Podcast #51: Yosemite National Park After the Ferguson Fire
According to the national Park Service, Yosemite National Park was first protected in 1864 and is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias and a vast wilderness...
Cal OES Seeks Requests for Proposals for $3M For Victim Legal Assistance
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Victim Services & Public Safety Branch, Human Trafficking Unit, is pleased to announce the release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Victim Legal Assistance Program (KL) for 2018-19. The...
Podcast #50: International Mutual Aid to California: New Zealand Shows It’s a “Kiwi Thing to Do”
At the height of the wildfire siege across California, when 15 major fires burned, there were more than 13,000 firefighters from 18 states and two other countries battling the blazes. Those countries included Australia and New Zealand. 41 of those firefighters were...
Beware of Disaster-Related Fraud and Scam Artists
As California residents work to recover from recent wildfires, they should be on guard for and report suspicious activity of potential fraud, scam artists and other criminals who prey on survivors. If you suspect someone is perpetrating fraud, call the National Center...Warning: Undefined variable $caweb_first_video in /bitnami/wordpress/wp-content/themes/CAWeb-1.13.0/index.php on line 48
Carr Fire Survivors: Assistance Center Now Open in Redding
A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC), jointly operated by the State of California’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is open to offer residents affected by the recent wildfires disaster assistance. Representatives...Warning: Undefined variable $caweb_first_video in /bitnami/wordpress/wp-content/themes/CAWeb-1.13.0/index.php on line 48
Yosemite Valley Reopens To Visitors As Firefighters Continue To Gain on Ferguson Fire
Firefighters continue to make significant progress along the perimeter of the Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County, allowing Yosemite National Park to announce the reopening of Yosemite Valley to visitors as of 9 a.m. Tuesday. The Ferguson Fire is just one of 11 large...
Governor Brown Declares State of Emergency in Orange and Riverside Counties Due to Holy Fire
SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued an emergency proclamation for Orange and Riverside counties due to the effects of the Holy Fire, which has threatened critical infrastructure, thousands of homes and other structures and has caused the evacuation...
Governor Brown Issues Executive Order to Streamline Cleanup and Recovery in Communities Impacted by Wildfires
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued an executive order to cut red tape and help streamline recovery efforts in communities impacted by the devastating wildfires that continue to burn in Lake, Siskiyou, Shasta, Mendocino and Napa counties. There are 15 major...Warning: Undefined variable $caweb_first_video in /bitnami/wordpress/wp-content/themes/CAWeb-1.13.0/index.php on line 48
Mutual Aid Comes In From All Over State, Country & World For Largest Fire In California History
California’s Mutual Aid system is considered the best in the world, but it relies on local fire departments all over California answering the call when needed. Meet some of the nearly 4,000 firefighters working on the largest wildfire in California history, including...Warning: Undefined variable $caweb_first_video in /bitnami/wordpress/wp-content/themes/CAWeb-1.13.0/index.php on line 48
Mendocino Complex Fire Now Largest Fire In California History
Nearly 14,000 firefighters are on the front lines of 17 large wildfires across California. To date, these fires have burned over 619,000 acres and damaged or destroyed over 2,000 structures. Nearly 36,000 residents remain under evacuation. The Mendocino Complex...
Governor Brown Announces Federal Approval of Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for Shasta County
SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced that the White House has approved California’s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration submitted to the President earlier today to help with the impacts of the wildfire in Shasta County....
Cal OES Director Secures Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to Assist Response Agencies Battling Ranch Fire in Mendocino, Lake Counties
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci today secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the Ranch Fire...
Governor Brown Declares State of Emergency in Mariposa County Due to Ferguson Fire
SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued an emergency proclamation for Mariposa County due to the effects of the Ferguson Fire, which has threatened homes and critical infrastructure and caused power outages and the evacuation of residents. Earlier...
Cal OES Director Secures Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to Assist Response Agencies Battling Cranston Fire in Riverside County
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci today secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the Cranston Fire...
PODCAST: Heat Wave Hits California – How Bad Is It? Where’s the Hot Spots? What Can You Do?
