32 Ohio Emergency Management Agency, Columbus Ohio, November 18, 1034 Hrs (1434Z)

Ohio Emergency Management Agency, Columbus Ohio, November 18, 1034 Hrs (1434Z)

Director Wayne Thompson dialed a number, It would set off an automated call to all personnel in the system that were part of ESF5, ESF15, ESF12 and ESF13 and inform them that the SEOC was going to move from Steady State to Enhanced monitoring. He was still not believing his eyes, but the head of the STACC had come up to his office with the info from the folks in DC. They had done a data scrape on a website that was being used by prospective terrorists to communicate and had found a lot of data relating to targets in the state, and there were a lot. The biggest issue here was that any target on the infrastructure side was going to have a ripple effect throughout the northeast. He took a breath and when the phone beeped, he started talking "This is Director Wayne Thompson, as of 1030 hours today, the State Emergency Operation Center is moving from Steady State to Enhanced Monitoring. ESF's 5, 12, 13 and 15 need to report to the operations room and check into the watch office. There will be a briefing at 1330 with DHS, FEMA and FBI officials in Room 130A. Branch chiefs and above will need to be there. You can brief your teams when you get done." He hit the button to stop the recording and then told it to repeat the message. Most of the people that would get that call were already in the building, and it wouldn't take long to get the room staffed. He hung up the phone and then stood, and headed down to the Operations Room on the lower level, carrying copies of the DHS Memo that had just been sent over, the report from the STACC, and the memo from a Michelle Oldham at the Washington State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management He walked down the stairs and up to the door that was the back door to the Watch office. It was preferred to come in the door that was considered the front door, the one that faced into the operations room. Cutting through the room he went to room 130A and placed the papers on the lectern and then looked around the Operation Room Floor. The room was a good sixty feet by sixty feet, and housed enough desks that 100 people could work in the room with no problems. He noticed the door to the room that belonged to the AuxComm group was open. He knocked on the door and poked his head in. The liasian between the various emergency communications groups and the SEOC was standing in the room, fiddling with a meter. The gentleman looked up when he heard the knock. The crew of ten that were authorized to work in this room almost always looked like any other employee in the building, dress slacks and a polo. The only time they weren't was if they were doing antenna work or some other task that could get them dirty. The AuxComm team could rapidly deploy anywhere in the state and provide radio coverage should the normal lines of communication fail. "Good Morning, Director," The Gentleman, whose name was Richard said. "Don't mind me, just double checking some stuff in advance of our normal on air test tomorrow night." There had been a few members of the team in over the weekend doing some work on the antennas that the group had on the roof. "You're fine. " Director Thompson said. "At 1330 there's going to be a conference call with DHS, FEMA, and the FBI in 130A. It might be prudent that you're there..." Richard raised an eyebrow. He had been through most of the certifications and could work almost any desk in the Operations Center, and had been cleared through security. Richard looked at the Director. "okay, I'll be there. Is something going on that I need to activate our people?" he asked. "I don't think so," Director Thompson said. "But after you hear the meeting I'll let you make that call. These are your people, not mine. " Richard nodded. "I'ave got some stuff I need to take care of so I'll be around. Good luck testing whatever it is that you're testing..." Richard chuckled. "Thank you, sir. I'll see you at the call." This wasn't the first call like this that Richard had sat through, but it sure would be one to remember.