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:

(a) Except as otherwise provided in NRS 232.3532, develop written plans for the mitigation of, preparation for, response to and recovery from emergencies and disasters. The plans developed by the Chief pursuant to this paragraph must include the information prescribed in NRS 414.041 to 414.044, inclusive.

(b) Conduct activities designed to:

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

(2) 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;

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

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

(5) 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. In addition to any other requirement concerning the program of emergency management in this State, the Chief shall:

(a) Maintain an inventory of any state or local services, equipment, supplies, personnel and other resources related to participation in the Nevada Intrastate Mutual Aid System established pursuant to NRS 414A.100;

(b) Coordinate the provision of resources and equipment within this State in response to requests for mutual aid pursuant to NRS 414.075 or chapter 414A of NRS;

(c) Coordinate with state agencies, local governments, Indian tribes or nations and special districts to use the personnel and equipment of those state agencies, local governments, Indian tribes or nations and special districts as agents of the State during a response to a request for mutual aid pursuant to NRS 414.075 or 414A.130; and

(d) Provide notice:

(1) On or before February 15 of each year to the governing body of each political subdivision of whether the political subdivision has complied with the requirements of NRS 239C.250;

(2) On or before February 15 of each year to the Chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada of whether each utility that is not a governmental utility and each provider of new electric resources has complied with the requirements of NRS 239C.270;

(3) On or before February 15 of each year to the Governor of whether each governmental utility described in subsection 1 of NRS 239C.050 and each provider of new electric resources has complied with the requirements of NRS 239C.270;

(4) On or before February 15 of each year to the governing body of each governmental utility described in subsection 2 of NRS 239C.050 and each provider of new electric resources of whether each such governmental utility has complied with the requirements of NRS 239C.270;

(5) On or before August 15 of each year to the Superintendent of Public Instruction of whether each board of trustees of a school district, governing body of a charter school or governing body of a private school has complied with the requirements of NRS 388.243 or 394.1687, as applicable; and

(6) On or before November 15 of each year to the Chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board of whether each resort hotel has complied with the requirements of NRS 463.790.

6. The Division shall:

(a) Perform the duties required pursuant to chapter 415A of NRS;

(b) Perform the duties required pursuant to NRS 353.2753 at the request of a state agency or local government;

(c) Adopt regulations setting forth the manner in which federal funds received by the Division to finance projects related to emergency management and homeland security are allocated, except with respect to any funds committed by specific statute to the regulatory authority of another person or agency, including, without limitation, funds accepted by the State Emergency Response Commission pursuant to NRS 459.740; and

(d) Submit a written report to the Nevada Commission on Homeland Security within 60 days of making a grant of money to a state agency, political subdivision or tribal government to pay for a project or program relating to the prevention of, detection of, mitigation of, preparedness for, response to and recovery from acts of terrorism that includes, without limitation:

(1) The total amount of money that the state agency, political subdivision or tribal government has been approved to receive for the project or program;

(2) A description of the project or program; and

(3) An explanation of how the money may be used by the state agency, political subdivision or tribal government.

7. The Division shall develop a written guide for the preparation and maintenance of an emergency response plan to assist a person or governmental entity that is required to file a plan pursuant to NRS 239C.250, 239C.270, 388.243, 394.1687 or 463.790. The Division shall review the guide on an annual basis and revise the guide if necessary. On or before January 15 of each year, the Division shall provide the guide to:

(a) Each political subdivision required to adopt a response plan pursuant to NRS 239C.250;

(b) Each utility and each provider of new electric resources required to prepare and maintain an emergency response plan pursuant to NRS 239C.270;

(c) Each development committee required to develop a plan to be used in responding to a crisis, emergency or suicide by:

(1) A public school or charter school pursuant to NRS 388.243; or

(2) A private school pursuant to NRS 394.1687; and

(d) Each resort hotel required to adopt an emergency response plan pursuant to NRS 463.790.

[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; 2015, 291; 2019, 589, 600, 2469)