Often below ground structures will be monitored for safety and security reasons. Widespread or complex structures often have control rooms with a range of features and information readily available to an incident commander. An understanding of the information available from those control rooms and how it can be accessed, will help to determine its usefulness when managing an incident.

In some instances, there are protected on-site control rooms, providing facilities to assist in managing an incident. These may include facilities for fire and rescue service personnel to monitor progress of personnel and the safe evacuation of the public. Alternatively, for widespread or complex infrastructure, there may be a central or off-site control room. Features provided by these control room, which may benefit fire and rescue service operations, include:

• Details of alternative access or egress routes
• Close circuit television (CCTV)
• Public address systems
• Ventilation systems and controls
• Fire and rescue service telecommunications
• Site plans
• Traffic management controls
• Refuge communications
• Water inundation protection facilities, including tunnel portal door closers