1. EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER
BASIC TRAINING
Tim Howson
Ashtabula County EMA

2. New Work

3. New
Environment

4. New
Colleagues

5. Welcome

6. Learning Objectives
1. Review the Emergency Management architecture
and concept of operations, from the federal level to
the local level, and the role and mission of the EOC
during emergency operations.
2. Better understand how to effectively manage
internal and external information and
communications during all aspects of an operation
utilizing the Knowledge Center.
3. Identify and utilize tools, tactics, techniques and
procedures to maintain and promote individual and
collective Situational Awareness of the internal and
external operational environment.
4. Review methods to effectively assign, respond to
and track missions, tasks, requests for information,
assistance and resources, originating from internal
and external sources.

7. • Introductions,
Administrative Matters
and EM Overview
1
• EOC Operational Tempo2
• Federal Emergency
Response Overview3
Today’s Overview

8. • Information
Management4
• Situational Awareness5
• Mission Management6
Today’s Overview

9. • EOC Table-Top Exercise
(EOC-TTX)7
• After Action Review
(AAR)8
• Graduation9
Today’s Overview

10. Introductions,
Administrative Matters and
EM Overview
1

11. Our 411….
• Your Name
• Where you work
• EM experience
• Technology experience

12. Start End
Opening Remarks 9:00 9:15
Introductions and Admin 9:15 9:30
EM Overview 9:30 10:00
Break 10:00 10:15
EOC Operational Tempo 10:15 10:45
Federal Response 10:45 11:15
Break 11:15 11:30
Information Management 11:30 11:45
Situational Awareness 11:45 12:00
Mission Management 12:00 12:30
Lunch 12:30 13:00
PNPP Module 13:00 13:45
EOC-TTX 13:45 14:30
Break 14:30 14:45
AAR / IP 14:45 15:15
Graduation 15:15 15:30
Administrative Items
Schedule

13. Emergency Policy / Procedures
Fire Exits / Alarms
Secure Area
Severe Weather
Power Outage
U / FOUO

14. What is Emergency Management…
Emergency Management is
the managerial function
charged with creating the
framework within which
communities reduce
vulnerability to hazards
and cope with disasters.

15. Vision of Emergency Management…
Emergency Management seeks to promote
safer, less vulnerable
communities with
the capacity to cope
with hazards and
disasters.

16. Principles of Emergency Management
We accomplish our mission by being:
Comprehensive
Progressive
Risk Driven
Integrated
Collaborative
Coordinated
Flexible
Professional

17. Ashtabula County EMA Mission
The mission of Ashtabula County Emergency
Management is to utilize effective planning,
training, exercise and coordination to
continually develop the mitigation,
preparedness, response and recovery
capabilities for our county, cities, villages and
townships for emergencies resulting from all
hazards.

18. • EOC Operational Tempo2

19. EOC and NIMS
Multiagency coordination is a process that allows all
levels of government and all disciplines to work
together more efficiently and effectively.
MACS includes a combination of facilities,
equipment, personnel, and procedures integrated
into a common system with responsibility for
coordination of resources and support to
emergency operations.

20. EOC and NIMS
• Local EOCs are the physical locations where
multiagency coordination typically occurs and
where a variety of local coordinating structures
come together to solve problems.
• EOCs help form a common operating picture of
the incident, relieve on-scene command of the
burden of external coordination, and secure
additional resources to help meet response
requirements.

21. Ashtabula County EOC
• The local incident command structure directs
on-scene incident management activities and
maintains command and control of on-scene
incident operations.
• Local EOCs ensure that responders have the
resources they need to conduct response
activities.

22. EOC Positions, Roles and
Responsibilities
Executive Group
County Commissioners
EMA Director
Sheriff
Operations Coordinator
Group makes Policy decisions. Group issues public protective
action decisions. Group declares State of Emergency

23. EOC Positions, Roles and
Responsibilities
Communications Group
Amateur Radio
Communication Officer
Message Controller
PIO
PIO Liaison
Public Inquiry
Status Board
Group is all about communicating. Internally, Externally.
Inbound, Outbound. All public facing resources MUST be
approved by executive group PRIOR to release.

24. EOC Positions, Roles and
Responsibilities
Operations Group
American Red Cross Law Enforcement Coordinator
Department of Job and Family Services Ohio National Guard
EOC Support Staff OSU Ag Extension Agent
Fire/EMS Coordinator Radiological Officer
Health District School Services Representative
Transportation Officer
This group fields requests for resources from the field
(“missions”). Information that comes into these
positions forms the common operating picture(COP).

25. EOC Operational Concept Overview
The focus of a jurisdiction’s operational planning
effort is the Emergency Operations Plan(EOP). EOPs
are plans that define the scope of preparedness and
emergency management activities for a jurisdiction.
Currently Ashtabula County has developed their
plan using the Traditional Functional Format.
The traditional functional format has three major
sections: the basic plan, functional annexes, and
hazard-specific annexes.

