Emergency Response
Answer the call!
Watch CCC’s Emergency Response Playlist to see recent dispatches.
Gear UP
Each day, Corpsmembers gear up to make the world a better place. Check out what tools they use to make an impact and picture what life is like when dispatched to an emergency!
Respond to Emergencies
Wildfire Support
When wildfires hit, the California Conservation Corps mobilizes to provide assistance to our local, state, and federal partners.
Corpsmembers on CCC Wildland Firefighting crews, operated in partnership with CAL FIRE and the Bureau of Land Management, get dispatched to incidents where they may cut fire line, lay hose, and mop up wildland fires.
Corpsmembers working on natural resource crews (trails, habitat restoration, built environment, etc.) will likely be tasked with staffing a wildfire base camp. These camps are often located in the most rural places of California, with limited to no cellular service. Base camps may also be stood up at county fairgrounds or other publicly available facilities.
Corpsmembers assigned to staff base camps will work as a crew in a variety of roles and settings. On fire camps, there is typically always a crew supporting the refrigerated unit, supply unit, and kitchen unit. Tasks may vary from fire to fire and camp to camp, but the work is to help support fire operations and make life easier for firefighters working to slow and stop the fire’s spread.
Wildfires
Earthquake Response
In the wake of damaging earthquakes, Corpsmembers may be called upon to assist in the cleanup response and first responder support.
The CCC has long been involved in earthquake cleanup and recovery efforts since the 1983 Coalinga earthquake. We distribute food, water, and other supplies to residents; clean up debris; dismantle hazardous chimneys and walls. The CCC also assists with shelters managed by the Red Cross, and we staff disaster assistance centers.
The CCC began recovery work the very next day following the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Southern California. Corpsmembers devoted 170,000 hours to dismantling hundreds of hazardous chimneys.
With the help of a subsequent federal grant, the CCC hired nearly 200 young people from areas directly impacted by the quake.
Earthquakes happen without warning. CCC response capabilities can mobilize quickly and work with those agencies needing critical resources to help communities impacted.
Earthquakes
Flood Response
Corpsmembers are the state’s “boots on the ground” when the risk of flooding and damaging homes and property rises, the CCC responds.
All Corpsmembers are trained in flood fighting techniques, as outlined by the Department of Water Resources. Training includes techniques for properly filling and placing sandbags, protecting hillsides, and ensuring that crews are ready to respond when flooding occurs or severe winter storms are on the horizon.
Flood prevention and flood fighting may also include:
- Debris removal
- Levee reinforcement
- Boil containment
- Filling and stockpiling sandbags
- Sandbagging to protect buildings and structures
- Hillside stabilization
- Limited levee patrol
- Evacuation assistance
- Wave-wash protection
Corpsmembers have protected property and homes during nearly every major flood event in California since 1976.
Floods
Pest Infestation Response
Pest infestation responses, or agricultural responses, are coordinated with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).
The CCC regularly responds to pest infestations throughout California, assisting with eradication efforts.
Some pest infestations, such as the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), require CCC crews to work within residential communities- going door-to-door removing and disposing of infected fruit or performing very careful visual inspections of vegetation.
If an infestation is found, the CCC works closely with the CDFA which directs and guides crews. On several occasions, CCC crews constructed thousands of incubation containers used to trap and identify Medflies and stop their spread.
Other pest infestations that the CCC has responded to include:
- Mexican fruit fly
- Gypsy moth
- Light brown apple moth
- White fly
- Red imported fire ants
- Glassy-winged sharpshooter
- Yellow jacket
CCC crews also combat agricultural diseases. In 2003, Corpsmembers helped halt the spread of the deadly Exotic Newcastle Disease affecting all species of birds, including poultry, in Southern California. This labor intensive work required the location and removal of poultry and birds.
Pest Infestation
Environmental Contamination Response
In the wake of devastating wildfires, CCC crews respond to help protect communities and the environment from household toxins and other chemicals leeching into the local watersheds.
Corpsmembers may be tasked with installing straw wattles, silt socks, compost socks, sand bags, gravel bags, and other emergency protection measures. The goal is to reduce the risk that harmful contaminants may enter local creeks, rivers, and water supply systems. The EPMs filter toxins and chemicals before they enter drains or directly into waterways.
