ARDEC’s Homeland Defense (HLD) Technology Testbed Emergency Operations Center (Testbed EOC) serves as a developmental battle lab, providing warfighters and first responders with interoperable, “world class” decision-support technologies to meet America's 21st century security and civil support challenges.  Designed as a fully functional command and control center, the Testbed EOC also provides training, exercise, and real-world operational support to local, state, and federal civil authorities, as well as National Guard and Civil Support responders. 
The Testbed EOC is a key element in ARDEC’s Project National Shield (PNS) HLD initiative, supporting PNS partnerships with government, industry and academia.  Serving as the focal point for the PNS research mission, the facility provides a unique environment in which to maximize resource and information sharing, strengthen unity of effort, and build trusted relationships.  With a focus on developing dual-use (Civil/Military) technologies, the Testbed provides integration, prototyping, and testing and validation services to programs that support joint, interagency collaboration and communications efforts. 

Specific Testbed EOC mission areas include:

• Improving Civil/Military leadership ability to share critical operational and intelligence information with joint and coalition forces, government agencies, and first responders 
• Providing a secure, multilevel environment for HLD experimentation, exercise, training and actual incident response
• Serving as a backup facility for Continuity of Operations (COOP) for crucial Defense and Interagency C2 functions during an emergency when main command centers are overwhelmed or rendered inoperable 
• Partnering with other DoD and Federal research centers to share information and resources with the goal of improving the interoperability of joint military and civilian C2 systems and decision-support applications

Picatinny Arsenal’s unique proximity to the Metro New York area provides a strategic location for the Testbed EOC to support emergency management activities for New York & New Jersey transportation infrastructure and other regional public safety systems.
Additionally, the Testbed facility complements ARDEC’s HD Technology Center (HDTC) “boots on the ground” security and civil support training site (3500 Area) by providing a multi-agency EOC for planning, coordinating and executing joint preparedness exercises/experiments.
Scheduled for initial operating capability in spring 2008, the 7,000+ Sq Ft Testbed EOC will consist of more than 40 permanent operator workstations, arrayed on a large main operations floor, with a fully networked 13’ x 33’ state of the art video wall.  Overlooking the main operations floor are four additional command rooms; each will be capable of operating as an autonomous EOC with its own secure voice, video and data communications systems. The Testbed EOC is fully re-configurable and expandable, with independent network communications and back-up UPS and generator power. The facility’s infrastructure is robust enough to support a surge staff of over 100 operators during multi-agency exercises and real world events.

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