The Office of Emergency Services (OES) was established as part of the Governor's Office in 1950 as the State Office of Civil Defense. In 1956, the agency became more involved in natural disaster operations, and the name was changed to the California Disaster Office. Adoption of the state's Emergency Services Act in 1970 changed the agency's name to the Office of Emergency Services.

The Governor's Office of Emergency Services coordinates overall state agency response to major disasters in support of local government. The office is responsible for assuring the state's readiness to respond to and recover from natural, manmade, and war-caused emergencies, and for assisting local governments in their emergency preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

During major emergencies, OES may call upon all state agencies to help provide support. Due to their specialized capabilities and expertise, the California National Guard, Highway Patrol, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Conservation Corps, Department of Social Services, Department of Health Services and the Department of Transportation are the agencies most often asked to respond and assist in emergency response activities.

OES coordinates the statewide Fire, Law Enforcement, and Telecommunications Mutual Aid Systems based on the "neighbor helping neighbor" concept. OES also coordinates the state's Urban Search and Rescue and Safety Assessment Volunteer programs.

During emergencies, OES activates the State Operations Center (SOC) in Sacramento and the Regional Emergency Operations Centers (REOCs) in impacted areas to receive and process local requests for assistance. OES and other state agency public information officers staff the OES Emergency News Center to provide emergency information to the public through the news media.

OES is the "grantee" for federal disaster assistance, principally from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). During the recovery phase of a disaster, OES helps local governments assess damages and assists them with federal and state grant and loan applications to repair damaged public property. Individuals and families suffering losses may apply for federal and state assistance through a toll-free, teleregistration phone line. Individuals may also apply for other assistance programs administered by local and volunteer agencies such as the American Red Cross. The OES public information effort continues in this phase in cooperation with other state and federal agencies.

Further information about OES can be found on its website at www.oes.ca.gov