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Emergency Control Centres for Fire and Hazardous-Gas Releases — purpose, equipment, siting and standards

An Emergency Control Centre (ECC) — sometimes called a Fire Command Center, Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), or Incident Control Room — is the facility where incident information is collected, decisions are made, resources are coordinated, and communications are maintained during an emergency. For industrial sites with fire and toxic-gas hazards the ECC is the nerve centre for protecting people, assets and the environment: it integrates alarm inputs (fire, gas), plant data (SCADA/DCS), CCTV, gas dispersion modelling, communications with on-site response teams and off-site emergency services, and records actions for post-incident review.

1) Core functions of an ECC in fire / gas incidents

• Alarm aggregation & prioritisation: collect and correlate fire alarms, gas detector alarms, and safety system status so responders see the true incident picture.

• Control & isolation: provide interfaces to isolate utilities, shut down equipment, operate deluge/foam systems, and control HVAC/ventilation to limit gas spread.

• Command & coordination: organise on-site industrial fire brigade, allocate teams, and coordinate with municipal fire & HAZMAT teams and regulators.

• Information & decision support: display plant layout, process data, gas concentration trends, weather/wind, and modelled dispersion to inform decisions (evacuate, shelter-in-place, shutdown).

• Communications hub: redundant voice/data links to on-site teams, off-site emergency services, senior management, contractors and the public (if required).

• Records & learning: log timestamps, decisions and actions for incident reports, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement.

2) Essential equipment & systems (what the ECC must have)

Core monitoring & control

• Fire alarm control panel(s) and annunciators (with zone maps and clear labels). victoriatx.gov

• Gas detection alarm interfaces (fixed toxic/LEL detectors, continuous analyzers) that show location, alarm level and time history.

• SCADA/DCS console(s) or process historian readouts for plant status (temperatures, pressures, valve positions) with alarm integration. PHMSA+1

Information displays & decision tools

• Large, multi-screen video wall (maps, live CCTV feeds, dispersion model outputs, weather/wind).

• GIS / plant drawing system (interactive P&IDs, evacuation routes, isolation points).

• On-demand gas dispersion modelling or links to modelling tools for toxic or flammable cloud prediction.

Communications

• Redundant voice communications: hard-wired phones, VoIP with backup circuit, and at least one interoperable radio channel connected to field radios.

• Dedicated fire brigade radios (UHF/VHF or trunked system) with base station in the ECC.

• Secure messaging / incident-management software for tasking, resource tracking and logs.

• External connectivity: preconfigured lines to local fire department, police, ambulance, regulatory duty officers and company executives.

Control & safety hardware

• Remote actuation interfaces: capability to trip process equipment, close emergency isolation valves, start fire pumps, open/close dampers and enable foam/deluge systems.

• Backup power: UPS for critical consoles and a generator sized to sustain the ECC for the required duration.

• Environmental controls: dedicated HVAC with filtered supply and positive pressure (to keep out smoke or gas), and fire-rated construction.

Human factors & ergonomics

• Multiple workstations with ergonomic chairs, headset jacks and clear role labelling (Incident Commander, Communications Officer, Process Engineer, Safety Officer, Liaison Officer).

• 24/7 attendance tools: shift boards, fatigue management records and duty schedules. PHMSA and related control-room guidance emphasise operator hours and fatigue controls for reliable performance. eCFR+1

Recording & documentation

• Voice & data logging systems (call recording, alarm history) for later investigation and regulatory compliance.

• Incident forms, SOPs and contact lists (printed and electronic) available inside the ECC.

Safety & access

• PPE and small first-aid / AED kit in the ECC.

• Controlled access, clear signage and direct external access for responding agencies. Many building/municipal codes require the fire command center to be accessible from street or main entrance. American Legal Publishing+1

3) How the ECC improves emergency response (practical benefits)

• Faster, better decisions: consolidated process data + gas dispersion info reduces uncertainty so the Incident Commander can make informed, timely choices (evacuate vs shelter, shut down sequence).

• Safer responder operations: remote isolation, remote monitoring and coordinated radio communications reduce the need to send personnel into unknown hazards.

• Efficient resource deployment: tasking from one point avoids duplicated effort or missed zones, and speeds mutual-aid integration.

