Public Meeting Descriptions for NDEM Boards, Committees and Working Groups

Nevada Commission on Homeland Security (NCHS)

Authority & Purpose:

  • Governor - Led Committee
  • Established by the Nevada Legislature in 2003 (Nevada Revised Statutes 239C) as a direct response to the events of September 11, 2001.
  • Tasked with advising the Governor, Legislature, local governments, private businesses, and citizens on measures that protect Nevadans and visitors from terrorism and related emergencies.
  • NDEM takes prompt and strategic action on all items as directed by the Governor, ensuring alignment with statewide priorities and objectives.
Key Responsibilities:
  • Recommendations on Protection: Advise government entities, businesses, and the public on how to safeguard against acts of terrorism.
  • Grant Funding: Collaborates on entities' security-driven proposal submissions and allocates homeland security grant funds based on voting protocol, channeled through NDEM.
  • Program Development: Propose goals, programs, and initiatives to counteract acts of terrorism.
  • Infrastructure Protection: Identifies and addresses vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.
  • Program Analysis: Examines the deployment and funding usage of response agencies statewide on initiatives.
  • Communications Interoperability: Review state communications systems, encourage interoperability protocols, develop a state plan for compatibility, and advise the Governor on improvements, on statewide communication systems for public safety and recommends enhancements.
  • Government Coordination: Coordinate across government agencies to prevent duplication of efforts.
  • Annual Preparedness Assessment: Submit an annual briefing to the Governor on the State’s preparedness, including evaluations of utilities, public entities, and private entities.
  • NRS Requirement: Compile quarterly reports on preparedness training across state, local, and tribal emergency management agencies. Reports include details on training criteria and credentialing standards established by FEMA, ensuring compliance and readiness at all levels.

Through these actions, the Commission is committed to maintaining the safety of Nevada’s residents and visitors by reducing the potential impact of terrorism and other large-scale threats.

Nevada Resilience Advisory Committee (NRAC)

Authority & Purpose:

  • Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) Mandated
  • Established under NRS 239C (Senate Bill 35, 80th Session, 2019).
  • Originated from Executive Order 2018‐4, “Implementation of Nevada’s Statewide Resilience Strategy.”
  • Charged with streamlining emergency management and homeland security governance, ensuring statewide collaboration on grant allocation and management, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Key Responsibilities:
  • Advisory Capacity: Provides recommendations to the Administrator of NDEM as the State Administrative Agent’s authority.
  • Consolidation of Functions: Consolidates functions of various advisory bodies and serves as the State Senior Advisory Council.
  • Grant Coordination: Ensures balanced, strategic allocation of grant funds to address statewide needs.

The NRAC supports a unified approach to emergency management, strengthening Nevada’s resilience against all hazards.

Nevada Tribal Emergency Coordinating Council (NTECC)

 Authority & Purpose:

  • Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) Mandated 
  • Authorized under Chapter 414 of the Nevada Revised Statutes.
  • Jointly appointed by the 28 federally recognized Tribal nations in Nevada and NDEM.
  • Composed of one voting representative per federally recognized Tribe (appointed via a letter of designation from the Tribal Chairperson to the Administrator of NDEM).
  • Serves as an advisory body on policy and programmatic functions related to tribal emergency management.
Key Responsibilities:
  • Advisory Role: Offers policy and program recommendations regarding tribal emergency management.
  • Funding Oversight: Provides input on the distribution of available federal / state funding sources.
  • Tribal Emergency Response: Encourages formation of Tribal Emergency Response Commissions (TERC), Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC), and Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).
  • Capacity Building: Promotes knowledge, skills, and education in emergency preparedness within tribal communities.
  • Plan Development and Compliance: Assists Tribes with emergency operations plans, hazard mitigation plans, vulnerability assessments, training, and drills.
  • Coordination and Sovereignty: Ensures Tribal engagement in statewide emergency management commissions while maintaining tribal sovereignty.
  • Interoperability and Mutual Aid: Promotes statewide tribal compliance with the National Incident Management System, encourages interoperable communications and participation in the Nevada Intrastate Mutual Aid System, and coordinates mutual aid agreements.
Through NTECC, Nevada’s Tribes actively collaborate with state and local authorities to strengthen emergency management efforts across tribal lands.

State Disaster Identification Coordination Committee (SDICC)

Authority & Purpose:

  • Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) Mandated
  • Established to fulfill requirements under NRS 629.043 and NRS 414.285 regarding disaster victim identification processes and procedures.
Key Responsibilities:
  • Healthcare Notifications: Informs healthcare providers of their legal obligations in disaster victim identification.
  • Plan Development: Creates a confidential plan for performing duties under NRS 414.285 during an emergency.
  • Annual Reporting: Submits an annual report to the NDEM Administrator, the Governor, and the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, summarizing the committee’s activities and any policies or procedures adopted in the previous calendar year.
This committee’s work ensures that in a disaster, protocols for identifying and managing fatalities are clearly outlined and effectively implemented.

