SCEMD Palmetto EOC System

Role: Creative Direction, UI/UX Design
Team/Company: krumware/Earth Technology Integration
Customer: State of South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Timeframe: April 2017-June 2020

Overview

In mid-2016, krumware began working with Earth Technology Integration to build Palmetto EOC, a new common operating picture for South Carolina’s Emergency Management Division (SCEMD). A ground-up system was contracted by SCEMD after their existing system was not able to keep up with the needs of their progressive team¹. Time was spent deliberating between retrofitting the old system or developing a new system; the challenges associated with retrofitting outweighed the anticipated barriers of training users on a new ecosystem. Palmetto EOC is Common Operating Picture for the entire network of the State of South Carolina’s Emergency Management Division (as well as SC National Guard) for use during picture-perfect “blue sky days” and during catastrophic incidents (like natural and radioactive events). This ecosystem enables municipalities, counties, and state government entities to communicate seamlessly to address their unique needs & provide comprehensive support before, during, and after emergencies through a number of applications. This may include updating a shelter’s status or capacity before a hurricane makes landfall, or involve filing a Resource Request for sandbags on the coast before a storm makes landfall. This system has the potential to be heavily resourced in the recovery phase after an emergency when performing Damage Assessments on properties even once a storm is long gone. We are currently expanding further optimization updates to handle the sporadic, yet heavy use of the ecosystem, while continuing to build a culture of validation and usability testing that will help us enhance the product for our end users.

¹ SC ranked 4th in USA as best equipped for weather emergencies by 24/7 Wall Street