California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA)
Question
To complete this project, you should:
Select law enforcement agency at the state or local level in which you are interested.(California Emergency Management)
Gather materials from the agency, such as planning reports and practical exercise reports and other resources that may be available.
Describe the procedures you will use to conduct your study and place in a methodology section.
Evaluate the structure, practice, and procedures of the organization.
Compose the results of your study.
Formulate conclusions about your findings, including the positive and negative aspects you discovered.
Argue in what ways the agency could improve its emergency management process.
Your paper must include:
A cover page
Abstract
Introduction
Methodology section
Discussion
Reference page
Appendices which may include a summary of your interview(s) and organization charts of your agency and your section


Solution
Abstract
This paper aims at undertaking an
investigative study of the procedures, practices, and structure of the California
Governor’s Office of Emergency Services or Cal OES (formed after the rebranding
and reconstitution of Cal EMA in 2013 through the action of Governor Brown
Edmund) as a strategic law-enforcement agency in California. The research
methodology shall entail analysis of records and articles submitted to
databases and libraries regarding the operations of Cal OES in California.
Further, the findings from the research will be analyzed through scientific
tools, and the results will be assessed appropriately. A discussion on the pros
and cons of the research outcome will be essential. It is crucial to recommend
how Cal OES could enhance its emergency response (management) function.
California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA)
Introduction and Background
A Brief Overview of California State concerning
Emergency Management Agency (EMA)
California accounts for about 12% of
the population in the United States, with an estimated population of 39.24
million people as of July 2021 based on the population statistics from the US
Census Bureau. California boasts of the third largest (expansive) state in
terms of geographical coverage, with a land area estimated at 163,695 sq mi
(square miles) (Domínguez & Yeh, 2020). The State of California enjoys
multi-dimensional diversity in the following spheres; economy, culture,
politics, ethnicity, and ecology. California is the biggest contributor to the
United States’ GDP (Gross-Domestic-Product) (Stieglitz
et al., 2022). It accounts for about 13% of the total GPD, and its estimated
contribution stands at USD 3091. 90 billion as of 2020 records from the
Department of Economic Affairs.
Over the years, California has had
to deal with numerous threats and extreme risks that compromise the well-being
of the people and have detrimental effects on the economy, properties, and
environment. Indeed, California faces the challenge of being prone to natural
disasters such as extreme wildfires, earthquakes, long periods of drought, and
floods (Cal EOS, 2022). Further, California encounters many threats, including
cyber-security attacks, health emergencies, animal and agricultural disasters,
and risks to homeland security (Cal EOS, 2022). From the backdrop, the core
mandate of EMA (Emergency Management Agency) is to undertake a proactive
strategy (approach) in addressing the vulnerabilities, threats, and risks that
bedevil California; thus, the mandate explains the foundational mission of
California’s EMA (Cal EOS, 2022). Further, EMA focuses on maintaining a robust
state (position) of readiness for disasters, threats, and emergencies while
planning effectively for catastrophic events and resultant mitigating impacts.
The
Rebranding of California’s EMA (Cal EMA) to California Governor’s Office of
Emergency Services or Cal OES
On 1st July 2013, a
significant shift took place regarding the operations of Cal EMA after the
intervention of Governor Brown Edmund. He renamed the agency and reconstituted
it to Cal OES or California Governor’s Office of
Emergency Services and subsequently merged the agency with the Public-Safety
Communications office (Cal EOS, 2022). The vision of Cal OES is to be the
leader in homeland security affairs and emergency management through the provision
of committed (dedicated) service to all Californians (Cal EOS, 2022). Indeed,
the mission statement of Cal OES declares that the agency will support
communities, enhance capabilities, and protect property and well-being (life)
for a prosperous California. Therefore, for the discussion in the paper, the
study shall target Cal OES’s operations (Cal EOS, 2022). An investigative study
of the procedures, practices, and structure of Cal OES as a law-enforcement
agency in California forms the foundation of the paper.
Methodology
The investigative study will
integrate multiple data collection methods, including interviews, literature
searches, internet surveys, personal interviews, content analysis, and focus
groups. The setting of the study shall be California State which represents the
jurisdiction of the operations of Cal OES- a state law-enforcement agency (Wong
et al., 2020). The respondents and participants in the study will comprise the
general citizens and persons attached to the state agency, Cal OES. The basis
(logic) of inquiry in the research during data collection through techniques
such as interviewing and literature searches shall be both qualitative and
quantitative (Williams et al., 2018). For the investigative study, relevant
research-data materials such as planning reports, website-oriented resources,
budgetary reports, performance records, and practical-exercise reports linked
to Cal OES will be gathered and analyzed (perused) to obtain crucial research
data.
In regards to the data analysis
approaches, the investigative study will employ quantitative techniques (such
as tabulation and regression analysis) and qualitative methods (such as
discourse and narrative analysis) so that a comprehensive view of the subject
under investigation- Cal OES- can be realized (Domínguez & Yeh, 2020).
