Coordination with the State Operations Center and the Los Alamitos Regional Center

A representative from the EMS Authority went to the State Operations Center to assist with planning and coordinating the medical response with the state's overall response. Contact was maintained by the representative with the EMSOC, LAEMSA, and the medical operations taking place at Los Alamitos Armed Forces Reserve Center. During SOC meetings, hints were provided that there might be major escalations of the riot. For example, at one time the statement was made that agitators might be whipping up crowds or that gangs might be organizing attacks. Critical intelligence such as this could have affected EMS priorities and planning, but it was not available. It appeared that the issue was security, that is, protecting information sources or keeping it out of the media. Thursday afternoon, OES requested EMSA -- through their SOC representative -- to determine how prescription drugs would be provided. This request was passed to LAEMSA. A request was made on Thursday by EMSA to the State Operations Center in Sacramento to consider giving top priority to providing National Guard protection to hospitals in the disaster area. Probably the biggest problem experienced during the entire response was making arrangements to have medical volunteers from Orange County sworn in as County Disaster Service Workers -prior to deployment to Daniel Freeman Medical Center. In addition they had to sign and take a loyalty oath. It took at least two additional hours for this problem to be resolved.

Medical Care for the Injured

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