Cal OES

What Cal OES does

Cal OES, formally the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, is the State of California's centralized emergency management agency, coordinating preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation across all 58 counties. The agency operates through regional divisions, the State Operations Center, and a mutual aid network, with a headquarters at 601 Sequoia Pacific Blvd in Sacramento, a Southern Region office covering Los Angeles, Orange, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Imperial, Inyo, Mono, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties, and the CA 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Branch. It is staffed by roughly 2,000 employees and is led by Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs under Governor Gavin Newsom.

Its core technology stack pairs the Earthquake Warning California system (a statewide ground-motion sensor network targeting 1,115 stations, with over 95% installed as of October 2025, integrated with the MyShake smartphone app, Wireless Emergency Alerts, and Google/Android's alerting pipeline) with operational platforms including Cal EOC360, NG SCOUT, and a Resource Request System for incident management. Supporting programs include Next Generation 9-1-1 transition, the California Specialized Training Institute, and the Listos California community preparedness program. The agency runs on a Salesforce-based Cal OES Engage Portal for employee engagement and grants management.

Cal OES is funded by California state appropriations and federal grants; it does not sell to traditional commercial customers. It directly administers approximately $2.1 billion in grant dollars across homeland security, emergency management, victim services, and hazard mitigation, distributing these to counties, cities, tribal governments, and nonprofits. Specific customer segments include California residents (for alerts), the state's 58 county and city emergency management offices, federally recognized tribal governments, critical infrastructure operators integrating EEW into automated protective actions, victim services organizations, and socially vulnerable / high-hazard communities targeted by the Prepare California Match and JumpStart programs. As a government agency, Cal OES is the buyer of technology services and talent rather than a seller; its "go-to-market" is the public-sector procurement, mutual aid activation, and interagency coordination model.

Name

Cal OES

Legal name

California Governor's Office of Emergency Services

Website

https://caloes.ca.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Cal OES is California's centralized state emergency management agency, coordinating preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation across all 58 counties. It operates the nation's first statewide Earthquake Early Warning System, runs the CA 9-1-1 branch, and administers approximately $2.1 billion in grants to local, tribal, and nonprofit entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Management Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), National Security and International Affairs (928)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Response Coordination & Incident Command (EOC/ICS) (HLAJAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Public Safety & Emergency Management (Police, Fire, EMS Oversight) (BPAIABAG), Incident Command System (ICS) & Emergency Management Training/Exercises (Tabletop/Drills) (EUAHALAE), Emergency Preparedness & Response Funding (Public Health) (HLAJALAL)

Keywords

• Emergency management services
• Disaster response coordination
• Earthquake early warning
• Hazard mitigation grants
• Public safety communications

Headquarters

HQ city

Mather

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. State Budget Allocation: Cal OES operates as a California state government agency funded through the annual state budget appropriation process
2. Grants Administration: Cal OES administers approximately $2.1 billion in grant dollars across multiple programs including homeland security, emergency management, victim services, and hazard mitigation programs. The agency distributes federal and state funding to local governments, tribal entities, and nonprofits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cal OES coordinates statewide emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation across California's 58 counties, tribal governments, and partner organizations. The agency operates the nation's first statewide Earthquake Early Warning System, administers over $2.1 billion in grants through programs like Prepare California, runs Next Generation 9-1-1 infrastructure, and delivers emergency responder training through the California Specialized Training Institute.

Product overview

Cal OES is a government agency providing emergency management services through multiple interconnected platforms and programs. Core offerings include the Earthquake Early Warning California system (comprising MyShake app and WEA integration), Next Generation 9-1-1 emergency communications infrastructure, and Cal EOC360/NG SCOUT/Resource Request System for emergency operations coordination. Supporting programs include Prepare California hazard mitigation grants (JumpStart and Match programs), California Specialized Training Institute for responder education, and Listos California community preparedness. The agency administers approximately $2.1 billion in grant dollars across disaster response, recovery, and mitigation programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Earthquake Warning California: Statewide earthquake early warning system using MyShake app, Wireless Emergency Alerts, and ground motion sensors to alert Californians before shaking arrives
• Prepare California
• Listos California
• California Earthquake Early Warning Program (CEEWP)
• California Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee (CalSIEC)
• CA 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Branch

