NRS414.040. Division of Emergency Management: Creation; Chief; powers and duties.

      1.  A Division of Emergency Management is hereby created within the Department of Public Safety. The Chief of the Division is appointed by and holds office at the pleasure of the Director of the Department of Public Safety. The Division is the State Agency for Emergency Management and the State Agency for Civil Defense for the purposes of the Compact ratified by the Legislature pursuant to NRS 415.010. The Chief is the State’s Director of Emergency Management and the State’s Director of Civil Defense for the purposes of that Compact.

      2.  The Chief may employ technical, clerical, stenographic and other personnel as may be required, and may make such expenditures therefor and for other expenses of his or her office within the appropriation therefor, or from other money made available to him or her for purposes of emergency management, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

      3.  The Chief, subject to the direction and control of the Director, shall carry out the program for emergency management in this state. The Chief shall coordinate the activities of all organizations for emergency management within the State, maintain liaison with and cooperate with agencies and organizations of other states and of the Federal Government for emergency management and carry out such additional duties as may be prescribed by the Director.

      4.  The Chief shall assist in the development of comprehensive, coordinated plans for emergency management by adopting an integrated process, using the partnership of governmental entities, business and industry, volunteer organizations and other interested persons, for the mitigation of, preparation for, response to and recovery from emergencies or disasters. In adopting this process, the Chief shall conduct activities designed to:

      (a) Eliminate or reduce the probability that an emergency will occur or to reduce the effects of unavoidable disasters;

      (b) Prepare state and local governmental agencies, private organizations and other persons to be capable of responding appropriately if an emergency or disaster occurs by fostering the adoption of plans for emergency operations, conducting exercises to test those plans, training necessary personnel and acquiring necessary resources;

      (c) Test periodically plans for emergency operations to ensure that the activities of state and local governmental agencies, private organizations and other persons are coordinated;

      (d) Provide assistance to victims, prevent further injury or damage to persons or property and increase the effectiveness of recovery operations; and

      (e) Restore the operation of vital community life-support systems and return persons and property affected by an emergency or disaster to a condition that is comparable to or better than what existed before the emergency or disaster occurred.

      5.  The Division shall perform the duties required pursuant to chapter 415A of NRS.

      6.  The Division shall perform the duties required pursuant to NRS 353.2753 at the request of a state agency or local government.

      [4:293:1953]—(NRS A 1959, 787; 1961, 657; 1963, 1332; 1965, 341, 704; 1967, 1497; 1971, 1436; 1981, 673, 1280, 1286; 1983, 168; 1993, 825, 1614; 1995, 579; 1999, 44, 1243, 3120; 2001, 225, 2606; 2011, 947)