Office of Emergency Services

What's New

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Overview of Department

The Merced Office of Emergency Services (OES) provides preparedness before, and coordination direction during, large-scale emergencies and disasters. OES coordinates with partner agencies including the six incorporated cities within the county, special districts, and key private agencies in providing planning, response, recovery, and mitigation activities as a result of disaster related incidents.

The state’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 both natural and man-made disasters, and for assisting local governments in their emergency preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

Major earthquakes happen where people work, live, or travel in California. When each second counts, immediate quake-safe actions will save lives and minimize injuries. What's at stake is the ability of people to survive and recover quickly from the effects of one of nature's most powerful and destructive forces.

ShakeOut Drill

The drill known as The Great California ShakeOut has become an important annual statewide event. It offers an opportunity for individuals and emergency responders to prepare now so they can survive and recover following the next damaging earthquake.

Check out ShakeOut.org which will include guidelines for what to do before, during and immediately after an earthquake, as well as downloadable emergency supply checklists (food, water, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies and special items for medical conditions), tips for food and water storage, and resources in 11 different regions throughout the state.

For more information please visit ShakeOut.org and the CalOES website.

Community Partnership

Merced County OES is partnering with communities by coordinating and maintaining Emergency Operations Plans (EOP) to conform to the new National Incident Management System (NIMS), for the County and the six unincorporated cities within Merced County.

EOPs are guidance documents for handling and managing incidents, greater than day-to-day scale, including large or complex emergency events and disasters. The EOP’s are written from an “all risk” perspective, addressing traditional threat areas, including Fire, Law Enforcement and Emergency Medical Services (EMS), but also including agriculture terrorism, public health threats, cyber terrorism, etc...

OES also provides training to all agencies pertaining to the use of EOP.

Useful links