The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Office of Emergency Management is the agency in charge of managing a large-scale emergency as well as the recovery process.  To make this job easier representatives from various City and County departments assemble in one location when the Emergency Management Office activates the Emergency Operations Center, or EOC.

The EOC is a central location where government staff gather to manage a major emergency or disaster that requires a multi-agency response, and is too large to be controlled solely from the field.  If the EOC is activated all information about the incident will come from spokespersons located at the EOC, or authorized personnel on location.

If it is necessary for the State or Federal government to take control of an incident, then the EOC also provides a headquarters for their operation.

The EOC is activated in the event of a natural disaster such as major flooding, a tornado, or a hurricane.  The length of its activation depends upon the severity of the disaster.  For example the EOC was operational for more than two weeks in 1989 following Hurricane Hugo.  The ECO may be activated for a hazardous materials incident where evacuation is ordered, or as a precaution.

In order to better prepare for an emergency, the Emergency Management Office periodically holds simulated disaster drills.  One drill, which is practiced annually, is in cooperation with Duke Energy to insure the safety procedures around the two nuclear facilities located near Charlotte- Mecklenburg.