A. There is created a policy advisory committee, to be known as the "state search and rescue review board", whose duty it is to evaluate the operation of the New Mexico search and rescue plan; evaluate problems of specific missions; and make findings of fact and recommendations to the chief, director and other appropriate authorities. The board shall consist of the state search and rescue resource officer, who shall be a nonvoting member, and seven members appointed by the governor as follows:

(1) the secretary of public safety or his designee;

(2) the secretary of health or his designee;

(3) a representative of the civil air patrol division of the department of military affairs;

(4) a representative of the New Mexico emergency services council;

(5) a member certified as a search and rescue person;

(6) a member of the New Mexico sheriff's association;

(7) the chief of the New Mexico state police division of the department of public safety or his designee; and

(8) a member of the general public who shall act as chairman of the board and who shall vote only in case of a tie.

B. The board shall have the duty and responsibility to:

(1) meet at least quarterly or more frequently at the call of the chairman;

(2) evaluate the operation and effectiveness of the state SAR plan and make recommendations to the director;

(3) evaluate the operational effectiveness of specific missions, make findings of fact and recommendations to the chief and other appropriate authorities for the elimination of problems and the improvement of overall conduct of the mission;

(4) hold hearings and invite individuals to appear and testify before the board and reimburse such witnesses for travel expenses incurred;

(5) prepare a report for the attorney general's office in cases of victim hospitalization or death; and

(6) with the approval of the chief, certify field coordinators and confirm certification of SAR persons.

C. The governor shall appoint the seven appointed members for staggered terms of three years each made in such a manner that the terms of not more than three members expire on January 1 of 1979, 1980 and 1981. Thereafter, appointments shall be made so that the terms of not more than three members expire on January 1 of each year. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the governor for the unexpired term. Any member of the board who misses more than two consecutive meetings shall automatically be removed as a member of the board.

History: 1978 Comp., § 24-15A-6, enacted by Laws 1978, ch. 107, § 6; 1979, ch. 202, § 11; 1983, ch. 296, § 28; 1989, ch. 204, § 19; 1993, ch. 15, § 1.

Cross references. — For the public safety department, see Chapter 9, Article 19 NMSA 1978.

For the civil air patrol division, see Chapter 20, Article 7 NMSA 1978.

The 1993 amendment, effective June 18, 1993, in Subsection A, deleted "and environment" following "health" in Paragraph (2) and inserted "or his designee" in Paragraph (7).