EMERGENCY RESPONSE COMMAND
The mission of the Emergency Response Command (ERC) is to be ready to respond on short notice to natural and man-made disasters throughout California.
ABOUT THE ERC
Focus
The California State Guard has many units that provide emergency response capabilities in times of need. The role of the ERC is specifically to focus on security missions as well as man-made or natural disasters.
The ERC provides the state of California a dedicated military response force for events such as wildfire, flood, earthquake, and protection of critical infrastructure.
JOIN ERC
Membership in the State Guard truly benefits the communities we live in and the individual. Some of the individual benefits include:
- Real world experience
- Resume Builder
- Military training
- PC832 Post Certification
- Camaraderie
- College tuition assistance
TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Training
Training is a hallmark of any great military organization and the ERC works with some of the best. Within our organization we have very accomplished members that bring their extensive knowledge and skills from diverse backgrounds of law enforcement, fire service and of course military.
Upon acceptance into the State Guard, all members attend basic orientation courses where we teach you the fundamentals of military construct and culture. While it is not boot camp, it does provide the requisite baseline of understanding expectations, how to conduct yourself, and how to be part of this organization.
Experience
The State Guard plays an important role in California’s overall emergency response framework. Unquestionably the most beneficial reason to be a member of the ERC is the real world experience you will gain.
Our missions afford our members the opportunity to work alongside our law enforcement and fire service partners. You will gain a working knowledge of concepts such as mutual aid and how State agencies support each other.
You will be exposed to the process of how the State conducts emergency response and learn about Incident Management. In the event of a large scale or complex incidents, you may be activated and work alongside federal agencies such as FEMA.
CAPABILITIES
Units
The ERC consists of two subordinate detachments, Team Blaze (Wildland Firefighting) and Team Shield (Security Forces).
Each detachment consists of smaller units distributed from San Diego, Los Alamitos, Fresno, Fairfield, and Sacramento. Consolidated annual training events are conducted at Camp San Luis Obispo and Camp Roberts.
The Headquarters of the ERC is split between Sacramento and Los Alamitos.
TEAM BLAZE
Team Blaze is responsible to provide forces for wildland firefighting, mass casualty and general disaster response.
TEAM SHIELD
Team Shield is a military security force that is tasked to conduct fixed point security at both military and governmental infrastructure.
Additionally, Team Shield can augment and support civil authorities for operations such as traffic and access control during disasters such as fires, earthquakes, among others.
