Carlsbad Takes Part in Statewide Emergency Drill

The City of Carlsbad activated its emergency operations center Tuesday as part of the statewide Golden Guardian exercise, a comprehensive drill designed to test and assess emergency operations plans, policies and procedures for possible hazards and catastrophic incidents.

The 2012 exercise focuses on a Southern California scenario involving a catastrophic earthquake on the San Andreas fault line resulting in casualties and damage in and near Los Angeles. Golden Guardian focuses on a different region and emergency each year. During the exercise, representatives of public agencies, non-governmental organizations and private-sector partners throughout San Diego county worked together to test the Southern California Catastrophic Earthquake Response Plan, a coordinated state and federal response to a catastrophic earthquake in Southern California.

During such scenarios, the will provide first responder mutual aid support and provide assistance to evacuees. 

David Harrison, the City of Carlsbad's emergency preparedness manager, said exercises like this are invaluable. "We have very detailed plans for dealing with emergencies," he said. "But there is nothing like putting a plan into action.  It’s a great learning opportunity for everyone involved, and particularly the city’s Community Emergency Response Team or CERT." In addition to Tuesday’s drill, on Wednesday, the City of Carlsbad will focus on "recovery day operations" by setting up a mock local assistance center, which is a one-stop resource for assisting victims with post-disaster needs. 

The assistance center will be set up at on Dove Lane.  The exercise is not expected to affect library activities or access. 

Jeff Murdock, a member of the city’s Community Emergency Response Team, agreed that the exercise is important for the community, including its volunteers. A long-time member of CERT, Murdock said the exercise embodies the purpose of the volunteer group, which is "neighbor helping neighbor." "For me, the benefit is to work with different groups of people with various levels of experience in a stressful environment."   Murdock said the exercise gives CERT volunteers a chance to practice what they have learned in the classroom. "You don't really know how well you know the material until you try to use it," he said.

Harrison said the exercise is also a good opportunity to remind the public about the importance of their own emergency preparedness.  A free guide is available on the city’s website with tips for making a family emergency plan, preparing a home emergency kit and knowing where to go and what to do in an actual emergency. 

–City of Carlsbad