26. EOC Operational Concept Overview
In the past, a large portion of Ashtabula
County’s Operational Concept focused on
operations in response to an accident at the
Perry Nuclear Power Plant.
While maintaining the high capabilities
developed for PNPP, the Ashtabula County EOP
is becoming more all hazard and Emergency
Support Function(ESF) focused.

27. EOC Information Management
Concept Overview
Information is managed using a software
package known as Knowledge Center.
This software is capable of situational
awareness, resource management and mission
requests.
Paper copies of EOP and SOG documents are
maintained as back ups to the electronic
versions.

28. • Federal Emergency Response
Overview3

29. National Response Framework (NRF)
• The National Response Framework (NRF) is a
guide to how the Nation responds to all types
of disasters and emergencies.
• Response activities take place immediately
before, during, and in the first few days after
a major or catastrophic disaster.

30. National Response Framework (NRF)
• The Response Framework covers the
capabilities necessary to save lives, protect
property and the environment, and meet
basic human needs after an incident has
occurred.
• The NRF was updated in 2013.

31. National Response Framework (NRF)

33. National Response Framework (NRF)

34. • Critical Infrastructure
• Financial Management
• International Coordination
• Private Sector Coordination
• Tribal Coordination
• Volunteer and Donations Management
• Worker Safety and Health.

35. National Response Framework (NRF)

36. NRF Incident Annexes address the following
contingencies or hazards:
• Biological Incident
• Catastrophic Incident
• Cyber Incident
• Food and Agriculture Incident
• Mass Evacuation Incident
• Nuclear/Radiological Incident
• Terrorism Incident Law Enforcement and Investigation.

37. National Incident Management System
(NIMS)
• Comprehensive.
• All hazards.
• A common operating picture and interoperability
of communications and information management.
• Standardized resource management procedures
for coordination among different jurisdictions and
organizations.
• Scalable and applicable for all incidents.

38. Benefit of NIMS
• Enhances organizational and technological
interoperability and cooperation.
• Promotes all-hazards preparedness.
• Enables a wide variety of organizations to
participate.
• Institutionalizes professional emergency
management/incident response practices.
• Scalable and applicable for all incidents.

39. What NIMS is NOT
• A response plan.
• Only used during large-scale incidents.
• Only applicable to certain emergency
management/incident response personnel.
• Only the Incident Command System (ICS) or
an organizational chart.

40. • Information Management4

41. Standardized Reporting Mechanisms
Information is reported using standard forms.
Incident Command Forms
Knowledge Center Forms
Plain, Common terminology used. NO CODES.
Regular known frequency

42. Message Management
Target:
Use groups.
Prioritize:
Informational
Non-Urgent
Urgent
Reply:
Do you need an answer or not?

43. Information Flow and Distribution
Flow:
Can flow in all directions.
Distribution:
Information needs to be shared with
appropriate groups. Information must be
vetted and approved before release to the
public.

44. Communications Systems
Radio:
Multi-Agency Radio Communication System (MARCS)
VHF
Amateur
Phone:
Commercial Public
Cellular
5-Way Dedicated Line
Executive Discussion Line (EDL) Conference Call
Iridium Satellite Phone
Electronic:
Knowledge Center
Skype
Twitter
Facebook

45. Information Sharing Bottom Line
Timely, focused and accurate
information sharing is essential for
establishing, maintaining, improving
& promoting situational awareness
and achieving operational success.

46. • Situational Awareness5

47. This applies to both you as an
individual and the entire EOC as a TEAM!!!!!
What is it?
“knowing what is going on around you in a complex,
dynamic environment so you can figure out what to
do and how information, events, and one's own
actions will impact goals and objectives, both
immediately and in the near future.”

48. Situational Awareness as a TEAM
The success or failure of a team depends on the
success or failure of each of its team members. If any
one of the team members has poor SA, it can lead to a
critical error in performance that can undermine the
success of the entire team. By this definition, each
team member needs to have a high level of SA.
It is not sufficient for one member of the team to be
aware of critical information if the team member who
needs that information is not aware.

49. Common Operating Picture (COP)
• A common operating picture is established and
maintained by gathering, collating, synthesizing,
and disseminating incident information to all
appropriate parties.
• Achieving a common operating picture allows on-
scene and off-scene personnel to have the same
information about the incident

50. • Mission Management6

51. What is it?
It is what the EOC does…if it is to be successful.
• the processes, procedures, techniques and tools
employed by the EOC to receive, analyze, assign and
track internal and external request for
assistance/information, the effort which results in
providing the right support at the right time and
place, essential for mission success.

