As you see, it is under construction and not yet complete.
When complete, besides having a pair of computers and 4 monitors, the operators at this position will have access to .5 to 1300 MHz monitoring with transceiver capability on 144-220-440 and 700 thru 900 MHz.
Four overhead large screen TV monitors will be wall mounted for easy viewing within the room.
By accessing the agencies WEBEOC via an assigned user name and password, the program can then be displayed on the overhead screens so everyone in the room can see what is happening at the agency we are working with, be it EMA, hospitals, health department or other state agencies.
APRS mapping with street level mapping showing road closures, re-routing around those closures, hazardous materials plume models, etc can also be displayed on one of the four overheads as well as to any of the desktop monitors. Why four big screen monitors?
The Emergency Management Agencies, Health Departments and local hospitals in Ohio are already using WEBEOC for daily operations. If we are working a Mass Casualty situation all three agencies WEBEOC's can be displayed in our room at the same time so we can keep up on what is going on at each of the three agencies.
If it is a severe storm situation, we may be involved with more than one of the surrounding counties. Each county can then be displayed in the room-so we can keep up on what is going on with who we are communicating with and our surrounding communities.
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The system will work similar to the other computers in the room. For example, OPS-4 computer "A" is the one being used to access WEBEOC at the local EMA office and Health Department.
The operator for that computer can bring up the EMA on desk mounted monitor #1 and once they are signed in and have everything ready to be displayed, drag that display onto large screen #1.
At the same time the Health departments WEBEOC can be prepared on desk monitor #2 and the same done with it once it is ready to be displayed.
This leaves both desktop monitor open for looking up information, communicating with the EOC's on the WEBEOC message page, etc. while the large screen displays automatically update with each new entry.
The OPS-4 "B" computer operator may be preparing the APRS mapping program to display or TRACK our operators, deployed equipment, etc. plus update the map with plume models, damage assessment information, flood prediction models, road closures, traffic problems, etc.
The second display may be a live feed from the National Weather Service NEXRAD radar, an ATV hookup from the site, or be used to display any other information that would be useful to the people in the room including webcams, traffic cams, city cams, satellite images and yes-even the local news and weather!
This has been very much like building the dooms day machine-trying to have everything you would ever need and hoping you never need it-but if you do-darn glad to have it!
Many of the video feeds, mapping programs, etc. are networkable meaning they can be shared and displayed on any of the other monitors in the room at any position.
Teleconferencing is just one of many of the other options this setup will have so "live broadcasting" from inside the ARECC is also possible.
The overhead monitors and move to electronic media replaces a stack of paper maps, overlays, and white boards that use to be used to keep track of everything.
The in house WiFi system makes all of the things accessible from inside the ARECC accessible to OPS positions established out side of the room as well.
The school allows us to utilize a 3 car garage that is part of the building across the hall from the ARECC. We have used it for checking in RESOURCES, Briefing operators before being deployed, etc.
A 80 seat classroom with all the audio and video equipment one could ever need is also availble to us that can be used for what agencies call "In Time Training". That is a way to quickly instruct a large group of people how to fill out the paperwork quickly before being sent out in the field.
All of our available resources in the ARECC are also available outside of the ARECC so training, information, etc. can be easily setup and executed just about anywhere in the facilty.
That would include the 600 plus seating of the auditorium at the end of the hallway!