2026 Regional Disaster Summits

Bridging the gap between preparedness and readiness

Most California communities already have an emergency preparedness plan on paper. What’s often missing is harder to see. Many organizations don’t know what resources their neighboring counties have, and few have practiced using those resources together.

Closing that gap is the specific job of Ready California, a statewide preparedness initiative of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). You can see that work in action, as eight Regional Disaster Ready Summits take place across the state bringing regional leaders together across the state, starting in Eureka on September 2.

Building the connections a plan alone cannot

Since 2019, Ready California has worked with a statewide network of more than 355 grantees to reach over 18 million Californians with emergency preparedness information. That includes making 9 million pieces of communication available in multiple languages — from toolkits to flyers to neighborhood block party kits. The same network has trained more than 3,000 community and emergency response leaders. Additionally, 4,674 community messengers have been briefed directly since 2022, so accurate information travels through voices people already trust.

Most of that work closes gaps inside a single community. The Regional Disaster Ready Summits close a different need — the gap between counties. Neighboring areas can be well prepared on their own and still be strangers to each other’s resources when a disaster crosses local lines. The Summits are where that connection gets made.

Prepared vs. ready: what each one actually means

Prepared means a county already has an emergency preparedness plan in place. This can be anything from a written protocol to a stocked warehouse of supplies to a signed mutual aid agreement with the counties around it.

Ready means the people responsible for that plan know each other, know what resources the county next door has, and have already practiced reaching each other under real conditions.

That means a county can be fully prepared and still not be ready if nobody outside that community knows what resources it has. Closing that gap before a disaster ever tests it is what the Regional Disaster Ready Summits are designed to do.

Inside a Regional Disaster Ready Summit

Each Summit is free for local government staff, community-based organizations, emergency response teams, tribes, and volunteers. For a full day, community leaders gather to discuss each other’s resources and learn how they can be ready together.

The day includes a panel on leading through crisis, along with sessions focused on disaster ready responses and turning insight into action. By the end of the agenda, everyone in the room should know how to reach each other when it matters most.

A critical part of readiness is active communication and continued commitment. That’s why Ready California holds these Summits regularly, reinforcing those connections year after year.

How is California putting its disaster-readiness plans into practice?

Ready California, anchored at Cal OES, has reached over 18 million Californians since2019 through a network of more than 355 grantees. The Regional Disaster Ready Summits are the newest part of that work, giving community leaders a place to share resources directly.

Is my county already doing this work?

Many California counties have strong individual preparedness plans. The Summits exist because being prepared within one county is not the same as being ready across county lines.

What can I personally do to help my community get ready for a disaster? Sign up for free local emergency alerts.

Find your county’s preparedness resources at Ready.CA.gov.

Get to know your neighbors and discuss a plan with them in case of emergencies. These are free, quick, and easy steps you can take right away.

When are the 2026 Regional Disaster Ready Summits happening?

The Summits run from September 2 through October 13, across eight regions in California. Attendance is free for local government staff, community-based organizations, emergency response teams, and volunteers.

The 2026 Summits are below:

Eureka, Wednesday, September 2

Lemoore, Tuesday, September 15

Santa Maria (Programa en Español), Thursday, September 17

Long Beach, Tuesday, September 22

Ontario, Wednesday, September 23

San Diego, Wednesday, September 30

San Ramon, Wednesday, October 7

Sacramento, Tuesday, October 13