Ethical issues will be a significant consideration in the conduct of the
research, especially concerning the data collection process. For instance, the anonymity
of the respondents shall be taken into account to maintain the participants’
privacy (Stieglitz et al., 2022). An infringement concerns into the participants’
privileges, rights, and freedoms will be highly checked and addressed to avoid
any incidence of ethical violations.
Analysis of the Structure, Practice, and Procedures of
Cal OES
The
Structure of Cal OES
Indeed, it is a strategic
organization that is government-oriented; it has various departments tasked
with executing the agency’s mandate to the people of California. The state
agency’s operations are monitored by a skilled executive team headed by a
senior director- Mark G. and deputized by Christina C.- chief deputy-director
(Cal EOS, 2022). Madam Mangat Lisa chairs the administration and policy
department: the section deals with administrative responsibilities and policy
formulation and implementation assignments. Moreover, the department in charge
of coordinating the partners in the non-governmental organizations and private-sector
entities operates under the leadership of Ms. Browning Abby (Cal EOS, 2022). Further,
Mr. Buras Ryan is the director in charge of recovery operations: when disasters
and emergencies occur, the department takes control of the recovery efforts
(Cal EOS, 2022). Madam Cousins Beth is the senior director of the information
office, the department tasked with managing all the communication issues
required in the organization, Cal OES.
The division of public affairs and
crisis communication has the mandate of informing the citizens or public on the
activities being undertaken by Cal OES during crisis events and emergencies:
the department is under the leadership of Ferguson Brian (Cal EOS, 2022). The
department of fire services and rescue operations responds to emergencies
related to fire; Marshall Brian heads the division. The division of prevention,
preparedness, and planning is under the leadership of Nezhura L., whereas
Osborne T. is in charge of homeland security (Cal EOS, 2022). Other crucial
departments in Cal OES include; external and legislative affairs, law enforcement,
functional needs, and policy.
The
Practice of Cal OES
The practice of Cal OES refers to the
particular organizational culture that the state agency adheres to regarding
the behavior of the people and the values that they subscribe to the conduct of
their duties or responsibilities in the organization. Integrity has been set as
a fundamental and integral value (practice) that contributes to the cultural
fabric of Cal OES (Cal EOS, 2022). Therefore, Cal OES, as a strategic state
agency, strives to maintain trust through fulfilling its mission with
transparency, accountability, and honesty. Service is a crucial value that
supports the organizational practice of Cal OES (Tresh & Kovalsky, 2018).
In this regard, Cal OES- in pursuit of the service value- commits to executing
its responsibilities and duties while maintaining a conscientious and
collective dedication to the agency’s mission.
Further, the value of respect is a
critical component of Cal OES’ practice based on the view that the state agency
upholds and recognizes the element of diversity within its structure. Additionally,
the culture of respect for diversity extends to the partner organizations and
the surrounding communities within California (Cal EOS, 2022). The expression
of care, compassion, and concern for all persons, regardless of their
socio-economic, cultural, and political backgrounds, helps to underscore Cal
OES’ commitment to the practice of respect (Domínguez & Yeh, 2020).
Resiliency is one of the foundational values in Cal OES’s organizational
practice. It focuses on promoting prepared and secure (safe) communities with
the capacity to recover (rebound) from a disastrous event or emergency.
The
Procedures of Cal OES
From a management perspective,
procedures refer to the definition of the step-by-step approach used by an
organization to execute particular tasks. At Cal OES, one of the primary
procedures stipulated in the organizational goals is the enhancement and
anticipation of detection and prevention capabilities to protect the state of
California from all forms of threats and hazards (Cal EOS, 2022). Another key
procedure at Cal OES involves strengthening the capacity of California to
provide, prepare, and plan for resources used in the mitigation of the impacts
associated with terrorist events, crimes, emergencies, and disasters (Williams
et al., 2018). Further, maintaining an effective response to and recovery from
natural and human-oriented calamities (disasters) qualifies as an important
procedure at Cal OES.
Again, enhancing the delivery and
administration of federal and state-based funding while maintaining the program
and fiscal transparency and integrity qualifies as a major organizational
procedure at Cal OES (Cal EOS, 2022). Indeed, developing an innovative and
united labor (work) force knowledgeable, trained, adaptable, and experienced at
Cal OES is a crucial organizational procedure. The enhancement of capabilities
linked to communication (information) services regarding public safety acts as
a fundamental procedure for Cal OES (Wong et al., 2020). Without a doubt, the
strengthening of technological capacity at Cal OES is a significant procedure
for the state agency.
Results of the Study
Certainly, the investigative study
reveals that Cal OES is a stable and robust organization that can manage and
mitigate disasters and threats of any nature, natural or human-based. At the
same time, the study exposes some operational weaknesses that can reduce the
institution’s efficiency in fulfilling its mandate (Cal EOS, 2022). One of the
outstanding features in the study results is the multi-faceted nature of the
state agency structure (Domínguez & Yeh, 2020). Indeed, Cal OES has many
departments and divisions committed to fulfilling the state agency’s mandate to
the people of California.
