ORISE Plays Key Role in State of California Hazardous Exercise
Terrorist attacks. Earthquakes. Horrific incidents such as these, although very different in scope, can cause major destruction and bring much chaos. But what if these events occurred back-to-back?
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security Matthew Bettenhausen and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, speak to the emergency workers and coordinators of Golden Guardian 2006 (GG 2006)—the nation’s largest exercise that was designed to test the state of California’s ability to respond to a terrorist attack or a catastrophic natural disaster. GG 2006 recently took place over a 36-hour period and involved 1,500 people across two California cities—San Bernadino Valley and San Francisco Bay—where a terrorist attack occurred in the valley, followed by a large earthquake on the coast.
This was the scenario recently tested by the state of California through Golden Guardian 2006 (GG 2006)—the nation’s largest, annual statewide exercise that attempts to put the worst possible catastrophes (both natural and man-made) to the test. This effort allows the state to assess the readiness of local first responders and emergency managers at federal, state and local levels.
ORISE’s national security experts partnered with the California Governor’s Office of Homeland Security Exercise Branch in the year-long planning efforts for the exercise.
GG 2006 was a 36-hour event that involved more than 1,500 people. It began with a mock terrorist attack at San Bernardino’s Hyundai Pavilion on day one, followed by a simulation of the April 18, 1906, San Francisco Bay 7.9 earthquake on day two. This particular earthquake was chosen because it ranked as one of the most significant earthquakes of all time. Such a magnitude could cause approximately 5,000 deaths.
“The likelihood of such events is not unheard of, especially here in California. So it is critical we are continually aware of how quickly federal, state and local departments and agencies can communicate and work together in the event of a major disaster,” said ORISE’s Lou Palm, who directed the exercise.
More than 400 actors playing various roles participated in the terrorist attack, which involved a 65,000-seat amphitheatre with fake bombs and real emergency responders.
The San Francisco Bay earthquake tested the state’s emergency operations center and included an emergency responder drill on Treasure Island, Calif.—an artificial island in the bay between San Francisco and Oakland. Approximately 1.5 million pounds of cement and debris were brought in to simulate a three-story concrete structural collapse with approximately 25 victims.
Operations planners from ORISE played a significant role in the success of GG 2006:
- Overseeing an exercise that tested the state’s law enforcement infrastructure.
- Leading the coastal regional effort that involved six California counties.
- Serving as the inland regional lead overseeing two major cities—Fresno and Clovis—in central California.
- Serving as the lead coordinator for 18 state and 5 federal agencies. This also included the participation of a U.S. DHS principal federal official (a role that gives state and local leaders one point of delivery for critical federal aid and support).
ORISE team members are reviewing lessons-learned from GG 2006 and developing plans for GG 2007.
For more information on ORISE’s capabilities in this area, visit the national security and emergency management section of this Web site.