Inside the New Inside the New Springfield-Greene County 911 and Office of Emergency Management

1. The Emergency Operations Center is activated during large-scale events that impact the Greene County community to coordinate response efforts and provide resources. Deputy Director of the OEM Darren White says the walls are built with a Kevlar-like material for added security with bulletproof glass. The media center is used by any of the OEM’s partners like the Springfield Police Department. The room includes the public information call center with 24 seats, a computer and phone at each location.

2. During an activation the policy room is the conference room that the big leagues would use for communication, including the mayors of Springfield and surrounding impacted cities, county commissioners and other necessary personnel.

3. The operations room is a central location for all elected leaders, senior officials and community organizations to coordinate response efforts with more than 70 workstations. Each chair and each table is specific according to their department and position.

4. The Watch Center shows different displays of radios and communication platforms to monitor weather, traffic cameras and whatever is needed. A lot of their work starts within the Watch Center as they keep in touch with people out in the field before activating for a crisis.

5. When the OEM is activated emergency personnel could be onsite anywhere from several hours to several weeks, so they provide a space for responders to use with beds, full laundry, restrooms, showers and locker rooms. The space also includes an infirmary and fitness center that is shared with the 911 response team.

6. The Joint Information Center works to gather information during a crisis for rumor control. They watch social media, local television channels and other platforms to see what’s being said out in public. During an activation they may also be writing speeches for the mayor and other leadership to give in the media center to the press.