Further, the results generated from
the study reveal that Cal OES has numerous and strong values such as respect
and resiliency (Cal EOS, 2022). The values help drive the agenda of service to
the communities in California regarding preparedness, mitigation, and recovery
from calamities and threats. In addition, the aspect of strong organizational
procedures is a major result of the study (Stieglitz et al., 2022). For
instance, the focus on detecting and preventing hazards and human-motivated
threats such as terrorism communicate deeply on the level of preparedness
within the emergency operations at Cal OES.
Discussion
The investigative study on Cal OES’s
procedures, practices, and structure has produced interesting findings that
would be instrumental in guiding the direction of future scholarship and
research in the area of emergency and disaster management (Cal EOS, 2022). In
consideration of the organizational structure, the investigative study reveals
that Cal OES has a comprehensive hierarchical organizational framework or
structure (Domínguez & Yeh, 2020). In this case, efficiency features in executing
various tasks such as responding to disasters or emergencies, managing public
affairs during disasters through crisis communication, and implementing
recovery measures and strategies.
On the contrary, the study’s outcome
exposes the duplication of departments and roles. For instance, departments
serving almost-similar roles can be merged into one comprehensive division that
works in unison to realize the agency’s objective of disaster management (Cal
EOS, 2022). For instance, the department of information can be merged with the
department of crisis communication to establish fully-fledged communication and
information office or department. Further, the findings from the investigative
research indicate that Cal OES has strong practices or culture- values- that
help drive the state agency’s vision and mission on emergency management (Stieglitz
et al., 2022). However, the declarations of the organization’s culture fail to
capture crucial organizational values such as teamwork spirit and employee
motivation (Wong et al., 2020). When such critical values are left out, the
officers serving at the state agency, Cal OES, may feel unappreciated
and reduce their commitment to the service.
Recommendations
From the analysis, it is clear that
there are several measures or procedures that Cal OES can employ to ensure that
the emergency management framework or process is efficient. For instance, implementing
innovative and state-of-the-art technologies based on information and
communication concepts such as internet surveillance and detection of natural
disasters would be a big boost to the operations of Cal OES given disaster
management and emergency response (Stieglitz et al., 2022). Certainly, Cal OES
can invest in advanced technologies in seismic monitoring using
geospatial-oriented technology tools that would help detect calamities such as
earthquakes- which are common in California- thus limiting the number of
casualties from such devastating disasters.
Undertaking public sensitization and
education by Cal OES is a crucial consideration in enhancing preparedness and
response to disasters and threats. For instance, when citizens are educated by Cal
OES on the need for rapid action during wildfires by moving to safer zones and
leaving their homes (Domínguez & Yeh, 2020). The measure helps sensitize
the public and limit the number of deaths from such risky occurrences.
Conclusion
The investigative study of Cal OES’s
procedures, practices, and structure as a law-enforcement agency in California
has been effective in the paper. In 2013, Governor Brown Edmund renamed
(rebranded) and reconstituted Cal EMA to Cal OES or California Governor’s
Office of Emergency Services. The state agency works towards promoting safety
within communities in California while executing strategies on prevention and
mitigation of threats, vulnerabilities, and disasters. Cal OES has multiple
departments and divisions committed to accomplishing the state agency’s mandate
to the people of California. Through technology and innovative strategies, Cal
OES can enhance its approach towards disaster preparedness and management.
References
Cal
EOS. (2022). About California Governor’s Office-of-Emergency-Services (Cal
EOS). The State of California. Web Resource. Retrieved from: https://www.caloes.ca.gov/cal-oes-divisions/about-cal-oes
Domínguez,
D., & Yeh, C. (2020). Social justice disaster relief, counseling, and
advocacy: The case of the Northern California wildfires. Counselling
Psychology Quarterly, 33(3), 287-311.
Stieglitz,
S., Hofeditz, L., Brünker, F., Ehnis, C., Mirbabaie, M., & Ross, B. (2022).
Design principles for conversational agents to support Emergency Management
Agencies. International Journal of Information Management, 63,
102469.
Tresh,
K., & Kovalsky, M. (2018). Toward Automated Information Sharing California:
Cybersecurity Integration Center’s approach to improve on the traditional
information sharing models. The Cyber Defense Review, 3(2),
23-32.
Williams,
M. V., Chandra, A., Spears, A., Varda, D., Wells, K. B., Plough, A. L., &
Eisenman, D. P. (2018). Evaluating community partnerships addressing community
resilience in Los Angeles, California. International journal of environmental
research and public health, 15(4), 610.
Wong,
S. D., Broader, J. C., & Shaheen, S. A. (2020). Can sharing economy
platforms increase social equity for vulnerable populations in disaster
response and relief? A case study of the 2017 and 2018 California
wildfires. Transportation research interdisciplinary perspectives, 5,
100131.




About Author
Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Essay Writers!
We have subject matter experts ready 24/7 to tackle your specific tasks and deliver them ON TIME, ready to hand in. Our writers have advanced degrees, and they know exactly what’s required to get you the best possible grade.
Find the right expert among 500+
We hire Gradewriters writers from different fields, thoroughly check their credentials, and put them through trials.
View all writers