INTRODUCTION
As part of the Facilities Study, the Village wanted to take a look at the
possibility of building an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for use during
emergencies. The study looked both at possible locations for the EOC as well as
how much space would be required and what the project costs would be.
WHAT IS AN EOC?
An Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is a central gathering place for
Village staff and elected officials in an emergency situation. It is a place
where representatives from each Village department meet and work from to assess
the situation and ensure that their response to the community is coordinated.
The EOC is the place where “command” and “control” of a large scale emergency
occur.
DOES THE VILLAGE CURRENTLY HAVE AN EOC?
Yes. Mount Prospect’s current EOC is located in the Public Safety Building
at 112 E. Northwest Highway. The room that is used as an EOC, however, was not
designed for that purpose. The room is actually a Police and Fire training room
and is therefore not set-up for the functions of an EOC. It does not have the
technology and infrastructure necessary to support the Village. Additionally, it
takes several hours to “convert” the room into an EOC during a period when time
is of the essence.
The picture below illustrates what the EOC looked like during the August 2007
windstorm and flooding. While the Village did a remarkable job responding to the
emergency, the EOC itself limited staff’s abilities in ensuring coordination and
proper tracking. Additionally, much work had to be performed by hand which made
activities labor (personnel) intensive at a time when resources were limited.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A NEW EOC?
A new EOC will be equipped with the technology and infrastructure essential
to ensure a coordinated response in an emergency. It would be a “ready to go”
facility the staff and elected officials could walk into when en emergency
occurs. There would not be any set-up required, which means that staff can begin
assessing and responding to the emergency right away. The benefits of having a
dedicated EOC are:
- A better coordinated response,
- A faster response, and
- A more efficient response.
WHERE WILL THE NEW EOC BE LOCATED?
The new EOC will be built as an addition to the Public Works facility located at
1700 W. Central Road. This site is best suited for an EOC because of its
geographic location away from local hazards, ready access to vehicles and
materials, and the ability for staff to monitor Village infrastructure.
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