California Combines Emergency Response Agencies

California regularly deals with disasters like wildfires, earthquakes, floods and more. Now the government has passed a new law that will combine two California emergency response offices into one cabinet-level agency to deal with those disasters.

The Associated Press is reporting that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the merging of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Office of Homeland Security last weekend, saying it will improve the state’s ability to respond to emergencies and natural disasters.

Schwarzenegger says the new California Emergency Management Agency will be more streamlined and efficient, but legislative analysts say it isn’t likely to save much money immediately because administrative savings will be offset by merger costs.

“Here in California we know all too well the kind of destruction that natural disasters like floods, earthquakes and fires can cause,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement. He cited the more than 2,000 wildfires that scorched about 1.2 million acres this summer, some of which are still burning.