Costa Mesa, California – California is doubling down on disaster preparedness. Governor Gavin Newsom announced this week that the state has broken ground on a new 60,000-square-foot Southern Regional Emergency Operations Center in Costa Mesa — a facility designed to bolster coordination, speed, and resiliency when the next major crisis hits.
Located on the site of the former Fairview Developmental Center, the new complex will serve as a second statewide command hub, complementing the state’s primary emergency operations center in Mather, near Sacramento. The new center will help California better respond to everything from wildfires and earthquakes to floods, droughts, and public health emergencies, while also serving as a failsafe if the main operations center is ever compromised.
“California is no stranger to natural disasters,” Newsom said in a statement. “Just this year alone we’ve faced earthquakes, heavy storms, and destructive wildfires. While the federal government guts national emergency management, California will continue to invest in our world-class emergency response and recovery abilities.”…