# Presentation: 322623

## TMC/TOC Connectivity to Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and Fusion Centers (FCs) 

**PRESENTATION**

**TMC/TOC Connectivity to Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and Fusion Centers (FCs) **

*This document is confidential and is intended solely for the use and information of the client to whom it is addressed.*

- TMC PFS Annual Meeting
- Nashville, TN
- July 15, 2008

## Background

- Emergency operations centers (EOC) manage and respond to emergencies of all kinds
- When major events transcend limited, routine responses, EOCs are activated
- EOCs serve as the central location to gather and synthesize information to determine a course of action
- DOTs provide personnel to staff the EOCs when activated and serve as the source on current road conditions, traffic incidents, etc.
- Fusion Centers (FC) integrate various streams of information and intelligence to support public safety and national security threat and hazard assessment, prevention, and law enforcement
- FCs include representatives from various functional areas, including transportation

## Background (Contd.)

- Emergency managers do not know about the information available through the TMCs/TOCs that could enhance the operational picture and improve situational awareness
- EOC personnel lack familiarity with Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) or other transportation operations tools and capabilities that may be used to support the response
- This is especially true in supporting evacuation operations, movement coordination of inflows of responders and equipment and outflows of potential victims
- FC representatives are not aware of the existence of TMCs or how they could be used to support their information needs
- This is largely due to:
- no connectivity between the TMCs/TOCs and the EOCs and FCs
- TMC personnel are not trained to sort through information and provide it to the personnel at the EOCs and FCs in the appropriate language/format
- transportation representatives functioning in the EOCs or FCs do not know how to access or use information available through TMCs

## Project Objectives

- Prepare a handbook that explains:
- roles of TMCs, EOCs, and FCs during day-to-day operations
- opportunities for information exchanges
- technical and policy challenges
- lessons learned in practice
- Develop recommendations on:
- how to improve design of ITS and communication technologies connecting the facilities to withstand natural disasters and cyber attacks
- how to make the ITS and communications assets easier/quicker to restore after a disaster
- Develop a training package for TMC analysts to provide appropriate information to EOCs and FCs
- Assess training needs of transportation representatives in EOCs and FCs in the type of resources available through TMCs, and how to use information from the TMCs
- Adapt the FHWA Evacuation Primers for use in the TMC-EOC-FC environments

## TMC PFS Member Survey

## Site Visits

- Frankfort, KY
- TMC and FC are co-located
- Low-Threat State
- Less information exchanges
- Dover, DE
- TMC and EOC are co-located
- Moderate-Threat State
- More information exchanges

## Opportunities for Information Exchange

## Comparison of TMC-EOC-FC Focus

## TMC Information of Potential Use to EOCs and FCs

## TMC Information of Potential Use to EOCs and FCs

## TMC Information of Potential Use to EOCs and FCs

**TMC Information of Potential Use to EOCs and FCs**

## EOC Information of Potential Use to TMCs and FCs

## EOC Information of Potential Use to TMCs and FCs

**EOC Information of Potential Use to TMCs and FCs**

## FC Information of Potential Use to TMCs and EOCs

**FC Information of Potential Use to TMCs and EOCs**

## TMC PFS Member Feedback Areas

- Are there places that have more robust information exchanges?
- What level of information exchanges are sufficient for routine and emergency situations?
- What issues (technical and non-technical) exist that limit information exchanges?
- How to categorize the TMCs for the purposes of developing the Guidebook?
- How to package the Guidebook for easy reference by TMC managers?
- How to package the training for TMC operators?

## Contact Information

**Ram Kandarpa**
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- 8283 Greensboro Drive
- McLean, VA 22102
- Tel (703) 377-7815
- kandarpa_ram@bah.com

**Kim Vasconez**
- Federal Highway Administration
- 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
- Washington, DC 20590
- Tel (202) 366-1559
- kimberly.vasconez@dot.gov