19-13-103. Legislative determination; coordination with federal government and other states.

(a) Because of the possibility of the occurrence of disasters of unprecedented size and destructiveness resulting from enemy attack, sabotage, terrorism, civil disorder or other hostile action, or from fire, flood, earthquake, other natural causes and other technological disasters, and to insure that preparations of Wyoming will be adequate to deal with such disasters, and generally to provide for the common defense and to protect the public peace, health and safety, and to preserve the lives and property of the people of Wyoming, it is hereby found and declared to be necessary:

(i) To create a Wyoming office of homeland security within the governor's office, and to authorize the creation of local homeland security programs in the political subdivisions of the state;

(ii) To confer upon the governor and upon the executive heads or governing bodies of the political subdivisions of the state the emergency powers provided herein, and to provide for state assistance in the organization and maintenance of the homeland security programs of such political subdivisions;

(iii) To provide for the assignment of specific responsibilities to all state agencies to be performed during a disaster or national emergency and for the coordination and direction of the emergency actions of such agencies; and

(iv) To provide for the rendering of mutual aid among the political subdivisions of the state and with other states with respect to the carrying out of homeland security functions.

(b) It is further declared to be the purpose of this act and the policy of Wyoming that all homeland security functions of this state be coordinated to the maximum extent with the comparable functions of its political subdivisions, of the federal government including its various departments and agencies, of other states and localities, and of private agencies of every type, to the end that the most effective preparation and use may be made of the manpower, resources and facilities for dealing with any disaster that may occur.