Photo By Sgt. Zoe Morris | A newly-renovated conference room now houses both the West Virginia Division of...... read more read more
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This move is instrumental in creating a cohesive response center for any state emergency that may arise, bridging the former gap between emergency response headquarters.
Included in the incremental move to the newly-renovated space close to downtown will be the DHSEM watch center (an around-the-clock center that covers emergency calls throughout the entire state), the state Emergency Operations Center, a full-time DHSEM support staff, and the WVNG’s JOC personnel.
DHSEM Deputy Director Michael Todorovich said that the move mirrors what is being implemented in several other states and will eliminate duplication of efforts during both steady state and emergency operations.
Warrant Officer 1 Brandon Koon, JOC Officer In Charge, said the state EOC and WVNG JOC view emergency and disaster response basically the same, and often work hand-in-hand to assist citizens in times of need. However, there is extra time and manpower involved when working out of two different locations.
Whereas before there may be a Department of Highways representative at both the DHSEM and WVNG locations, now there will be one liaison team supporting both elements.
“The decision making will be quicker,” Todorovich explained. “Instead of people coming together for meetings, the primary leadership will be there together under one roof if something comes up.”
He underscored that when people are working together day-to-day, employees become acquainted with each other’s role and responsibilities on personal level, creating a bond before disaster strikes and leading to a more knowledgeable force during disaster response.
Koon said that when that state has reason to call upon the military they are literally sitting side-by-side to staff and work through those requests together, which minimizes response time efforts.
State and Guard leadership expect the transition to be seamless, though there will be period of adjustment. Both sides continue to have separate functions and will need to updating process and procedures on how to operate on a day-to-day basis as well as in a heightened state of operations, Koon said.
“In an effort to conserve dollars,” Todorovich said, “(WVNG Adjutant General) Maj. Gen. James Hoyer was willing to provide the necessary space for us to move, which took some significant real estate from the Guard and gave it to DSEM.”
Moving forward, the plans are to continue remodeling the headquarters building, allowing more room to spread out and enhance the operations.
“There will be things we haven’t planned,” Todorovich said. “There will be methodologies we haven’t seen. But the intent is that we work together to serve our citizens. Maj. Gen. Hoyer and (DHSEM) Director Jimmy Gianato are working hard to ensure we are serving the citizens of West Virginia in the best capacity possible.”
| Date Taken: | 01.29.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 01.29.2018 10:54 |
| Story ID: | 263676 |
| Location: | CHARLESTON, WV, US |
| Web Views: | 446 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Homeland Security/Emergency Management moving into National Guard Headquarters, by SGT Zoe Morris, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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