Check out Episode 49 of the All Hazards Podcast brought to you by Cal OES! California will be blasted with heat advisories and excessive heat warnings as temperatures will be between 10 to 15 degrees above normal Tuesday through Thursday. Why is that so dangerous, and...
Cal OES Director Secures Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to Assist Response Agencies Battling Carr Fire in Shasta County
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci today secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the Carr Fire...
Cal OES Director Secures Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to Assist Response Agencies Battling Holiday Fire in Santa Barbara County
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci today secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the Holiday Fire...
Governor Brown Declares State of Emergency in San Diego County Due to West Fire
SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued an emergency proclamation for San Diego County due to the effects of the West Fire, which has destroyed homes, threatened critical infrastructure and caused the evacuation of residents. Link to Governor’s...
Governor Brown Declares State of Emergency in Siskiyou County Due to Klamathon Fire
SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued an emergency proclamation for Siskiyou County due to the effects of the Klamathon Fire, which has destroyed structures, threatened homes and critical infrastructure and caused the evacuation of residents. The full...
Cal OES Director Secures Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to Assist Response Agencies Battling Klamathon Fire in Siskiyou County
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci today secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the Klamathon Fire...
Podcast #48: State Fire Chief Reflects on 40-Year Career as He Prepares to Ride Code-3 into the Sunset
Kim Zagaris, or Chief Z as some call him, is the State Fire and Rescue Chief for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES); he was appointed on April 1, 2001. He admits his appointment rattled cages, nerves and even a few careers. He’s not only...
Fireworks Not Fun For Everyone
The pageantry and beauty is what makes watching fireworks a timeless tradition. While the spectacle is often enjoyed on a grand scale, especially on the Fourth of July, it can also create a traumatic experience for pet owners. Those same abundance of sounds and colors...Cal OES Director Secures Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to Assist Response Agencies Battling Creek Fire in Shasta County
SACRAMENTO– California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci today secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the...Cal OES Director Secures Fire Management Assistance Grant to Assist Response Agencies Battling Pawnee Fire in Lake County
SACRAMENTO – California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci today secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the...
Podcast #47: Rattlesnake Encounters and How to Avoid Them: We’re Hands-on for Your Sssafety!
In this episode we tag along with professional rattlesnake wrangler Lou Fraser, and state park ranger Kerrie Launey. Fraser shows us the kind of habitat in which rattlesnakes can be found, and educates us on their some of their behavior and some of the mistakes people...
‘Deadly Silence’ A Drowning Awareness Campaign
Can you imagine finding your child floating face down in your own pool? It happened, but this story does have a happy ending and we’re using it as a reminder for all. Backyard swimming pools will once again be busy this summer. Know what to do to prevent a drowning in...
Podcast #46: Geared Up for “Super Thursday” at CSTI Hazmat Training
In this episode (#46) we take you to Super Thursday, a sort of “final exam day” for students attending the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI) Hazmat Specialist course. We talk with Alex Cabassa, Cal OES Assistant Director, and CSTI Superintendent about...
Snakes Slither Into Summer
As the weather becomes warmer, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and poison control officials are warning Californians to be aware of rattlesnake encounters. In fact, just recently a rattlesnake was spotted at Cal OES headquarters. Rattlesnakes do not...
Podcast #45: Filling the HazMat Response Capability Gaps in California
Cal OES and 12 assignee local government fire departments are parties to a contractual agreement permitting the use of the Cal OES Type II HazMat Response Vehicles for local emergency response, out-of-service HazMat vehicles, training, exercises, and other needs. In...
Podcast #44: The Thomas Fire: Critical Public Information During California’s Historic Wildfire
From December 4th to December 22nd, 2017, the Thomas Fire cost more than 177 million dollars to fight, and forced the evacuation of more than 104 thousand people and had 8,500 firefighters from 22 states simultaneously working to contain it. But let’s not forget about...
Podcast #43: Six Months After the NorCal October 2017 Wildfires
It’s been six months since the October 2017 wildfires ravaged Northern California. Through coordination with California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and in close partnership with FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. EPA, Cal EPA and...Warning: Undefined variable $caweb_first_video in /bitnami/wordpress/wp-content/themes/CAWeb-1.13.0/index.php on line 48
Fear and Respect the Flash Flood, Play it Safe and Live
Another surge of tropical moisture will arrive in Central California by late week, and could last into the weekend. This warm and wet system has the potential to bring heavy rain, flooding, and debris flows, especially near recent burn scars. Southern California could...
