Recommendations for choosing the right technology for emergency operations centers.
By Renán Lazcano*
Emergency operations centers (EACs) are environments where vital decisions are made. That is why it is very important that these centers contemplate an effective, reliable and intuitive technology that helps the companies or organizations that manage them to gather and interpret data and plan and implement the best emergency responses to high-risk situations. With so much at stake, it is about ensuring that when proposing integration systems for an EOC we choose the right technology.
Unlike the control room environment, what characterizes the EOC is noise and hustle: people in a state of tension moving from here to there working to respond to potentially complex and stressful situations. It is an accelerated environment, in which providing up-to-date information to the group as a whole is crucial.
EOCs often host different departments that collaborate with each other. Their joint work in each specific operation is reflected in a central videowall, where the team can evaluate the situation and each group extract the information that interests them and respond accordingly. It is common for EACs to use a smaller videowall system than that of the control rooms, and perhaps secondary displays (LCD panels are a popular option) scattered around the complex.
The video wall usually works as an element of centralization, while the secondary screens distributed by the EOC are showing content of specific interest to the group that works near them. The installation is sometimes complemented by controlled spaces – meeting rooms, conference rooms, offices, etc. – to carry out strategic conversations. Planning all those elements well will help decide the type of technology and system architecture for an EOC. So that the client and especially the end user can understand the proposed scheme, we usually deliver schematics of the architecture that illustrate its operation.
The importance of interoperability
Within an EOC there are different divisions focused on solving particular tasks, each with its own sources of information and work tools. It is important, however, that these subgroups can instantly share information and sources with the whole team and with the main video wall.
This is where the need for effective processing and collaboration comes into play that allows users to easily view and interact with audiovisual sources and collaborate between different areas of work. Whether working on a main video wall, a secondary display, a desktop or any other location, the ability to handle the displays to display relevant sources and data in a digestible format is essential for users of an EOC.
There are manufacturers who invest enormous efforts in processing and collaboration solutions to make the platforms as intuitive as possible. This makes it easier for the user to learn in a short time to handle them and puts at their disposal great flexibility and better work tools.
In addition, EACs often need a robust distribution solution that distributes signals across all displays in space with low latency. More and more organizations are turning to state-of-the-art AV over IP solutions to facilitate that task and collaboration.
Scene display
When choosing a display, visual acuity is essential, which allows the person to read the data in an intelligible way. In reality, it all comes down to a mathematical question: you have to take into account the size of the display, the distance at which the information will be displayed and the type of content or source that will be displayed.
In other words, operators must have a good view of the overall picture, but also be able to clearly read the contents and interpret the symbols from their position in the EOC. A resolution of 1080p may be suitable in many control rooms and emergency operations centers, but there are applications in which 4K – and in the future 8K – is necessary to not lose details or information when deployed on a large video wall.
Consider, for example, a government intelligence center that evaluates a target area and observes information from cameras or maps in high resolution. In that case there are tiny visual details that are crucial for decision making, so size, distance, resolution and ergonomics of the videowall are important factors to consider for a good interpretation.
Mission is what matters
End users of an EOC must have high-quality tools that allow them to make informed decisions in emergency situations. They must fully trust the technology they work with: display, processing, collaboration, etc. There are many low-cost solutions available on the market, but quality always ends up prevailing.
For those looking for a quality EOC environment, I recommend working with a trusted and experienced integrator. There is no EOC or control room solution that works for everyone. The technology and design required will vary considerably depending on its mission and the user's work scheme.
*Renán Lazcano is Sales Manager of Christie's Enterprise division in Mexico.
