The Golden Guardian Drill ended at 1:40 p.m.
SHERIFF-CORONER DEPARTMENT
COUNTY OF ORANGE
CALIFORNIA
550 NORTH FLOWER STREET – P.O. BOX 449
SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 92702-0449
(714) 647-7042
SANDRA HUTCHENS
SHERIFF-CORONER
November 12, 2008
PRESS RELEASE
OCSD DRILLS FOR BIG QUAKE
Orange County, CA- An enormous earthquake is inevitable and the Great Southern California Shake Out Drill is an opportunity to prepare for when it happens.
At 10 a.m. on Thursday November 13, 2008, millions of southern Californians will “drop, cover, and hold on” for the Great Southern California Shake Out. Families, businesses, schools and organizations will join police, firefighters and other emergency responders in the nation’s largest ever earthquake preparedness drill.
California’s Golden Guardian 2008 focuses on the Shake Out, a simulated catastrophic 7.8 magnitude earthquake on the southern portion of the San Andreas Fault. Seven southern California counties are participating, as well as the State Operations Center in Sacramento. Thousands of participants representing local, state and federal agencies including the U.S. Military are taking part in GG08. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Emergency Operations Center will be fully activated for the exercise.
“An earthquake like this is really one of the worst-case scenarios for California,” said Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens. “This drill is a great opportunity to test and enhance our disaster response capabilities.”
The Sheriff is inviting the media to attend the tabletop drill at the County’s Emergency Operations Center in Silverado. The exercise will include coordinating response to local damage as well as staging supplies and evacuees.
Simultaneously, the Sheriff’s Department will be running a fully operational Department Operations Center (DOC) located on Sixth Street in front of OCSD headquarters. This drill will test the department’s ability to operate in the event that the OCSD headquarters building were to fall victim to a major earthquake.
These drills will also provide a rare opportunity for the media to obtain invaluable B-Roll and pictures of both Operations Centers in action that can also be used for future stories.
The goal of Golden Guardian ‘08 is not only to test California’s emergency preparedness, but to also remind the community to have a family disaster plan and that ensures all family members know what to do, where to go and who to call in case of a disaster.
The Golden Guardian Statewide Exercise Series is the nation's largest state-sponsored emergency preparedness exercise endeavor.
For more information regarding the Golden Guardian Exercise and the Great Southern California Shake Out, Contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Emergency Management Bureau at 714-628-7055.