• Regulatory evidence & lessons learned: audio logs, step logs and time-stamped actions support compliance, investigation and improvement.

4) Standards & guidance (what to consult)

Below are widely used, authoritative standards and guidance documents to base ECC design and operation on:

• ISO 22320 — Emergency management — Incident response: provides principles for command & control, information management and interoperability for incident response centres. Useful for ECC processes, role definitions and information flows. ISO+1

• NFPA 600 — Standard on Facility Fire Brigades: covers organisation, equipment and operation of industrial fire brigades and is relevant to the ECC functions that support on-site brigades. NFPA

• NFPA 72 and building/fire codes (IFC/IBC) — Fire alarm and Fire Command Center guidance: NFPA 72 covers fire alarm systems and emergency communications; building codes and local fire codes (IFC/IBC and local amendments) frequently specify fire command center requirements (size, location, required features). Many jurisdictions require the FCC in high-rise or large facilities and specify access and minimum contents. ICC Digital Codes+1

• 49 CFR / PHMSA Control Room Management (CRM) and related guidance — particularly for SCADA/remote control operations — emphasise alarm management, operator procedures, fatigue mitigation, and documented controls relevant where process control and safety alarms are integrated into the ECC. These principles are useful for human factors and alarm management in any industrial ECC. eCFR+1

• OSHA PSM / HAZWOPER and national emergency planning rules: (e.g., OSHA 1910.119 and emergency response guidance) for requirements on emergency planning and response capability in process facilities. OSHA

Note: many jurisdictions adopt or modify model codes (IFC/IBC, NFPA) locally. Always check local building, fire and occupational safety codes and obtain fire code official approval for the ECC layout and contents. Municipalities commonly require the fire command center be directly accessible and may demand specific panels and communications be placed there. American Legal Publishing+1

5) Location & siting — practical rules of thumb

• Accessible to responders: locate on ground level / lowest fire department access level and adjacent to the main entrance used by first response, unless site specifics dictate otherwise. This is common in building codes and municipal amendments. American Legal Publishing+1

• Away from primary hazard zones: place the ECC upwind or physically separated from likely release points (storage tanks, processing units, compressor houses) and not in the same structure as the highest-risk processes.

• Structurally protected: construct the room to a fire-resistance rating accepted by local code; maintain positive pressure and filtered HVAC to keep smoke / gases out.

• Redundant access & egress: at least one exterior door with straightforward fire department access; consider a secondary egress route.

• Communications diversity: route critical communications and data lines via physically separated paths (avoid a single cable tray or duct), and provide alternate radio/telephone connectivity.

• Environmental resilience: protection from flooding, secure power, and physical security (controlled access).

6) Staffing, organisation & human factors

• Defined roles & rosters: Incident Commander, Communications Officer, Operations/Process Specialist, Safety Officer, Liaison to external agencies, and a scribe/logger. Clearly documented handover and escalation procedures are essential. ISO 22320 provides guidance on roles and information flows. ISO

• Training & drills: regular, scenario-based drills (fire, gas release, false alarms, communication failures) with municipal responders to validate procedures and equipment. NFPA 600 and local fire codes recommend periodic training for industrial brigades and ECC staff. NFPA

• Fatigue & human performance: apply alarm management and shift-hours controls (as in PHMSA CRM guidance) so operators remain effective during prolonged events. eCFR

7) Maintenance, exercise and continuous improvement

• Test & maintain: periodic functional testing of communications, panel interlocks, remote actuation interfaces, UPS/generator and CCTV. Log tests and corrective actions.

• Audit & update SOPs after drills and real incidents. Keep contact lists, evacuation maps and software dependencies current.

• Post-incident review: maintain recorded logs, extract lessons and update training, technical mitigations or layout changes.

Closing recommendations

Design ECCs as both a technical system and a human system. Start with a requirements workshop that brings together process engineers, HSE, operations, IT, and local emergency responders. Use ISO 22320 for command & control design, adopt NFPA and local code requirements for fire command centre contents and location, and apply PHMSA/CRM human-factors principles for alarm management and operator reliability where SCADA/control integration is present. Finally, validate design with full-scale exercises; the best ECC is one that has been practised and refined under stress.

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