Products and services

• Earthquake Warning California

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,705 FIRIS Missions Flown
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UC Berkeley Seismological LaboratorycoreTechnology or Integration · 17 October 2019Key partner in the California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN) and Earthquake Early Warning System. UC Berkeley provides seismic data processing, maintains seismic stations, and contributes to system operations and research for earthquake early warning.
• United States Geological Survey (USGS)coreTechnology or IntegrationFederal partner providing seismic monitoring, data analysis, and the ShakeAlert system for earthquake early warning. USGS operates multiple seismic stations in California as part of the CISN.
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartner through Caltech Seismological Laboratory, contributing to the California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN) for earthquake monitoring and data collection.
• California Geological SurveycoreTechnology or IntegrationState agency partner in CISN responsible for geological hazard assessment and seismic monitoring. Contributes to earthquake early warning system operations.
• California State University (CSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChancellor of CSU system serves on EEW Advisory Board. CSU campuses serve as operational areas and research partners for emergency management programs.
• University of California (UC System)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresident of UC system serves on EEW Advisory Board. UC Berkeley and other UC campuses contribute seismic data and research to the earthquake early warning system.
• County Emergency Management AgenciescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner agencies including Sonoma County, Los Angeles County, Orange County and others for regional emergency management coordination and interoperability through CalSIEC.
• California State ParkscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for debris removal programs (Consolidated Debris Removal Program) and recovery operations following wildfires, as seen in Big Basin Redwoods State Park recovery.
• California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner in Consolidated Debris Removal Program for wildfire recovery, handling debris removal and recycling from fire-damaged properties.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFederal partner for disaster declarations, hazard mitigation grants (HMGP, BRIC, FMA), and emergency response coordination.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): The federal counterpart to Cal OES, administering national disaster declarations, hazard mitigation grants (HMGP, BRIC, FMA), and emergency management coordination. Cal OES works directly with FEMA as California's primary recipient and pass-through administrator for federal emergency funds, mirroring FEMA's coordination role at the state level.
• United States Geological Survey (USGS): The federal scientific agency that operates ShakeAlert, the underlying earthquake early warning system that Cal OES's MyShake app and WEA integration draws on. USGS is both a Core technology partner of Cal OES and a broader incumbent in seismic monitoring and hazard assessment.

Regional players

• Emergency Management British Columbia (EMBC): British Columbia's provincial emergency management agency, with a multi-hazard preparedness, response, and recovery mandate comparable to Cal OES. Operates in a different jurisdiction (Canada) but addresses overlapping hazards including earthquake, wildfire, and flood risk along the Pacific Coast.

Others

• Citizen Corps / Community Emergency Response Team (CERT): FEMA-administered community preparedness program that parallels Cal OES's Listos California initiative in delivering grassroots disaster readiness training. Operates nationally as a complement, not a competitor, to state-level preparedness programs.
• ShakeAlert (USGS Earthquake Early Warning): The USGS-operated West Coast earthquake early warning system that Cal OES integrates with for MyShake and Wireless Emergency Alerts. Functionally an enabling infrastructure provider on which Cal OES's EEW product depends, rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM): Oregon's state emergency management agency, coordinating earthquake, wildfire, and flood response and administering FEMA grants. Shares seismic monitoring partnerships with Cal OES through the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and CISN.
• New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES): New York's state-level emergency management and homeland security agency, with responsibilities for disaster preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation, and 9-1-1 coordination comparable to Cal OES. DHSES also administers federal grant passthroughs and operates a State Emergency Operations Center.
• Washington State Emergency Management Division: Washington's state emergency management agency, partnering with Cal OES through the Pacific Northwest seismic network and ShakeAlert. Comparable in coordinating multi-hazard response (earthquake, wildfire, flood) across counties and operating a state EOC.
• Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM): Florida's state-level emergency management agency coordinating across county emergency management offices for hurricane, flood, and wildfire response. FDEM administers FEMA pass-through grants, runs a State Emergency Operations Center, and operates a mutual aid system structurally analogous to Cal OES's.
• Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM): Texas's statewide emergency management agency, with a similar mandate covering disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation across Texas counties. Comparable to Cal OES in scale, statutory authority, and multi-hazard coordination responsibilities, including wildfire, flood, hurricane, and tornado response.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CalOES
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaliforniaOES
• Xx.com/Cal_OES

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cal OES