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The Virtual Emergency Operations Center or VEOC is the central location for managing the national Waze response to massive crisis events. (These include hurricanes, typhoons, mud and landslides, floods, tsunamis, winter storms, earthquakes, and large fires.) The VEOC is designed to complement and enhance a state or region's ability to handle the map changes required including the addition of road closures and emergency shelters. All editors from the community at large, regardless of rank or experience, are encouraged to join the effort and help those in the affected area(s).

Mission & Benefits

VEOC's primary mission is to coordinate national efforts to assist local editors in responding to a major event when they are overwhelmed or incapacitated (either for safety reasons or otherwise) and unable to respond appropriately. It is critical that the map reflect the current conditions before, during, and after the crisis event to support the affected community. Wazers require accurate routing when evacuating (and when returning home afterwards). Activated emergency shelters are highlighted on the map to assist those who choose to remain in the area. First responders need to know the current status of roads to provide services to the community during and after the event.

  • Opportunity to learn from new local communities and experienced editors.
  • Strengthen relationships inside the community.
  • Getting more people together and making the community stronger.
  • Data is available after the event for analysis and reports

Admin Team

This dedicated team was created as a national team, independent of any particular region. This composition allows greater flexibility in the creation and maintenance of feeds, channels, etc needed for effective VEOC management.

  • Head Event Coordinator: DrDisaster (NOR); Assisted by spedracr (SER)
  • Closure Form & Sheet: crazycaveman (SAT ARC), Owner; Maintenance assisted by dbsooner (SCR/SER), spedracr (SER)
  • Form Filler Script: crazycaveman (SAT ARC); Maintenance of closure form
  • Additional editors with process knowledge include:

Communication

We have a dedicated server in Discord, <big>Waze USA VEOC</big>, for communication.  The following channels are available for targeted discussions which are '''not''' VEOC event specific.  The '''# front door''' has content similar to the announcements channel in other servers. The '''# lobby''' includes notices on for potential VEOC events including WAZECON level. '''# invite''', as in other USA Waze servers, announces the arrival of new editors to the VEOC.  '''# veoc-sheet-forms''', '''# suggestions''', and '''# armchair storm chat''' are self explanatory. For those editors without access to Discord, they can still communicate using Google Hangouts.  Entries there are re-posted in the '''# gho castaways''' channel; communications are managed by the CommunityGHObot. 

Each '''VEOC event''' has many, if not all, of these dedicated channels (below) in the CURRENT OPS section. A description of the types of conversations and activities discussed in each follows:  

* # '''chat''' - (year-month) - (event name):  

* # '''closures''' - (year-month) - (event name): 

* # '''open''' - (year-month) - (event name):  

* # '''feeds''' - (year-month) - (event name): 

* # '''weather''' - (year-month) - (event name): 

* # '''places''' - (year-month)-(event name):

Tools

Recommended Scripts

It is highly recommended that all editors have the following installed:

  • Tampermonkey which is needed for the installation of some scripts.
  • Form Filler Script when activated by the push of a button in WME, copies data from the editor into related forms. It greatly Improves productivity and reduces the opportunity for errors.
  • WME Government Boundaries superimposes county boundaries on the map and places the county name in the upper left corner with the city/state. This is very important to use to verify that you are locating and/or closing the correct road segment in the correct county. (Some road names are used in more than one county.)
  • WME ME provides assistance in identifying the correct longitude and latitude for a place. (If you are looking for permalinks, the lat/lon for the pin will be centered on your screen. Use the WME ME! script to easily see where the pin will be dropped.)

