Emergency operations center

Based on the organizational needs of the entity that has implemented the EOC, as well as the emergency being dealt with, the specific responsibilities and tasks executed by a given EOC may vary vastly and could include ensuring the continued operation of a municipality, company, public or emergency service, or other organization.

[1] EOCs were originally created as part of United States civil defense [citation needed] and can be found in many nations, at all government levels, as well as in larger corporations that deal with large equipment or numbers of employees.

In corporations and smaller jurisdictions, the EOC may be co-located in the same room as an emergency communications center.

[citation needed] An EOC is responsible for strategic direction and operational decisions and does not normally directly control field assets, instead leaving tactical decisions to those in the field.

The common functions of an EOC is to collect, gather and analyze data, make decisions that protect life and property, maintain continuity of an organization, and disseminate information to involved agencies and individuals.