INTRODUCTION: Considering the important and sensitive position of Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) and little scientific research has been done on the subject, the purpose of this comparative study is to identify the structural and functional requirements of EOCs. METHODS: In this comparative research, structural and functional requirements and considerations of modern EOCs were extracted to facilitate the process of managing operations and responding to disasters by studying the guidelines and standards for the design and construction of modern EOCs, as well as examining the experiences of different countries in using and operating these centers. FINDINGS: By reviewing the studies, these components were extracted as the important structural and functional requirements of these centers including: common hazards in the region, the purpose of creating an EOC, the flexibility and multi-purpose nature of the EOC, audio and visual features of the operation control room, the number of administrative and operational positions, ergonomics and allocated space, required and technologies, the existence of a space for holding group meetings as well as people's rest, the amount of allocated budget and also the conditions of people's access to modern EOC. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings, assessing the risks in the region and developing different possible scenarios, along with paying attention to the structural and functional requirements of modern EOCs based on the obtained criteria, can improve the disaster management process.
