1. Any public officer or employee of the State or any agency thereof, or of a political subdivision or an agency of a political subdivision, who is an emergency communications technician must be relieved from the officer’s or employee’s duties, upon the request of the Division of Emergency Management of the Department of Public Safety or a local organization for emergency management and the approval of the employer of the officer or employee, to assist the division or local organization for emergency management during a disaster or emergency that occurs in this state, California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah or Arizona, without loss of the officer’s or employee’s regular compensation for a period of not more than 15 working days in any calendar year. No such absence may be a part of the annual vacation of the public officer or employee which is provided for by law.

2. As used in this section:

(a) “Disaster” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 414.0335.

(b) “Emergency” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 414.0345.

(c) “Emergency communications technician” means a person who is:

(1) Licensed by the Federal Communications Commission as an amateur radio operator; and

(2) A member of:

(I) The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service or a successor organization sponsored by the agency of the Federal Government for emergency management; or

(II) The Amateur Radio Emergency Service or a successor organization sponsored by the American Radio Relay League or its successor.

(d) “Local organization for emergency management” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 414.036.

(Added to NRS by 2001 Special Session, 63)