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 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
  • 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 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 Team Blaze (Wildland Firefighting) and related support teams.  

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

ERC IN ACTION

ARE YOU READY TO RESPOND?

CSG hand crew on fire lines