The Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) provides the organizational basis for emergency and disaster operations in Rockbridge County. It assigns broad responsibilities to local government agencies and support organizations for disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. These responsibilities are generally extensions of normal, day-to-day functions involving the same personnel and material resources. Supporting documents set forth the concepts and procedures whereby the county can effectively apply available resources to insure that casualties and property damage will be minimized following an emergency or disaster situation.

The EOP is not intended to contain the specific procedures used by individual departments and agencies to implement their assigned responsibilities. In other words, the EOP provides the strategy, while the specific procedures provide the tactics. Specific information that may change on a regular basis such as position assignments or contact phone numbers, and procedural documents, specific checklists are maintained separately from the EOP and updated on a regular basis.

Emergency Operations Center
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) provides a central location to determine situational status, coordinate actions, and make critical decisions during emergency and disaster situations. Emergency Management staff maintain the EOC during routine operations. Personnel from various departments and agencies in the county along with key organizations outside the county comprise the EOC staff during activation.

EOC Amenities

• Operations room (Local area network provides data collection and incident tracking dissemination)
• Communications center (with radio frequencies of UHF, VHF, Low Band, and Amateur Radio)
• Functional workspace area
• Break room
• Restroom / shower facilities
• Digital phone system (voice and fax)
• Video network (commercial broadcast, local cable, video tape playback)
• Emergency power