VANCOUVER - Officials with the B.C. government, Ottawa and the Olympic security force say they had to scale back their last emergency preparedness exercise because of budget constraints.

And a strike within the provincial ambulance service also meant that paramedics did not take part in the last and largest of three multi-agency security exercises, Exercise Gold earlier this month.

But emergency officials say they're still ready for next February's Winter Games.

Representatives from the provincial and federal governments and the RCMP-led Integrated Security Unit told an emergency preparedness conference in Vancouver that they've worked out many of the issues that arose.

They've made sure their communications systems are compatible, that everyone is using the same language, and that every organization knows how they fit into the larger picture.

Heather Lyle of the B.C. Public Safety Ministry says the exercises were a success and the agencies are prepared for a potential emergency during the Olympics.