GOLETA, Calif. — Emergency vehicles filled the parking lot at Direct Relief headquarters in Goleta on Wednesday, but it wasn’t due to a crisis.
Various emergency agencies gathered for a large-scale disaster response training event aimed at improving readiness and coordination in the face of future disasters. The training comes in the shadow of a historic milestone—the 100th anniversary of the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake, which devastated the region and reshaped emergency preparedness in California.
Participants in the training included the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the Search Dog Foundation, and other emergency response organizations…