Podcast #42: Sentinel Response 18 FSE and Interagency Cooperation
In recent months, California and our nation has been no stranger to devastating natural and man-made emergencies. So, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) joined the California National Guard’s Homeland Response Force (HRF) and 95th Civil...California’s Homeland Security Advisor, State Superintendent Release Joint Letter Urging Review of Emergency Plans, Procedures at Schools
Following the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Fla., California’s public instruction chief and its top homeland security official sent a joint message to school superintendents and emergency management officials across the state emphasizing the importance of...
California’s Homeland Security Advisor, Chancellor of Community Colleges Release Joint Letter Emphasizing Importance of Reviewing School Safety Procedures
California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley and California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci today released a joint letter to campuses and emergency management officials across the state emphasizing the importance of...
Podcast #40: Chief Larry Collins on Haiti, Japan, Northridge and Loma Prieta Earthquakes and the Evolution of US&R
In this episode, we talk with Deputy Chief Larry Collins, who is the Cal OES Fire and Rescue Deputy Fire Chief of the Special Operations and Hazardous Material Unit. He oversees the State Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Response Program which includes response,...
One Month Recovery Update for Southern California
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – It’s been one month since FEMA’s Individual Assistance program was approved for Southern Californians in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles and San Diego counties. Here’s an update on recovery numbers as of close of business Feb. 14: • 582...Warning: Undefined variable $caweb_first_video in /bitnami/wordpress/wp-content/themes/CAWeb-1.13.0/index.php on line 48
Mount Shasta Search And Rescue Training
When it comes to search and rescue operations in dangerous winter conditions, training is crucial. In this edition of Inside Look, we go behind the scenes with a Winter Search and Rescue Training Exercise on Mount Shasta organized by our Cal OES Law Enforcement Branch...Warning: Undefined variable $caweb_first_video in /bitnami/wordpress/wp-content/themes/CAWeb-1.13.0/index.php on line 48
Hams In Emergencies – The Auxiliary Communications Service at Cal OES
Recent disasters in the US and around the world have resulted in lost communications. Whether hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or terror attacks response to a disaster is made more difficult without effective communications. Cal OES has at least...
Podcast #38: Amber Anderson: At Home with the Santa Barbara Mudslide
We sit down with Amber Anderson, an 18 year veteran firefighter, and 10 year veteran of the Santa Barbara City Fire Department. She’s a member of the Santa Barbara County Type-3 Incident Management Team, a fire inspector and investigator and public information...
Governor Brown Issues Executive Order to Continue Expediting Recovery Efforts in Communities Impacted by Southern California Wildfires and Mudslides
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued an executive order to further assist recovery efforts in Southern California related to the Thomas Fire and subsequent mudslides. The order helps ensure there’s the staffing and resources needed to continue to respond to the...
President Declares Major Disaster for December Wildfires
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of California to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires from December 4,...Warning: Undefined variable $caweb_first_video in /bitnami/wordpress/wp-content/themes/CAWeb-1.13.0/index.php on line 48
2017 Year In Review
A Special Edition of Inside Look: Find out what made 2017 one for the record books in California. We take a look back at some of the biggest events and stories we covered throughout the year – from volcanoes to flooding to wildfires. It was quite a year.
Podcast #37: Contractors & Recovery: Disasters Bring Out the Best in People, the Worst in Some
Download this episode (right click and save) With tens of thousands of homes that need rebuilding after the fire sieges in both northern California and southern California, survivors will need reputable, licensed contractors. And contractors will be looking for work;...
Officials Warn of Strong Winds Overnight and Extreme Fire Danger in Southern California through Friday
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – With strong winds expected overnight and extreme fire conditions in the forecast through Friday in Southern California, public safety officials will issue a region-wide emergency alert at 8:00 P.M. PST Wednesday asking residents to stay ready,...
Cal OES Director Secures Federal Grant to Assist Response Agencies Battling Thomas Fire in Ventura County
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Director Mark Ghilarducci today secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress a...