CAMEO Suite Most Underused Tool in Emergency Operations Planning and Response
May 4, 2016
The National Center for Biomedical Research and Training offers the 
Introduction to Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO) Suite course to first responders and emergency planners primarily to help prepare their
jurisdiction to respond to potential hazardous materials incidents, a requirement
of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, but CAMEO uses
are far reaching. The CAMEO suite can be used to access chemical property and response
information; model potential chemical releases; display key locations and release
predictions on a map; and manage planning data, especially data required by EPCRA.
In addition to preparing for a hazardous materials incident, CAMEO can also be used
as a support tool for responses to hurricanes, wildfires, floods, tornados, and search
and rescue.
CAMEO can be used for non-traditional purposes too. NCBRT Instructor and retired Fire Chief Earl Gorrondona used CAMEO while serving as a contract part-time fire chief for the Abita Springs Fire Department in Louisiana. "CAMEO is a great way to organize data. I used the software to build a database for the rating bureau, and that data was placed in laptops onboard all department fire trucks," said Gorrondona.
"We mapped hydrant locations in MARPLOT; created preplans in CAMEOfm which included aerial photos, building site maps, and diagrams to the closest water sources. Resource records were also created in CAMEOfm for fire vehicles, which included equipment inventories, required pump and hose tests and equipment checklists. Resource records were created for each firefighter that stored individual firefighter training and certification records in addition to their personnel information. As a result, we improved our rating by eight points."
"We also tracked individual incidents in MARPLOT. This allowed us to determine staffing needs at individual stations," Gorrondona added.
Considering the value of CAMEO as a tool for emergency planners and responders, it is often overlooked. "The big problem is CAMEO is underused," says NCBRT Instructor Tab Troxler. "I asked HAZMAT teams what they are looking for in an event and they have no idea. We need more usage of the program."
NCBRT offers one of the few comprehensive introduction CAMEO training opportunities. The 24-hour mobile delivery course includes detailed technical information and hands-on practice of critical elements in the CAMEO system and its associated programs (CAMEO Chemicals, CAMEOfm, ALOHA and MARPLOT).
To better understand how the programs interface, participants are provided opportunities to practice key procedures that allow users to enhance planning and response activities associated with community risks. These exercises clarify the connections between the programs and how they can enhance emergency planning and response activities.
A 32-hour mobile train-the-trainer version of this course is also offered for established trainers or instructors in academies, agencies or departments who are seeking to train participants by teaching the indirect version of this course using course materials provided by NCBRT.
The Environmental Protective Agency now offers an eight-hour web-based course, but it is the only online CAMEO training available. This web-based awareness level course is recommended prior to scheduling NCBRT's CAMEO course.
NCBRT courses are certified by the Department of Homeland Security and covered under DHS's Homeland Security National Training Program. As a DHS primary training provider, NCBRT can offer this vital training at no direct cost to your agency. Visit www.ncbrt.lsu.edu to learn more or to schedule this course.