Our California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) members with the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA)  are rolling up their sleeves and getting knee deep in another disaster exercise. 

Cal EMA is activating the State Operations Center (SOC) at Cal EMA headquarters in Rancho Cordova in support of this year’s Gold Guardian Drill.  The drill, on May 15, throws local, state and federal emergency response crews into a scenario 48 hours after a simulated magnitude 7.9 earthquake along the San Andreas Fault.  As part of the drill, 10 Bay Area Counties are affected.

“I have never known our CSLEA members or anyone at Cal EMA to sit down and take a breath,” said CSLEA President Alan Barcelona.  “As emergency management professionals they are already handling real situations happening now up and down the state, and on top of that, they take on planning  and training for future emergencies. “

In addition to the Golden Guardian drill today, Cal EMA is also participating in a training exercise with Shasta and Trinity County emergency responders, according to a report on redding.com (http://www.redding.com/news/2013/may/15/emergency-response-tested-mock-hazmat-drill/)  The training deals with chemical emergencies involving toxic chemicals found at large marijuana operations.