Emergency management glossary

A command-and-control structure that centralises all of an emergency's information in real time (sensors, weather alerts, incident reports, 112 calls) and turns it into a shared view from which the response is coordinated. It doesn't replace emergency services or the official chain of command (CECOPAL, 112, Civil Protection): it's the coordination and data layer on which that chain of command makes its decisions.

The command structure a Spanish local government activates when an emergency is declared within its municipal boundaries, as set out in Civil Protection plans. It brings together those responsible for the different services involved — the mayor's office, local police, technical services, health — under a single decision-making chain for as long as the event lasts.

Osprean's digital command post: the online version of the CECOPAL, where the activated team works in sync for as long as an emergency lasts. Everyone sees the same information in real time, instead of piecing the situation together over radio or crossed calls. Each person's access depends on their permission level.

The public body that issues official weather warnings in Spain, classified by risk level (yellow, orange, red). Osprean integrates its active alerts directly into the operational map to give weather context to emergency coordination, especially for floods.

Spain's single emergency number, run by the emergency services. Osprean doesn't replace 112 or the emergency services (fire brigades, civil protection): it acts as the coordination and data layer on which that official chain of command makes its decisions.

A plan that municipalities in wildfire risk areas must have in Spain, integrated into their region's special plan. It defines the municipality's risk, its own organisation and resources, public warnings, evacuation and the tasks of each person in charge. Many councils required to have one have not approved or updated it.

A municipality's territorial civil protection plan for any type of emergency. It covers the risks in the area, the command structure (headed by the CECOPAL), available resources and the procedures for activation and public warnings, and provides the framework for specific plans such as the PAMIF or the PAMIN (floods).

An inspection method from Lean management: “gemba” is Japanese for “the place where things happen”. Applied to civil protection, it means regularly walking the territory to check the real condition of hydrants, access routes, water points and critical buildings on the ground, rather than relying on an office inventory.

The document that accompanies an application for aid or grants after an emergency. It describes the damage, the planned or completed restoration work and its cost broken down item by item, so that the regional, national or international body can assess and approve the funding.

Osprean's free public channel for citizens to report, from their phone and with photos or videos, damage suffered after an emergency to homes, vehicles, businesses, land or public spaces. Each report receives a reference number and goes straight to the council's recovery dashboard.

European legislation on major accidents involving dangerous substances. Its current version, Directive 2012/18/EU (Seveso III), was transposed in Spain by Royal Decree 840/2015. It requires industries that store or use certain quantities of dangerous substances to prevent accidents and to have emergency plans in place, and requires that nearby residents be informed.

Special plan drawn up by the regional government for each site covered by the Seveso regulations. It defines the intervention and alert zones around the facility, sets out the measures to protect the population (shelter in place, moving away or evacuation) and the alert procedures, and is integrated into the municipal emergency plan.

Airborne concentration thresholds above which a short exposure to a substance affects health. There are three levels: AEGL-1 (reversible discomfort), AEGL-2 (serious or irreversible effects, or an impaired ability to escape) and AEGL-3 (life-threatening effects). In chemical-risk planning they are used to define the areas affected by a toxic cloud.

Protective measure in which people stay inside buildings, with doors and windows closed and ventilation switched off, while a toxic cloud passes through the area. In many chemical accidents it is safer than evacuation, because it avoids exposure to contaminated air on the way out.