The County's Emergency Operations Center is the hub for
coordination of all available resources which can be used during an emergency.
The EOC also is the "County Warning Point" which can activate the Emergency
Broadcast System in the event of a disaster.
Since September 11th, the Sheriff's Department has been on heightened
alert. The County’s EOC was activated immediately. It is staffed every day,
24 hours. All information related to terrorism goes through the EOC where
it is processed and distributed to the appropriate agency/department.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has continued to improve its Counter
Terrorism emergency preparedness. Exercises are conducted at the EOC as a
tool to fine-tuning operational plans. These exercises include participants
from city, county, state, and federal agencies. Communication and cooperation
among all agencies are key to ensuring the readiness of our emergency system.
It is reassuring to observe these parties engaging in various scenarios which
then lead to discussion, learning about what needs to be fixed before a “real”
disaster occurs, and the formulating of policy decisions. Practice makes
perfect, and there is no better way to be ready than to work together to create
the most comprehensive and efficient emergency preparedness plan possible.