During an emergency, Carlsbad's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is the facility where emergency incident information is collected, analyzed, verified and disseminated to elected officials, city staff, area residents, businesses, schools, visitors and the media. During large-scale incidents, which typically span a number of days or weeks, the EOC provides a common location for the management of the incident.

Mission and function

The EOC’s principal function is information and resource management to protect lives, property, the environment and to promote public safety. The EOC coordinates resource support for fire, police, public works, and other response agencies; and coordinates general public emergency notifications, evacuations and sheltering.

Organization and staff

The EOC is only activated and staffed for large-scale emergency incidents. Smaller-scale incidents are handled directly by the appropriate response agency. When activated, the EOC is staffed from various city departments and lead by the EOC Director, Carlsbad’s city manager or designee. Carlsbad’s EOC is organized per the National Incident Management System, California’s Standardized Emergency Management System, and Incident Command System (ICS) guidelines. Benefits of being organized this way include standardization and the flexibility to tailor the most efficient response to the current incident.

Functional areas

The EOC organization typically includes five functional areas:

1. Management - Headed by the EOC Director, establishes incident response objectives and priorities and validates the information provided to residents, officials and the media.
2. Planning - Develops the EOC incident response plan and documents incident response actions.
3. Operations - Ensures resources are assigned and tasks are completed to achieve the incident response objectives.
4. Logistics - Ensures necessary resources are available.
5. Finance - Accounts for costs, time and reimbursements.

Carlsbad’s EOC staff is divided into three shifts to sustain longer-term operations. Carlsbad uses WebEOC emergency management software and other communication tools to share information with the county, and other agency EOCs.

Additional EOC functions

• Execute city leadership policy
• Support first responders
• Coordinate mutual aid
• Disseminate public warnings and alerts
• Coordinate evacuations and shelters
• Facilitate continuity of city services and government
• Conduct damage assessment
• Prepare for recovery