Journal of Critical Infrastructure Policy Volume 1, Number 2, Fall/Winter 2020 | Page 167

COVID-19 Case Study : Public-Private Partnerships in Maryland
During activations of the SEOC , MEMA stands up the MBEOC , the operational component of PSIP . The MBEOC Unit Lead is responsible for establishing and supervising the MBEOC and its staff . The MBEOC may have a physical presence of businesses , non-governmental organizations , and trade associations within the SEOC itself . Supporting MBEOC operations communications is a digital platform that members access throughout the incident . It contains documents , videos , weather information , and additional information relevant to the situation . The platform works to share an array of content to provide shared situational reporting , conference call notes , and private sector communication .
When MEMA determines that a threat or hazard will likely impact Maryland , the Private Sector Liaison notifies PSIP members to report on the incident , providing hard information and situational awareness of potential or limited impact / damage and other pertinent information such as the SEOC status and the MBEOC activation status . PSIP members are also encouraged to review their readiness and continuity of operations plans in preparation for impacts . Throughout the duration of specific incidents , information flow is two-way and continuous .
On January 27 , 2020 , the MBEOC implemented mission-ready plans including virtual platform activation to share resources and amplify messaging to the private sector community . Taking into consideration the longevity of COVID-19 ’ s impact , officials increased MBEOC staffing to ten individuals . Four staff from the Department of Commerce were designated to answer requests and inquiries , identify manufacturers that could produce and procure PPE , and manage the coordination of both national and international corporate donations . Six MEMA staff assumed the remaining roles of MBEOC Administrators , Lead , and Manager .
The MBEOC Manager supervised the functions of MBEOC staff . The position provides guidance to the MBEOC Leader while also receiving input to coordinate with other key positions in the SEOC and across multiple operational stakeholders . This role included working closely with the Non-Governmental Services State Coordinating Function ( SCF ) Lead ( Maryland ’ s version of Emergency Support Functions ) who supported private and also non-profit coordination efforts during the pandemic . The MBEOC Manager also coordinated directly with other leaders through the SEOC structure and with the staff of other state agencies . Figure 1 illustrates the organizational structure of the MBEOC during the pandemic response .
Throughout the pandemic ’ s initial months , MBEOC bridged the gap between public and private organizations . The team accomplished this through a combination of partnership , information management , and resource management . The following sections outlines the role of the MBEOC in each of these areas .
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