SACRAMENTO – The California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) announced Wednesday that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Wells Fargo, building on a continuing effort to boost emergency response capabilities and the availability of critical resources in times of disaster.

“Our private partners play a critical role in emergency response,” said Cal EMA Secretary Mark Ghillarducci. “Having organizations such as Wells Fargo who are willing and able to help provide emergency assistance and resources to affected communities in times of need is a benefit to all Californians. These partnerships increase our resources, help us better coordinate and deliver the services our residents will need during times of emergency, and they help our local communities get back on their feet.”

“Well Fargo and Enterprise Incident Management Team recognize the importance of public and private sector relationships with the state of California,” said Wells Fargo Regional Emergency Manager A.J. Balkiz. “Wells Fargo takes a proactive leadership approach and supports Cal EMA, which builds and fosters partnerships while sharing critical resources, expertise and best practices. The MOU reinforces Wells Fargo’s commitment to Cal EMA and to emergency preparedness and response. Shared efforts between the private and public sectors will ultimately help mitigate issues during a critical event and support affected residents through recovery efforts.”

The MOU makes Wells Fargo a partner in emergency response, enabling them to better monitor disaster events and effectively provide necessary resources as a component of the state’s Standardized Emergency Management System.  

Under the agreement, Wells Fargo will work with other business partners to ensure resources are most efficiently provided under the direction of Cal EMA.  

Wells Fargo also will have representation at the State Operations Center at Cal EMA Headquarters during emergency activations to allow for direct coordination with Cal EMA and other private business partners.

In an effort to enhance the role that the private sector plays in California’s ability to respond and recover from emergencies, Cal EMA has worked to incorporate the private sector into the state’s disaster response system. As part of these efforts, Cal EMA has actively pursued key partnerships with private industry.

To date, Cal EMA has signed MOUs with private sector partners such as Wells Fargo; Bank of America; Target Corp.; Home Depot; Time Warner Cable; Wal Mart Stores, Inc.; Gap, Inc.; California Grocer’s Association; California Utilities Emergency Association; and several others.