Exercise, Exercise, Exercise...

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Tech. Sgt. Gerard Akaka, 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron emergency operations center manager, goes over pandemic plans and emergency support functions at the emergency operations center during a pandemic flu virus exercise held at an airbase in Southwest Asia Sept. 30, 2009. Sergeant Akaka is deployed from the 154th Wing, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and hails from Honolulu. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Tony Tolley)

New operations center brings emergencies into focus

Published Oct. 6, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Shaun Emery
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing brought its new Emergency Operations Center on-line just in time for the wing to exercise its new Pandemic Influenza Plan with a simulated outbreak of the H1N1 Virus.

By utilizing new upgraded communications equipment, EOC members are able to provide the EOC director with real-time situational awareness in the event of an emergency.

"The goal was to provide EOC members the necessary tools to up-channel information to the EOC director so he can make educated decisions," said Master Sgt. Henry Roberts, 386th Emergency Management Flight chief.

The EOC is a component of the Air Force Incident Management System, which was derived from the national Incident Management System, following Hurricane Katrina.

It serves as the master coordination and control point for all counter-emergency efforts. The mission-control style facility provides every Emergency Support Function member their own work station and connections to command and control programs.

"It's important that everyone share the same sight-picture," said Sergeant Roberts.

The project was a collaborative effort between 386th EM members, 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron engineers and the 386th Expeditionary Communication Squadron. EM members feel the new location gives incident managers the capabilities to handle any situation.

"We couldn't have done this without the engineers putting together a fantastic design and the communications guys giving us the connectivity we needed," Sergeant Roberts added.

In addition to individual work-centers with network access and land-lines, the operations center has secure network access for passing classified material, a private office and a conference room.

"The facility is flexible and scalable in nature," said Tech. Sgt. Gerard Akaka, 386th Emergency Management Flight NCO in charge. "Every incident is different and each of the ESF members is a subject matter expert in their career field. So, it allows the director to utilize the assets he feels is necessary in a particular situation."

Every incident or emergency brings with it unique challenges and unknown variables. With the new 386th AEW EOC up and running, the EOC director and senior leadership can focus on, respond to and handle anything that comes their way.