52. How do we do it?
• Knowledge Center provides an integrated, web-
based system for sharing of critical information
internal & external to the EOC.
• This tool supports the accomplishment of all EOC
core competencies.

53. Why do we do it?
• Timely and accurate Mission Management is vital to
overall mission success.
• The EOC is the direct link and conduit between the
State Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA),
interagency mission partners and the First
Responder units providing direct support to the
citizens.

54. WWW.REG13KC.ORG
HTTPS://TRAINING.REG13KC.ORG

55. STATUS BOARD

56. Inside an Incident in KC
Green Overview Tab

57. Inside KC
Blue References Tab

58. Nuclear Power
Overview
Ashtabula EMA

59. Perry Nuclear Power Plant
1300 MW Boiling Water Reactor

61. Boiling Water Reactor
Perry Plant

62. Pressurized Water Reactor
Davis Besse and Beaver Valley Plants

63. Defense In Depth

64. Emergency Systems

65. Three Mile Island
1979

66. Chernobyl
1986

67. Fukushima Daiichi
2011

68. Hostile Action Based Incident
(HAB)
Differences
• Incident Command System (ICS) is used by first
responders
• Incident Command may have protective actions
outside of the county protective actions
• There may be no radiological release associated
with the incident
• News releases must be approved by the ICP

70. Emergency Classifications
• Unusual Event
– Small problem
– No radiation leak is expected
– Federal, State, and county officials notified
• Alert
– Minor problem
– Small amounts of radiation could leak within the plant
– Federal, State, and county officials notified
• may begin emergency preparedness actions

71. Emergency Classifications
• Site Area Emergency
– More severe problem
– Small amounts of radiation could leak from the plant
– Federal, State and county officials notified
– Emergency facilities activated
• General Emergency
– Significant problem
– Radiation could be released outside the plant property
– Federal, State and county officials notified
• Sirens will sound
• EAS message will be broadcast

72. Protective Actions
• Recommendations are made by:
– Perry Nuclear Power Plant
– State of Ohio
• Protective Action Decisions are made by:
– County Officials (Executive Group)
• Commissioners
• Sheriff
• EMA Director

73. Protective Actions
There are only two protective actions:
• Shelter in Place
– Used for short term releases
– Residents stay inside buildings
– Reduce air intake
• Close windows
• Evacuate
– Follow directions on EAS broadcasts
– Go to Reception/Care centers for monitoring

74. Emergency Operations Center
• Established by the Emergency Management
Agency
• Coordinates the county wide response
• Communicates and coordinates with:
– Geauga County
– Lake County
– State of Ohio
– Perry Plant

75. EOC Staff
• Executive Group
– Decisions for county actions
• Operations Group
– Resource managers for the various agencies
• Communications Group
– Develops public communications
– Responds to questions and rumors

76. Notifications
• Perry Plant notifies:
– Ashtabula County
– Geauga County
– Lake County
– State of Ohio
• 15 minute time limit for notifications
• Follow-up notifications every hour

77. County Actions
• County notifies:
– Commissioners
– EMA Office
– Police Departments
– Fire Departments
– School Districts
– County Agencies
• County has reasonable time to make protective
action decisions.

78. Public Notifications
If protective actions are issued:
• Sirens are sounded
– Coordinated with Geauga and Lake counties
• EAS Messages are broadcast
– Coordinated with Geauga and Lake counties

79. Your Role
• You are critical in the successful operation of the EOC
• Suggested Operating Guides (SOGs) provide guidance
for your role
• Clear, concise, accurate communications are critical
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help

80. • EOC Table-Top Exercise (EOC-TTX)7

81. Scenario
Overnight a tornado has struck the
Northeast corner of the county.
Impacted are the City of Geneva and
the Village of Geneva on the Lake.

82. • After Action Review (AAR)8

83. Who’s Who
Lead Contact information
Mike Fitchet,
Director
MFitchet@ashtabulacounty.us
Tim Howson,
Deputy Director
TJHowson@ashtabulacounty.us
Janet Boland,
Planner/Trainer,
911 Coordinator
JLBoland@ashtabulacounty.us
Debbie Riley,
Admin Assistant
DLRiley@ashtabulacounty.us
Craig Reiter,
PNPP Liaison
Creiter@firstenergycorp.com

84. QUESTIONS?

85. • Graduation9

86. Time Spent
ProjectsWorkedOn
Get Familiar
Achieve
Mastery
Working Toward Mastery
Get
Experienced

87. Communication

88. Lean
Forward

89. Continue
Learning

90. Teamwork

91. Resources
• IS-700.A: National Incident Management System (NIMS) An Introduction
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/courseOverview.aspx?code=IS-700.a
• IS-100.B: Introduction to Incident Command System, ICS-100
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/courseOverview.aspx?code=IS-100.b
• This slide deck and related resources:
<hyperlink here>