Experiences and Insights Using A Virtual Emergency Operations Center

Hurricane Katrina was one of the most expensive and devastating natural disasters in American history. Over half a million people were affected by the hurricane, and the US energy infrastructure was severely damaged. In fact, parts of the Gulf are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina to this day. Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters clearly show the need for improvements in crisis management, especially in training and collaboration among federal, state, and local governments. Stemming from this need, in 2007, the National Exercise Division within FEMA's National Preparedness Directorate introduced and implemented the National Exercise Program. a sociocognitive technical simulator and training facility for emergency managers and a tool for cognitive scientists to study the process of critical decision-making in emergency conditions. Specifically, we are creating a virtual Emergency Operations Center (vEOC). In this paper, we describe our experiences and insights using a virtual vEOC.