INSTRUCTOR GUIDE

Lesson Plan 1
Introduction of Command & Control
Room

PROGRAMME: Information & Communication Technology Course

UNIT: Introduction of Command & Control Room

SUGGESTED TIME: 2 Hrs

MATERIALS: PWB, IG, Reference Materials, Visual Aids, Multimedia Projector,

Projection Screen

Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson you will be able to:

1. Define the Command & Control Room

2. Define Good Control Room Design
3. Elaborate Sensory Elements Perceived from Good Control Room
Design.
4. List the functions and facilities of Command & Control Room
5. Define Help Line and its types
6. Describe the organizational hierarchy of Command & Control
Room

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Lesson 1-Introduction of Command & Control Room

1.1 Command & Control Room?

A Command and Control Room is typically a secure room or building in a

government, military or prison facility that operates as the agency's dispatch center,
surveillance monitoring center, coordination office and alarm monitoring center all in one.

1.2.1 Good Control Room Design

 Facility Sitting
It identifies the optimal location of the control room within the operational plant. Hiring an
experienced control room architect can assist with planning the best location of the building in
proximity to the process plant.
In addition to the regulatory compliances and legal liability protection benefits inherent in
developing a facility sitting risk-mitigation plan. Developing a master facility plan is critical
to the long term planning for a site. It not only addresses the immediate risk assessment
requirements but also addresses long term (5Year/10Y/15Y) facility infrastructure
improvements and asset optimization, addressing security, IT infrastructure, site circulation
and workforce optimization.

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 Operator Centric Design

Control rooms are the center of the operation. It is where catastrophic incidents are prevented
and controlled. Control room operators monitor and control technology and automation to
manage the system remotely from a single room. The control room is where the incidents are
identified early and mitigated by operators, preventing catastrophic consequences. A human-
centered approach to the design considers the needs of the operators first and foremost.
Instead of designing from the outside-in by creating the architects first, the building unfolds
from within the starting point being the operator and is based on the programmatic functional
and physical needs of that operator. As the demands for human-machine interface (HMI) have
increased, so have the consequences resulting from inappropriate operator actions. We are all
familiar with the technology and automation advances that have improved the software on the
workstation, similarly, ISO 11064 lays out measurable guidelines for ergonomics, also called
human factors engineering which play a primary role in the selection of the interior finishes,
furniture, lighting and acoustics.

Birth of a Building: Room block adjacency and circulation study

Left: starting with the control room, adjacencies are shown in red for required and black for not
required.
Right: The circulation corridor is shown in red dots

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 Interior Selections
The last step is the selection of the interior finishes, lighting, and acoustics and furniture
guided by ISO 11064 which lays out measurable guidelines for ergonomics that are proven to
reduce inappropriate operator actions.

1. FINISHES
Selecting finishes according to the ISO 11064 guidelines creates a comprehensive list of
measurable criteria. The hierarchy of value goes from dark to light, floor to ceiling. For
example, floor finishes should have a light reflectance value (LRV) of between 0.2 and 03,
walls 0.5 to 0.6 and ceilings 0.8 and have a matte finish. A few manufacturers for flooring,
paint and ceiling product provide LRV data for their products which is helpful. In addition to
the ISO requirements, the design must adhere to local building codes for flammability and
slip resistance. The client's standards also must be followed as well. Above all else, the
finishes must meet functional and durability needs. Often, these control rooms are in close
proximity to the refinery and operators go from the refinery into the control building
potentially tracking in residue such as tar, dirt and gravel. For example, floor finishes that
provide camouflage and easy maintainability for what is tracked in is a given. And with the
reality that these control rooms have to last upwards of 30 years, durability is critical.

Some finishes can provide multiple uses.

Acoustically absorptive wall panels can double as tack able panels to pin up printed
information, or triple as a visual break in a large wall plane if ceilings are high, or even as a
decorative element which reflects regional identity while mitigating sound.

2. LIGHTING
Rather than an afterthought, good control room lighting should be as integrated into the
design as the placement of the ceiling, walls and floor. The optimum lighting in a control
room demands quality ambient, uniform illumination, which is a combination of fixtures
such as indirect, task and suspended lighting. If all lighting comes from the ceiling, intense
glare makes screens unreadable (many operators will shut off all light and sit in the dark

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rather than deal with headaches and errors caused by glare). Screens mounted to a sit-stand
workstation required by ISO 11064 could also potentially bump into suspended fixtures.
Therefore, an adequate ceiling height is required to accommodate the suspended fixtures.
Dimming pre-sets for the overall lighting are established to work with operator preferences
and lighting requirements throughout the day. One approach is to provide low, medium and
high level pre-sets to have the capability to adjust the lighting levels on ambient lighting,
while keeping on a consistent low level indirect light source. Task lighting at the work
surface can be integrated into workstations and aimed onto documents, including training
manuals, OSHA documents, ship logs, permitting tags, etc., instead of bouncing off of
screens. This eliminates eye strain and improves operator efficiency. ISO 11064 has
guidelines that spell out lighting requirements throughout the control room: 47 foot candles
(FC) at work surfaces, with an acceptable range of 18.5 - 46 FC.

