EOC stands for Emergency Operations Center. Day-to-day operations are conducted from departments and agencies that are widely dispersed throughout the City. When a major emergency or disaster strikes, centralized emergency management is needed. This facilitates a coordinated response by the City Manager, Office of Emergency Management (OEM) staff and representatives from City and non-City organizations who are assigned specific emergency management responsibilities.
The EOC operates under the nationally-recognized Incident Management System (IMS). An EOC provides a central location of authority and information and allows for face-to-face coordination among personnel who must make emergency decisions. The following functions are among those performed in the City of Corpus Christi's EOC:
- Receive and disseminate warnings.
- Develop policies.
- Collect and disseminate information from and to the various EOC representatives and, as appropriate, to County and State agencies, military and federal agencies.
- Prepare intelligence/information summaries, situation reports, operation reports and other reports as required. Maintain general and specific maps, information display boards and other data pertaining to emergency operations.
- Continue analysis and evaluation of all data pertaining to emergency operations.
- Control and coordinate, within established policy, the operations and logistical support of the departmental resources committed to the emergency operations.
- Maintain contact with support EOC's, other jurisdictions and levels of government.
- Provide emergency information and instructions to the public. Make official releases to the media and schedule press conferences as necessary.
RESPONSIBILITIES DURING AN EMERGENCY
Directed by the City Manager, the Office of Emergency Management has the following responsibilities during an emergency:
- Organize, staff and operate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
- Operate communications and warning systems.
- Provide information and guidance to the public.
- Maintain information on the status of resources, services and operations.
- Direct overall emergency operations.
- Obtain support for the City of Corpus Christi and provide support to other jurisdictions as required.
- Analyze hurricane information and other hazards and recommend appropriate countermeasures.
- Collect, evaluate and disseminate damage assessment and other essential information.
- Provide status and other reports to Nueces County Office of Emergency Management and the State of Texas Division of Emergency Management.
- Ensure that the procedures outlined in the City of Corpus Christi's Emergency Preparedness Plan are carried out.
