HHS Secretary's Operations Center (SOC)
The HHS Secretary’s Operations Center (SOC) is the primary emergency operations center for HHS. The HHS SOC serves as the focal point for the federal public health and medical response; provides situational awareness; is a focal point for international information sharing through the International Health Regulations; and provides vital information to HHS senior leaders.
Additionally, the HHS SOC is responsible for resource support; resource allocation and prioritization; resource notification, activation, mobilization, and tracking; continuity of operations and government; and the international health regulations.
The HHS SOC supports ASPR’s mission as the lead federal entity for Emergency Support Function # 8 (ESF 8), Public Health and Medical Response.
The HHS SOC Watch Division provides 24/7/365 situational awareness, with early detection and warning capabilities that target real or potential threats to the health and security of people across the country. Watch Officers issue a variety of reports and notifications on emerging incidents/events and coordinate conference calls for leadership situational awareness and decision making.
The HHS SOC Watch is also designated as America’s National Focal Point under the International Health Regulations. In this capacity, the Watch Division facilitates the notification and assessment process for Public Health Emergencies of International Concern, liaising between ASPR, the HHS Office of Global Affairs, the World Health Organization, and other international partners.
HHS SOC Core Capabilities
Operational Coordination
Command Center for Coordinated Federal Public Health & Medical Response
The scalability and flexibility inherent in the HHS SOC’s organizational structure allow it to address a single incident or multiple incidents and/or national security special events occurring simultaneously.
The HHS SOC maintains various levels of activation to meet situational requirements, starting from a lower activation level (Level IV) comprised of 24-hour watch, monitoring, and routine reporting functions, along with select virtual or physical staffing across its core Command and General Staff sections as specified by the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS). Higher activation levels (Levels I-III) may include full augmentation from other ASPR offices, as well as representatives from other HHS and/or interagency partners. The higher levels of activation are implemented based on the Commander’s information requirements with level 1 being the highest level for large no notice disasters with national public health consequences.
Situational Awareness
Situational Awareness
The mission of the HHS SOC is to protect the health, safety, and security of the nation by serving as the 24/7/365 focal point for public health and medical information collection, sharing, and analysis, as well as facilitating the coordination of HHS preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation operational resource requirements.
Global Information Sharing
International Health Regulations
Focal Point for the U.S
The HHS SOC maintains a “steady-state” 24-hour watch function for situational awareness of any emerging situation, nationally or internationally, which may require a coordinated public health and medical federal disaster response.
Communications
Communications Hub for Leadership
The HHS SOC provides notifications including general situational awareness and updates; coordinates personnel actions (alerts, activations, mobilizations, and demobilizations) and initiates and/or coordinates response related information sharing. The HHS SOC also establishes and maintains strategic situational awareness to support HHS senior leader decision making.