3. ACOUSTICS
As important as the finishes and lighting, acoustics can make or break a control room. ISO
11064 dictates the ambient noise can range from 30 - 45 dB. Alarms, conversations, radios
and computer noise create a distracting environment for the operators that can be mitigated
by articulating the shapes of the ceiling and walls, and with the use of acoustic absorptive
material for ceiling, wall and floor surfaces.

4. FURNITURE
A work environment informed by the science of ergonomics maximizes productivity and
minimizes the risk of personal injury. Operator seating, sit/ stand workstations, screen
display quantity and mounting heights, mobile files all positioned and designed according to
ISO 11064 standards complete the good control room picture. The furniture must not only be
ergonomic and adjustable, but robust, especially if working in a remote location where parts
are not easily available. The control rooms are occupied 24/7 so it must withstand the rigors
of me and use.

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ISO 11064 has ergonomic guidelines

for reach and eyesight distances. Flat panel displays and touch screen technology take up
less space, are more energy efficient and require less cooling within the workstation. The
size and quantity of workstations dictate the size of the control room, rather than the other
way around, with a set amount of square footage allowed per operator.

1.2.2: Sensory (Intangible) Elements Perceived (Good Control Room Design)

 SIGHT
When you walk into a well-designed control room, what makes that space work? The first
thing you might sense is a feeling of spatial openness because of the high ceilings, and
unobstructed views due to lack of columns. Workstations are uncluttered, since there is
adequate space per operator to do his or her job. The finishes are light and complement the
geometry of the room and regional aspects of the location, and the lighting is pleasantly
glare-free. The space is designed from the operator-out, so the principles and elements of
design are human-centric and harmonious. There is the right amount of both variety and
unity—a state of agreement or a feeling of rightness.





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 SOUND
In a control room, noise and sound are two different things. Noise needs to be restrained, but
sound defines the architecture. What is the sound of a control room? The hum of multiple
computers, the quiet discussions among the operators as they collaborate to solve a problem,
the clicking of a computer keyboard—acoustics can act in deep visceral ways not unlike
music or the sense of smell. On some conscious level, there is a correlation between the
function of a place and the sound we expect it to make. Consider how a solid door sounds
better than an inexpensive hollow door, because its heavy “thunk” reassures us that the door is
a true barrier, corresponding to the task it serves. The quiet buzz of activity in a control room
tells us that the acoustic measures designed into the space are doing their job.

 TOUCH
How does a space feel? Air quality and temperature play a huge role in keeping operators
alert and awake. Lack of a consistent ambient temperature is a common complaint in a
control room as you travel through the space, which are often cold in one corner, hot in
another and no one seems happy. Sound familiar? Per ISO 11064 “the control room should
be supplied with outdoor air in sufficient quantities to dilute internally generated
pollutants.” In addition to fresh air, there should be the option for the operators to adjust
the temperature or an automatic adjustment of temperature depending on the time of day to
compensate for diurnal rhythms of body temperature. The room temperature should range
from 70 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit/21 to 22 degrees Celsius, and air movement not to
exceed 4’ to 6” per second. The goal is to create the perfect temperature and just enough
air movement to stay awake and comfortable.

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1.3: Define Functions and Facilities of Command & Control Room

1.3.1 Functions of Command & Control Room

Following are the functions of Command & Control Room:
 Emergency Call reception
 Data entry in Call Monitoring Software (CMS)
 Dispatch of Vehicles
 Wireless communication with emergency vehicles
 Filling of emergency call forms and relevant documentation.
 Monitoring of emergency vehicles by Vehicle Tracking System (VTS)
 Generation of various reports for analysis, Research & development
 Data entry in Citizen Feedback Model and Trauma Registry Form
 Pass information of major emergencies to PMC and District
Management.

1.3.2 Facilities Provided in Command & Control Room

 Fully air conditioned and heated in accordance with weather
condition, to maintain the temperature of Command & Control
Room which is necessary for communication equipments to

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perform effectively.
 Comfortable Chairs
 Internet facility
 Television and cable facility to keep in touch with the latest news
from the different media centers/ channels.

1.4 Help Line

A telephone service provided by an organization or company to offer help and
advice to people.

Help line can be

1. A 24 hour helpline
2. A consumer / legal / customer helpline
3. A free / emergency helpline etc

Examples of emergency help lines

 Police 15
 Rescue 1122
 Edhi 115
 Fire Bridge 16

Characteristics of Help Line 1122

 Easy to Dial

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 Easy To Remember
 Short Cod without a UAN
 Area Wise Routing
 Hunting Approach (Automatic Transfer of incoming calls to available
line)
 Toll Free Emergency Number

District Emergency Officer

Emergency Officer (Operations)

1.5 Organizational Hierarchy of Command & Control Room

Control Room Incharge

Shift Incharge Shift Incharge Shift Incharge

omputer Telephone Wireless Operator

Computer (CTWO)
Telephone Wireless Operator
Computer(CTWO)
Telephone Wireless Operator (CTWO)

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