CDC Emergency Operations Center: CDC Support for Emergency Operations Centers

EOCs Around the World

CDC’s expertise in setting up and maintaining an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has proven invaluable as we all work to meet the goals of the Global Health Security Agenda. To date, over 50 countries have joined in partnership through the GHSA to improve the world’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. Having an EOC that can activate and respond within two hours of a public health emergency is one of the GHSA’s critical targets.

As part of our commitment to the world’s health, we share what we’ve learned from our experiences. One way we do this is through the Public Health Emergency Management  Fellowship. This program invites public health experts from all over the world for a four-month training course in which they are taught the necessary skills to create or improve EOCs in their own countries.

We also send emergency management experts to countries across the globe, where they help identify resources and train responders locally.

EOCs in the United States

In the U.S., CDC funds state and local jurisdictions through its Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) grant program. The PHEP grants help support emergency preparedness in 62 state, local and territorial jurisdiction. Each PHEP-funded area has an Emergency Operations Center and relies on the Incident Command Structure.

All response to emergencies begins at the local level; state and local governments have primary responsibility for incident response. If an event or incident exceeds their capabilities, federal assistance can be provided in accordance with the National Response Framework and the Stafford Act. More information on CDC’s role.