Nevada Intrastate Mutual Aid Committee (IMAC)

Authority & Purpose:

  • Nevada Revised Statutes Mandated
  • Established under Assembly Bill 90 (78th Nevada Legislature) and signed into law on May 14, 2015.
  • Advises the NDEM Administrator on emergency management issues related to intrastate mutual aid.
Key Responsibilities:
  • Guideline Development: Establishes procedures for requesting and responding to mutual aid requests.
  • Recordkeeping & Reimbursement: Oversees recordkeeping during emergencies or disasters and ensures proper cost reimbursement.
  • Statewide Coordination: Facilitates a consistent, effective approach to emergency resource sharing among jurisdictions.
  • Funding Management: Establishes processes for reimbursement to entities that provide assistance.

By facilitating comprehensive mutual aid guidelines, this committee ensures a cohesive, statewide approach to managing emergencies and disasters.

State Search and Rescue Board (SAR)

Authority & Purpose:

  • Established under NRS 414.170 in 1983.
  • Oversees statewide coordination and standards for search and rescue (SAR) operations, which are managed at the county level under the direction of the local Sheriff’s Office.
  • Representatives from the Nevada Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, Nevada National Guard, Health Division, Division of Forestry, law enforcement agencies, Nevada Fire Chiefs Association, and four members from the Nevada Sheriffs and Chiefs Association. 

 Key Responsibilities:

  • Policy & Standards: Establishes and approves standards for personnel and certifies training courses.
  • Meetings: Convenes quarterly to address SAR challenges, training and exercise activities, and policy development.
  • Training Committee Management: Appoints members to develop specialized SAR team guidelines and certify qualified organizations.
  • Program Oversight: Reviews and provides recommendations for operational improvements. Oversees the training committee, which certifies SAR organizations at appropriate levels.

 This Board supports a coordinated search and rescue operation statewide, ensuring readiness and consistent standards across Nevada’s diverse terrain.

Nevada Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG)

Authority & Purpose:

  • NDEM Administrator Developed Committee
  • Established under NRS 414.040, granting the NDEM Administrator the authority to manage programs for emergency management.
  • Coordinates with the Department of Energy and local law enforcement to address low-level and radiological waste transportation preparedness measures related to the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS).

Key Responsibilities:

  • Grant Administration Coordination: Standardizes grant application processes, reporting requirements and ensures consistent reporting.
  • Resource Initiatives: Enhance communication systems, training, and equipment standardization across Clark, Elko, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine counties.
  • Funding Distribution: Provide concurrence on NNSS grant funding allocations.
  • Disaster Resilience: Encourages strategies that help build disaster-resistant communities statewide.
  • Funding Distribution: Recommends distribution of NNSS grant funding in partnership with NDEM.

By fostering collaboration among Nevada’s counties, the EPWG advances preparedness for hazardous material incidents and bolsters overall emergency readiness.

Nevada Hazard Mitigation Working Group (NHMWG)

Authority & Purpose:

  • NDEM Administrator Developed Committee
  • Established under NRS Chapter 414, authorizing the NDEM Administrator to manage State hazard management programs.
  • Focuses on hazard mitigation assistance, including planning, projects, and policy development aligned with the State Hazard Mitigation Plan under the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. 
Key Responsibilities: 
  • Project Proposal Review: Evaluates proposals for Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) and prioritizes funding recommendations.   
  • Risk Assessment: Integrates hazard vulnerability assessments into plan development and project selection to build more disaster-resistant communities.  
  • Plan Implementation: Encourages and advises local and regional governments and private sector entities to develop hazard mitigation plans. 
  • Grant Funding Recommendations: Review HMA proposals, prioritize funding, and assist NDEM in preparing proposals to FEMA. 
  • Disaster-Resistant Communities: Promote strategies that reduce risk and enhance resilience across Nevada’s communities.   
Through the NHMWG, Nevada ensures that mitigation efforts are strategically planned and funded to protect life, property, and critical infrastructure from natural and human-caused hazards.

Conclusion

 The committees outlined in this report collectively form an integrated governance structure dedicated to the safety, security, and resilience of Nevada’s residents and visitors. By advising on policy, coordinating resources, and ensuring communication among local, tribal, state, and federal entities, these committees enhance Nevada’s capacity to address diverse threats, from natural disasters to acts of terrorism.

Through initiatives such as terrorism preparedness under the Nevada Commission on Homeland Security, intrastate mutual aid coordination, and search and rescue operations, each committee plays a vital role in Nevada’s comprehensive approach to emergency management.

By unifying efforts across all levels of government, the Nevada Division of Emergency Management and its committees continue to safeguard Nevada’s communities, visitors, and critical infrastructure, while building a more resilient state capable of preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies and disasters.