ADMINISTRATIVE SECTION
This section manages administrative, fiscal and grants staff, budgets, fiscal accounting, personnel, payroll, travel and all other functions that support all facets of our agency.
Grants Management
The State of Nevada, Division of Emergency Management is responsible for applying for federal funding through the Department of Homeland Security. DEM is the State Administrative Agency for the distribution of these funds. This section manges grant funds for pre and post emergency or disaster related projects. These funds support critical recovery initiatives, innovative research and many other programs. These funds provide funding for equipment, planning, training, exercise, and management and administrative funding to emergency prevention, preparedness and response personnel in Nevada. These grants also provide funding to local governments for our critical infrastructure. This is defined as food and water systems, agriculture, health systems and emergency services, information and telecommunications, banking and finance, energy (electrical, gas and oil, dams), transportation (air, road, railways).
MISSION SUPPORT SECTION
This section is responsible for managing emergency management programs that provide for mission support, interoperable communications and response capabilities; ensure assistance is provided to local governments and other state agencies in sustaining emergency management capabilities. The positions within this section manages resources that must satisfy the emergency preparedness mandates and initiatives associated with federal grant programs as well as operational functions of the State Emergency Operations Center.
Public Alerts and Warnings
Emergency public information and warning gives a government agency the ability to develop, coordinate, and disseminate information, alerts, warnings, and notifications to the public and incident management responders. Effective communication is a key component to properly managing and responding to incidents of all sizes. Communication includes providing the public with information through verbal, written, or symbolic means.The goal of emergency public information is simple: to protect public health and safety.
Public Information and Communication
The public information and communication
is essential and contributes to fulfilling the Division of Emergency Management’s
(DEM) mission and meeting strategic objectives and program goals. This is
accomplished by organizing and implementing public information activities in
order to provide the partnering agencies, public, and media with timely and
accurate information during an incident and in matters of public interest.
One of the priorities for Public
Information Officers (PIO), often referred to as Crisis Communicators is to
educate and prepare residents through relevant, prompt, and authoritative
emergency information. Internally communication systems and networks are
essential for protecting lives and property in the event of any kind of
significant disaster or emergency. The media and the public seek information
and guidance during times of natural and manmade disasters and emergencies;
therefore, the PIO has an inherent obligation to protect its citizens by
disseminating this information.
Due to the
importance of disseminating information quickly and accurately in times of
crisis, DEM has several operational documents outlining policies, procedures
and protocol. Dependent on the size of the incident and the division’s
activation level, the PIO determines the execution of the appropriate action
plan to include the Joint Information Center (JIC).
PIOs obtain
information from various sources, compile the pertinent details in a concise
manner and disseminate the specifics to pertinent parties internally and
externally. Information is provided on warnings, alerts, shelter, evacuation
orders, and the general progress of events. All facts must be reported as
accurately as possible and in a timely manner as the incident
unfolds.
Communication may occur through
a number of avenues, including press conferences, phone calls, email, media
outlets, and through social media platforms. Further, PIOs are often involved in developing public outreach
materials, such as handbooks and flyers, web site development and media
materials, such as press releases/advisories.
Emergency Communications Center
Emergency service is one of the basic priorities of the Amateur Radio Service. ARES is activated before, during and after an emergency. Generally, ARES handles all emergency messages, including those between government emergency management officials. RACES, almost never starts before an emergency and is active only during the emergency and during the immediate aftermath if government emergency management offices need communications support. RACES is normally shut down shortly after the emergency has cleared.
SEOC Technology
WebEOC is a secure, Internet-based emergency information management application that provides real-time information sharing of operational details from various government and public safety groups in response to an imminent threat, emergency or disaster.
WebEOC is maintained by DEM as a means to track and analyze disaster information for better decision making before,
during and after incidents. WebEOC is provided to County EMAs to assist with disaster
coordination at the local level and to provide incident information to the State level for better
communication and coordination of activity.
PREPAREDNESS SECTION
This section provides the support, tools and resources to ensure that the division can build, sustain, and improve capabilities to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Operations
Operations is responsible for the management of all operations directly applicable to the primary mission. The Operations Section Chief activates and supervises organization elements in accordance with the Incident Action Plan and directs its execution.The most effective way to exercise direction and control under emergency conditions is to provide a single site for key officials - an Emergency Operating Center (EOC) or field location. The EOC provides a central location for authority and the dissemination of official information, and allows for face-to-face coordination among personnel who must direct local support operations. The State of Nevada response functions are conducted in the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC). In the SEOC, representatives from various agencies coordinate response activities such as public alert and warnings, mobilization of response personnel and the coordination and application of resources. Direction and control of resources are coordinated by the DEM Chief and the operations chief. The SEOC is activated by the operations chief when local capabilities are overwhelmed or when there is an operational need for the resource.
Planning
The Planning section is part of the overall DEM Preparedness Program, which includes
the DEM training and exercise programs.
The Planning section develops statewide and regional
all-hazards plans to support local and tribal jurisdiction emergency and
disaster response, including the State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan
(SCEMP) and the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) Operating
Guides. The DEM planning section also provides “Whole Community”
planning expertise to city, county, tribal and state agency emergency
management programs that are required to develop all hazards emergency
operations plans.