VEOC Forms & Sheets

  • VEOC - Closures Entry Form can be used by all editors. The data entered into this form is transferred to the closure sheet for action. This form is pinned to the event closures Discord channel.
  • VEOC Automatic Access Request Form is used to request instant access to the VEOC Closures Tracking Sheet (below). rack closures for events. PLEASE NOTE: This form is needed ONLY if an editor has not previously asked for access.
  • VEOC - Closures Tracking Sheet (sample) is the google sheet used to track closure activity for events. Used by editors who have the ability to close segments.
  • VEOC - Shelter Tracking Sheet (sample) is the google sheet used to track shelter activity for events and is named using this format: "[VEOC Event Name] - pins - "calendar year" ". Each event's sheet is pinned to its Discord channel for places.

VEOC Response to Event

Prior to VEOC activation, each serious weather event is tracked and a Waze readiness level or state of alert, WAZECON, is posted in the lobby. (Changes in WAZECON levels are also posted there.) A message similar to this can be posted as well: "Currently, local editors have the situation under control and are handling it within their local channel in their regional server." (Follow this link for further information on WAZECON levels.)

+Step 1 - Activate the VEOC.+ When possible, the editor community leaders activate the VEOC for a region or area of their country at least three (3) days in advance of the impact of a crisis event requiring support. They alert the waze crisis team via email.

Step 2 - Establish VEOC Event Infrastructure. Leaders create an MTE (Major Traffic Event) under which all closures will be created. The USA VEOC Admin team creates the necessary Discord channels including those required to monitor media feeds. They also post in Discord the updated closure form, closure sheet, and form filler script.

Step 3 - Notify Community & Freeze Editing. Leaders communicate that the VEOC is activated (Discord, GHO, forums, etc.). All editing is stopped in the affected area so that closures can be placed as needed. (Any edit, which forces a change to the segment id, will need to be processed via a tile update (TU) before a closure can be added to that segment.)

Step 4 - Add Emergency Shelters to the Map. Waze crisis team emails leaders a google sheet with all known available shelters. Editors add these to the map via WME. ALL EDITORS, regardless of rank or experience, are welcome to The shelters appear in the client when a wazer searches for “Help”.

Step 5 - Input Road Closures.

Step 6 - Monitor Feeds & Other Media Outlets.

Step 7 - Reopen Roads as Needed & Reported.

Step 8 - Deactivate VEOC Event Once the number of active closures has dropped low enough so that the local editors can take over an manage them, the VEOC is closed. A post mortem is conducted by leadership to discuss what improvements can be made to the process in advance of the next event. (Ideas which have been posted in the # suggestions channel are included in this review.)

Editor Roles: How Can I Help?

All editors whether local or from the community at large, regardless of rank or experience, are encouraged to join the effort and help those in the affected area(s). A desire to help is all that is needed. The focus of VEOC efforts center on identifying, locating, and adding emergency shelters to the map. Also, we identify, locate and add road closures to map. The efforts are ongoing and continuous. Over time, once the weather related event has passed, the focus starts to shift towards removing closures and opening the roads up to traffic. Once the situation becomes manageable by local editors, the VEOC effort is closed and deactivated.

All Editors
Editors with Closure Rights

Important Guidelines

(The organizers have not secured a publicly available source map that can be used as a reference tool. If one is located that can be helpful, your group leaders will pass it on through the Discord channels.

Please read the entire VEOC wiki. If you are still uncertain what to do about something you see on the map, please ask your group leader.

Remember: All commercial maps, including Google Maps, are prohibited as Waze sources. Privately owned data can not be used for Waze mapping. This is critical: Data found to have come from a non-approved source can cause Waze to lose all the contributed data in a large area."

Thank you for your help with the map.


pictures/diagrams to add The focus: adding segments

There are n...........et segments and Places.


We add the Toll attribute [global:Best_map_editing_practice#Toll_roads|information]].

Reference Links

Non-VEOC Issue Handling

At this time, there is no formal method in place to address identified map issues which are beyond the scope of the VEOC event mission. Discussions are underway as to address these. (Perhaps spreadsheets and forms could be developed to help local editors located and address these important map issues.)

Results

 Check back here after the VEOC event is closed to see the results and achievements.
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