

Procurement Unit ESF 7

Resource/Demob Unit ESF 7

Resources Management Unit – ESF 2, 7

Individual Assistance Branch – ESF 6, 11, 14

Documentation Unit Reports Officer

Supply Unit ESF 2, 7

Public Assistance Branch ESF 1, 2, 3, 12, 14

Human Resource Unit

Information Technology Unit – ESF 2

Geo-Spatial Unit

Defense Coordinating Unit

Mitigation

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Which EOP or EOC works best?

EOP and EOC formats do not need to be aligned. For example, many jurisdictions go with a traditional EOP format but include ESFs into their EOC structure. Also, federal guidance identifies types of information that should be included in an EOP, and functions that should be performed by an EOC, but does not recommend one over another. Choosing the format for your jurisdiction’s Emergency Operations Plan and structure for the Emergency Operation Center can seem a bit overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be. Every jurisdiction is unique; contact us to discuss your community’s unique needs.

For more information on our program support, visit our website.

EOP Formats

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Format

Pros

Cons

Most jurisdictions have used this format in the past so they are familiar with it; information is easy to find based on hazard or function. Aligns with the ESF functions at federal, state, and possibly local levels; focus on interdependency of roles and responsibilities. A commonly-used format that may be the best choice for small jurisdictions or private organizations as roles do not change significantly during a response.

Focus is placed more on hazard or function and less on interdependency of roles and responsibilities.

Traditional

May have to cross-reference many sections to find information.

ESF

Responsibilities are not typically as well-defined for different types of hazards or functions; can lead to some confusion during response.

Agency/ Department

EOC Structures

Structure Pros

Cons

Commonly used; understood by field personnel; aligns well with on-scene organization; ample training information available. Very focused on support and coordination; good for home-rule states at the county or regional level; new training available. Becoming more common; aligns with Federal and many state structures; objective-focused; works well in larger jurisdictions and those with complex incidents. Fairly common approach; can be modified to fit the specific needs of a jurisdiction.

May blur the line between field and EOC roles and be difficult for some staff to understand the difference. Recently introduced so not commonly used, but is expected to gain in popularity.

ICS

ISM

In smaller jurisdictions, there may not be enough personnel to support this type of approach.

ESF

Will require additional work on the front-end in planning and training.

Hybrid

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