Homeland Security Training and Exercises

Exercise Branch

Mission

The Exercise Branch develops, coordinates, and leads a statewide Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) primarily focused on Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)/Chemical-Biological-Radiological-Nuclear-Explosive (CBRNE) and catastrophic incidents.

Homeland Security and Exercise and Evaluation Program

Exercise Branch uses The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) as the doctrinal basis for our exercise program. HSEEP is a capabilities and performance-based exercise program developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security which provides a standardized policy, methodology, and terminology for exercise design, development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning. Adherence to the policy and guidance presented in the HSEEP Volumes ensures that exercise programs conform to established best practices, and helps provide unity and consistency of effort for exercises at all levels of government.

Golden Guardian Exercise Series

A primary effort of the Exercise Branch is the conduct of the Governor's Annual Statewide Exercise Series "Golden Guardian." The goal of the Golden Guardian Exercise Series is to support the development and testing of emergency operations plans and annexes for catastrophic incidents from the local through regional, state and federal levels. For more background information on Golden Guardian, please visit our brochure.

Working closely with all our exercise partners, the Training and Exercise Division has established "themes" for future year Golden Guardian exercises. Exercise planners at all levels can use these themes to develop their own multiyear exercise plan that is synchronized with the State's multiyear plan, thus consolidating and synergizing precious time and resources to test and evaluate common emergency management capabilities and objectives. Future Golden Guardian themes are:

2008 - Catastrophic 7.8 earthquake in Southern California

2009 - Near simultaneous terrorist attacks in four major ports throughout California

2010 - Pandemic influenza throughout California

OHS Initiatives

Through our Functional Area Initiative, Exercise Branch works closely with our training partners from specifically threatened target areas to develop discussion based exercises (seminars, workshops and tabletop exercises) to support the development and testing of emergency operations plans and annexes in these specialized areas. The Functional Area Initiatives focus on disciplines and venues which share common threats, vulnerabilities and risks. Currently we have 7 initiative areas. They are Agro-Terrorism, Cyber Terrorism, Large Stadium/Mass Gatherings, Mass Transit, Port & Maritime Security, Prevention Exercises, and Public Officials.

Points of Contact

Assistant Deputy Director Steve Goff: steven.goff@ohs.ca.gov

Exercises
Golden Guardian Lead Planner Lou Palm: palml@orau.gov
State/Federal Team Lead Kathryn Fernandez: Kathryn.fernandez@ohs.ca.gov
Coastal Team Lead Rich Mifsud: Richard.Mifsud@ohs.ca.gov
Inland Team Lead James Woodward: james.woodward@ohs.ca.gov
Southern Team Lead Steve Maloney: Steven.Maloney@ohs.ca.gov
Prevention Exercise Lead Dan Dailey: Daniel.Dailey@ohs.ca.gov

HSEEP Doctrine
HSEEP Doctrine Team Lead Dan Shemenski: daniel.shemenski@ohs.ca.gov

Functional Areas
Agro-Terrorism Lead Sharon Avery: sharon.avery@ohs.ca.gov
Large Stadium Initiative Lead Scott McCartney: scott.mccartney@ohs.ca.gov
Port & Maritime Security Lead Jack Geck: jack.geck@ohs.ca.gov
Public Officials Lead Mike Sicilia: michael.sicilia@ohs.ca.gov

For Mass Transit and Cyber Initiatives, contact Steve Goff for assistance.