On a day-to-day basis, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) educates our citizens on how to prepare for emergencies, manages the city’s wireless emergency notifications, and develops hazard mitigation action plans. The EOC, located on the Brooks Campus, acts as an enormous utility for many of San Antonio’s city emergency response operations.

Here are 5 THINGS you might not know about our city’s EOC:

  1. This past March, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the EOC was activated through public health declarations for the first time since Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The EOC is a leading-edge facility that integrates emergency management offices for the City of San Antonio and Bexar County.
  2. While fully activated, more than 60 subject matter experts from different agencies, whether it be the city police department, fire department, county agencies, state and federal agencies, and various departments in the city, work together to coordinate a response. The consolidated facility helps ensure coordination of City and County efforts in the event of a crisis such as a terrorist incident, a flood or significant weather event, a major hazardous materials accident, or other natural or man-made emergencies or disasters.
  3. The leading-edge facility is also an emergency management training center. In January of 2012, the SAFD Communications Division moved its dispatch center or Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) to Brooks. The EOC is also home to the city’s 311 call center that connects citizens with representatives ready to assist with city service requests like fixing potholes and downed street signs. 
  4. Along with unifying various entities in case of natural or man-made emergencies or disasters, the EOC incorporates antiterrorism measures in the landscape and structural design of the building, including a blast-resistant structure. The center also includes a central command operations space, a media briefing room, a media operations room, an emergency planning room, administrative and support area, technical infrastructure and computer room, and electrical general backup systems.
  5. Outside of the EOC is a public art piece titled “Never Forget,” as an homage to the first responders lost during 9/11. This art installation recognizing everyday heroes is a poignant reminder that we honor our emergency response heroes today.

 

 

As the EOC continues their efforts with incident response and recovery for San Antonio, Brooks is proud to house this beacon of strength and resolve on our campus within the city’s South Side as a resource for the entire city.