DEM Planners provide technical assistance in the
development of jurisdiction and agency Continuity of Operations (COOP)
plans. COOP plans are used to ensure businesses and local governments are
able to provide essential services and functions when the entity is directly
impacted by an emergency or disaster. The planning section accepts and
maintains emergency plans that are developed from resort casinos, public and
private schools and utilities in accordance with the Nevada Revised
Statutes. A critical function of the planning section is
support to the SEOC during activation due to a
state emergency. planning falls under the SEOC’s incident command
structure and maintains the state’s common operating picture, tracks resources,
determines statewide resource needs, and develops the state’s Incident Action
Plan for the event.
Logistics
The logistics section oversees the provision of all the incident's support needs, such as ordering resources and providing facilities, transportation, supplies, equipment. maintenance and fuel, communications and food and medical services for incident. The six equally important functions of the Logistics Section are Communications, Medical, Food, Supply, Facilities, and Ground Support. An incident couldn't be worked if any of these functions didn't exist.
Recovery and Mitigation
Hazard mitigation is the effort to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. It is most effective when implemented under a comprehensive, long-term mitigation plan. State, tribal, and local governments engage in hazard mitigation planning to identify risks and vulnerabilities associated with natural disasters, and develop long-term strategies for protecting people and property from future hazard events. Mitigation plans are key to breaking the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage.
Recovery activities are those necessary to restore services and systems to a state of normalcy. Recovery actions include damage assessment and those necessary to return health and safety systems (e.g., water) and services (e.g., acute health care) to minimum operating standards. Various recovery activities are likely to be long-term and may continue for many years.
State Public Assistance
The public assistance program provides supplemental Federal disaster grant assistance for the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain Private Non-Profit (PNP) organizations.
Exercise
This section
is committed to providing the Nevada emergency management community, emergency
response professionals, volunteers, and the private sector with the means to
produce quality exercises that improves the preparedness of the State of
Nevada, its citizens and resources. This is accomplished through the use of a
State-wide exercise program: the Nevada Exercise Program (NEP), which includes
standardized policies, processes, products, and assistance in all aspects of
exercises. The
NEP is an all hazard, multi-discipline, multi-jurisdictional program that
utilizes a progressive approach with
exercises focused on capabilities
prioritized in the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA)
and the State Preparedness Report (SPR) processes.
Exercises validate capabilities of individuals, teams, organizations and
communities to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond, and recover from the
effects of all emergency/disaster events. In order to successfully accomplish
the validation of capabilities exercises need to have consistent processes for
development, conduct, and evaluation. The Homeland Security Exercise and
Evaluation Program (HSEEP) provides this consistency. All exercises conducted
in Nevada, utilizing Federal grant funds, are required to adopt the principles
and guidance provided in HSEEP.
Training
In
support of Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPD) 5, 8, and 11, DEM has a formal, documented training
program composed of training needs assessment, curriculum, course evaluations,
and records of training.
Emergency
personnel receive and maintain training consistent with their current and
potential responsibilities. Specialized training related to the threats
confronting the jurisdiction is included in the training program.
Training
is regularly scheduled and conducted in conjunction with the overall goals and
objectives of the training program. Training is based on the training needs
assessment, internal and external requirements and mandates (i.e NIMS) and
addresses deficiencies identified in the corrective action process.
DEM
utilizes courses developed from the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium
(NDPC) comprised of: FEMA’s National Emergency Training Center/Emergency
Management Institute (EMI), Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston,
Alabama, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMIMT), Louisiana
State University (LSU), Texas A&M University (TEEX), and the Department of
Energy's Nevada Test Site (NTS).
Search and Rescue
Search, and Rescue (SAR) in Nevada is handled at the local level
and is the responsibility of the County Sheriff's Office. The local SAR units
provide aid to people who may have become lost or are in distress or imminent
danger. The general field of search and rescue has most of its members who
volunteer their time and skills to their communities. Many SAR teams have
specialty units (such as Mounted SAR, Swift-water Rescue, Alpine Rescue, Drone
Teams, etc.) to provide specific rescue capabilities for their areas, usually
determined by the type of terrain in their response areas.
Nevada is a state in which residents and visitors from all over
the world come to and enjoy a wide variety of outdoor recreation. Activities
such as camping, hiking, swimming, watersports, and skiing are just a few of
the activities Nevada is known for. However, these activities may result in the
need to find people who become lost, stuck in the wilderness, or injured. The
primary focus of SAR teams is life safety.
DEM helps promote and assist with SAR activities when requested by
the local jurisdiction performing the search with the coordination of resources
and requesting assets from other local, state, and federal partners to assist
jurisdictions with their search activities.
HOMELAND SECURITY SECTION
In
2003 the Nevada Legislature created the Nevada Commission on Homeland Security
as a response to the terror attacks against the United States on September 11,
2001. As described in Chapter 239C of the Nevada Revised Statues (NRS 239C),
the Nevada Commission on Homeland Security is tasked with several
responsibilities directed toward making recommendations to the Governor, the
Legislature, local governments, private business, and citizens about actions
and measures that may be taken to protect the citizens and visitors to this
State from potential acts of terrorism and related emergencies.