Historically, CCC crews have responded to numerous wildfire burn scars to install these measures, including:
- 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise
- 2020 LNU Lightning Complex in Lake Berryessa
- 2020 North Complex Fire in Berry Creek
- 2021 Caldor Fire in Grizzly Flats
- 2021 Dixie Fire in Greenville
- 2022 Mosquito Fire in Michigan Bluff
- 2024 Borel Fire in Havilah
- 2024 Park Fire in Chico and Cohasset
- 2025 Eaton and Palisades fire in Los Angeles County
Environmental Contamination
Other Emergency Response Activities
The CCC has responded to numerous human-made and natural disasters and emergencies in its 50-year history. Corpsmembers have also responded to the following types of emergencies:
- Hurricane Response: CCC crews have deployed multiple times to Florida, as well as the Tri-State area, to assist local communities in recovery from hurricane and storm damage. This includes mucking and gutting homes, hazard tree removal, and tarping of properties.
- 2017: CCC responded to hurricane events in Texas, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas.
- 2005: A CCC task force deployed to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina
- 2018: Crews completed hazard tree and debris removal following Hurricane Michael
- 2022: Crews helped clean up homes and businesses in New Jersey following Hurricane Ian
- Oil Spill Response: CCC crews have responded to multiple coastal oil spills in its history.
- 2015: CCC crews assisted at the Refugio Beach Oil Spill in Santa Barbara County where 142,800 gallons of crude oil impacted wildlife and coastline
- 2007: Corpsmembers were trained and responded to Angel Island in the Bay Area to help with cleanup efforts following the M/V Cosco Busan Oil Spill
- Snow Removal: Heavy snowfall can be catastrophic for buildings as the weight of snow overburdens supports. CCC crews have regularly assisted in the Eastern Sierra with these efforts.
- 2021: Placer Center assisted communities impacted by the River Fire with snow removal that led to record snow fall in the area, along with power outages and road closures
- 2019: Tahoe Center Corpsmembers deployed to Mammoth Lakes to remove feet of snow off the top of schools and other important facilities
- Pandemic Response: In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak CCC crews diverted from their regular natural resource projects to help community partners.
- 2020: Staffed food banks across California to supplant volunteer workforce unable to assist due to lockdowns
- 2021: Staffed vaccination distribution mega sites in Los Angeles and Oakland
- Recovery Work: Following the Los Angeles riots of 1992, CCC crews were deployed to help with recovery efforts.
Other Emergencies
Know Before You Go
Schedule
While dispatched to an emergency, Corpsmembers may work 16-hour days up to 21 days in a row.
Requirement
Corpsmembers must be willing to respond to emergencies and be dispatched for lengthy periods of time.
Lodging
Lodging varies based on the emergency assignment. Crews may sleep in tents, sleeper trailers, or hotels.
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Explore our locations
All CCC centers respond to emergencies across California and have the potential to respond to emergencies out-of-state.
Delta Center
Ask Us Anything
We know you have questions about emergency dispatched. Here are some of the common one’s we get. Have more questions? Give us a call!
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How often do Corpsmembers get sent out on emergency?
[add info]
How much notice do Corpsmembers receive before getting dispatched?
Emergencies are often unplanned events that require an urgent response. CCC Crews may receive as much as XXX week or as little as XXX days notice before getting dispatched.
Will I get paid for working overtime?
Yes, when working overtime on an emergency assignment, Corpsmembers receive excess pay. [add more info]
Does CCC offer childcare support when non-res centers get dispatched?
No, at this time CCC does not offer childcare support. Corpsmembers must make their own childcare arrangements when dispatched to emergencies.
REad Our NEws
CCC crews have been working with CDFA to help stop the spread of Med Fly in Alameda County.
In the wake of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires, 26 crews from the California Conservation Corps — plus six more from certified local corps across the state — came together to help the Los Angeles community.
Corpsmembers installed more than 6,000 linear feet of silt fencing to protect toxins from directly entering Pacific Ocean in Malibu.
In one of the CCC's largest deployments, more than 350 Corpsmembers from across California are stepping in to help Los Angeles County recover from wildfires.
More than 400 Corpsmembers are helping support fire response across California during Los Angeles County wildfires.
CCC Corpsmembers spent a month in Florida helping survivors of two major hurricanes.
Chico and Redding Corpsmembers were dispatched to help the Kern County community of Havilah protect its watershed after the devastating Borel Fire.
As peak fire season hits, CCC crews are putting in long hours to keep firefighting base camps functioning.
Norwalk Corpsmembers are assisting California Department of Food and Agriculture protect against a possible agriculture disaster.