California National Guard – Cal OES Newsroom

California’s Fire & Rescue Mutual Aid System Working To Battle Season’s Biggest Wildfires

Jonathan Gudel Jul 11, 2017 10:50 am

Photo of Asst. Chief Brian Woodbeck and Kim Zagaris

Swinging into action for yet another season, teams of specially-trained firefighters from across the state are being strategically deployed to the state’s biggest wildfires. Currently, eight menacing wildfires are actively burning across the state, with more than half of those in the Central and Southern regions alone.

These fires are requiring the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to put the California Mutual Aid System to work.

“Every year we’re playing an important strategy game, constantly tracking resources and monitoring the temperatures, winds and fuel conditions all over the state,” said Mark Ghilarducci, Director of Cal OES. “Our mutual aid system relies heavily on the good faith efforts of local government agencies who have always responded to calls for help without hesitation. We’re proud of the system because it’s proven to be the most effective … continue reading »

Tags: CAL FIRE, Cal OES, California Mutual Aid System, California National Guard, mutual aid, State of emergency, wildfires, Woodbeck, Zagaris

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VIDEO: Vigilant Guard Earthquake Response Exercise

Monica Vargas Nov 23, 2016 5:20 pm

The California National Guard and Nevada National Guard hosted a large scale earthquake response exercise that was supported by more than 1,200 members from local, state and federal agencies.

Tags: California National Guard, earthquake, Exercise, Nevada National Guard, response, Vigilant Guard

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California-Nevada Vigilant Guard Exercise Tests Earthquake Response

Monica Vargas Nov 17, 2016 9:23 pm

The high likelihood of a major earthquake occurring in California is no secret. With the San Andreas fault more than 150 years overdue, being ready to respond to an earthquake is a capability that must be practiced and tested to ensure our state is well-prepared for a catastrophic event.

This week the California National Guard and Nevada National Guard hosted the Vigilant Guard 2016 exercise. Vigilant Guard is a large scale earthquake response exercise with activities taking place in multiple locations in both states supported by more than 1,200 members from local, state and federal agencies.

The scenario for this exercise is set with an earthquake taking place in Las Vegas requiring the California National Guard to send resources to assist. Two days later, a major earthquake then strikes in California along the San Andreas … continue reading »

Tags: California National Guard, earthquake, Exercise, Nevada National Guard, Preparedness, response, Vigilant Guard

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Search and Rescue Mutual Aid Effort Pays Off – Missing Hiker and Dog Found Alive

Shawn Boyd May 19, 2016 6:07 pm

When 23 year old Cody Michael, of Rocklin, and his German Shepherd Bauer, failed to return from a hike on Monday to Lower Loch Leven Lake, his family knew something was wrong.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office immediately began search and rescue (SAR) operations but quickly realized they needed more help. That’s when they called the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to trigger one of the most robust and effective search and rescue mutual aid systems in the nation. Law Enforcement Branch Assistant Chief Dan Dailey, Region 4 mutual aid coordinator for California, called into action several agencies trained and ready for missions just like this. Searchers and experts from El Dorado, Alpine, Contra Costa, and Marin Counties along with … continue reading »

Tags: Alpine, California National Guard, Contra Costa, El Dorado, law enforcement branch, Marin, missing person, mutual aid, Placer, SAR, search, Search and rescue, Sierra Nevada

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California Kicks Off Wildfire Awareness Week

Monica Vargas May 2, 2016 5:04 pm

Today, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. proclaimed May 1-7 as “Wildfire Awareness Week” in California. Last year’s destructive Valley and Butte fires as well as the ongoing drought and vast tree mortality remind Californians of the fire dangers the state continues to face this fire season.

Wildfire Awareness Week was kicked off at CAL FIRE’s Aviation Management Unit in Sacramento by Governor Brown with state and federal leaders. Governor Brown was joined by Cal OES Director Mark Ghilarducci, CAL FIRE Director Ken Pimlott, California National Guard General David Baldwin, U.S. Forest Service Region 5 Deputy Regional Forester Jeanne Wade Evans, and California Natural Resources Agency Secretary John Laird.

State and federal officials not only discussed steps their respective agencies are taking in preparation of fire season, but stressed steps Californians can take to reduce their risk – … continue reading »

Tags: CAL FIRE, California National Guard, California Natural Resources Agency, Governor Brown, U.S. Forest Service, Wildfire Awareness Week, Wildfire Season

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Governor Brown Signs Executive Order to Bolster Cybersecurity

Cal OES Newsroom Admin Aug 31, 2015 1:15 pm

Photo of California Governor Jerry Brown

SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed an executive order to bolster California’s preparedness and response to destructive cyber-attacks, which increase the state’s vulnerability to economic disruption, critical infrastructure damage, privacy violations and identify theft.

The order directs the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to establish the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC), which will be responsible for strengthening the state’s cybersecurity strategy and improving inter-agency, cross-sector coordination to reduce the likelihood and severity of cyber-attacks. Cal-CSIC will work closely with the California State Threat Assessment System and the U.S Department of Homeland Security and will facilitate … continue reading »

Tags: Business, Cal OES, calema, california, california department of public health, California Drought, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, California Highway Patrol, California National Guard, cybersecurity

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Volunteers of the Refugio Oil Spill

Cal OES Newsroom Admin Jun 19, 2015 3:07 pm

Cal OES joined other state and federal agencies to form a Unified Command at the Santa Barbara County EOC. There, the UC coordinated all response and recovery efforts to the Refugio Oil Spill. Critical to our efforts were the teams of volunteers. But getting those teams together and ready to hit the beach is not as easy as it may seem.

The Volunteers’ Story

RefugioBusTour05232015_0309 — Crews Clean Crude Oil at Refugio State Beach (Photo by: Shawn Boyd, Cal OES)

THE SPILL:
The Refugio Oil Spill occurred on May 19, 2015, just north of Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County, California. The oil spill came from a pipeline owned … continue reading »

Tags: Cal OES, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, California National Guard, Coast Guard, disaster, Goleta, Oil Spill, Refugio, Santa Barbara

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Tag: California National Guard

California’s Fire & Rescue Mutual Aid System Working To Battle Season’s Biggest Wildfires

VIDEO: Vigilant Guard Earthquake Response Exercise

California-Nevada Vigilant Guard Exercise Tests Earthquake Response

Search and Rescue Mutual Aid Effort Pays Off – Missing Hiker and Dog Found Alive

California Kicks Off Wildfire Awareness Week

Governor Brown Signs Executive Order to Bolster Cybersecurity

Volunteers of the Refugio Oil Spill

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