The Department Operations Center (DOC):
Basic Training for California Health Departments

Introduction

Course Overview

Welcome to the Department Operations Center (DOC): Basic Training for California Health Departments online course. This training was developed by the San Mateo Public Health System of California to help public health professionals strengthen their familiarity with the Incident Command System (ICS) for managing all-hazards emergency responses.

The information in this course supports California’s Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Funds for developing this online course were provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through Public Health Emergency Preparedness Grant
Number 93-069.

Target Audience

This training is intended for local health department staff who may be assigned to the department operations center during an emergency response.

Prerequisites

Participants should take ICS trainings IS-100.a, IS-200.a, and IS-700.a, which are available on the FEMA training site (www.training.fema.gov) before taking the Department Operations Center (DOC): Basic Training for California Health Departments online course.

Note: Completing the Department Operations Center (DOC): Basic Training for California Health Departments online course does not substitute for taking any of the FEMA ICS independent study trainings.

Duration/Course Length

Total time: 3 hours (approximately). It is possible to stop at the end of each module and start a new module at a different time.

Testing and Certification

Course completion is based upon completing all modules and passing the final exam with a minimum score of 80 percent. Once participants have successfully taken this course, they can download and print a certificate of completion. Participants may then present this certificate of completion to their supervisors as proof of successful course completion.

Evaluation Strategy

This course uses a Level 2 evaluation strategy in the form of a multiple-choice final exam to assess learners’ proficiency in the knowledge and skills presented.

Course Goals, Modules, and Objectives

Goals

The terminal objectives (overall training goals) for this course are to help public health professionals:

• acquire a foundation in the principles, organization, and information flow of a department operations center (DOC)
• develop the knowledge and skills they need to work within a DOC to manage all-hazards emergency responses, using the Incident Command System (ICS)

Modules

This self-paced, interactive online training consists of four modules. Each module includes knowledge checks and, where appropriate, exercises that reinforce learning objectives and key points. The titles of these modules are

• Module 1: Overview of the Health Department Operations Center and the Incident Command System (ICS)
  This module provides an overview of the department operations center and ICS positions.
• Module 2: Setting Up the Health Department Operations Center (DOC)
  This module offers guidance for setting up a well-organized department operations center.
• Module 3: The ICS “Planning P” and the Action Plan
  This module addresses the action plan and the ICS “Planning P,” parts of a typical action plan, and describes the action plan’s relationship to the operational briefing.
• Module 4: DOC Communications and Information Flow for California Health Departments
  This module addresses the importance of information flow. Using the scenario of an infectious disease outbreak, participants are “assigned” to the message center through an operational period. Upon reviewing the message center’s emails, participants decide on the right person (ICS position) to handle each request.

Enabling Learning Objectives

By the end of this online training course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the need for and purpose of a department operations center.
• Explain how and when a department operations center will activate.
• Identify ICS position names and functions.
• Describe the purpose of job action sheets for health department staff.
• Explain how a health department operations center coordinates with other entities.
• Describe the components of a well-organized health department operations center.
• Identify the tools health department operations centers need to function.
• Describe measures to ensure the safety and well-being of personnel while working within a health department operations center.
• Describe the phases of the ICS “Planning P.”
• Identify the parts of an action plan.
• Explain which functional position is responsible for developing the parts of the action plan.
• Describe the relationship between an action plan and an operational briefing.
• Describe how communication flows in a health department operations center through an operational period.

Additional Features

This training also includes other components to reinforce learning, such as a:

• Resources Section
  This section offers downloadable materials, such as examples of ICS organization charts, maps for DOC layout, job action sheets, ICS “Planning P,” and links to other resources.
• Final Exam
  This exam is composed of multiple-choice questions and based on the course objectives. Participants must receive a score of at least 80 percent to pass this course.