Riverside County Emergency Management Healthcare Coalition

The Coalition is a network of government and emergency management agencies, healthcare organizations and other providers to strengthen emergency preparedness, response and recovery.

The Coalition works together to ensure:

• Readiness - Building strong relationships, identifying hazards and risks; prioritizing and addressing gaps through planning, training and exercises.

• Healthcare and Medical Response Coordination - Plan, collaborate, share and analyze information, manage and share resources and coordinate strategies to deliver medical care to all populations during emergency and planned events.

• Continuity of Healthcare Service Delivery - Uninterrupted optimal medical care to all populations in the face of damaged or disabled healthcare infrastructure.

• Medical Surge - Deliver timely and efficient care to patients even when the demand for healthcare services exceed available supplies.

The Coalition meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month, with the exception of two blackout months per year. 

Countywide Hazmat Operations Group (CHOG) members following an exercise. 

Countywide Hazmat Operations Group

Since its inception in 2005, the Countywide Hazmat Operations Group (CHOG) fosters strong partnerships among agencies with responsibilities involving hazardous materials (hazmat) incidents. These multi-disciplinary relationships demonstrate collaboration that results in an enhanced capability to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and/or explosive device threats. 

CHOG consists of hazmat teams from EMD, CALFIRE/Riverside County Fire Department, Riverside County Sheriff's Hazardous Device Team, County of Riverside Department of Environmental Health, Riverside University Health System - Public Health, as well as the cities of Corona, Hemet and Riverside.

Goals of CHOG include:

• Standardize equipment
• Develop joint response procedures
• Enhance training opportunities
• Share resources
• Test joint response capabilities

These goals are accomplished through committee meetings, training sessions and exercises. Funding is provided through the State Homeland Security Grant Program, administered by EMD.