More than four dozen members representing Southern Nevada emergency management organizations recently met for a special emergency preparedness and response practice collaboration at the Nevada National Security Sites’ (NNSS) Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The goal? To foster further understanding of the mission, capabilities, personnel, resources, and interactions between local emergency management community partners.
The September 18 event included attendees from the U.S. Air Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation Las Vegas Field Office, City of Henderson, City of North Las Vegas, City of Las Vegas, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Clark County, Nye County, Boyd Gaming, The Venetian Las Vegas, Southern Nevada Health District, Mercy Air, Red Cross, and the NNSS.
This is the second annual event organized by NNSS Strategic Operations and Response Support (SOARS) as part of a focused effort to network with emergency management professionals across Southern Nevada. Last year’s inaugural partner event focused on an overview of mission capabilities and infrastructure at the Site. Both opportunities further the NNSS’ alignment with the Private-Public Partnership initiative and reinforces that collaborative, cooperative measures between government and private-sector organizations are key to disaster risk reduction as part of FEMA’s National Response Framework.
“In the event of an emergency, having these relationships and pre-established resources is absolutely critical,” said SOARS Manager Basham Murphy. “When seconds matter, knowing who to call and having those lines of communication already open can make all the difference. Collaboration across agencies ensures a faster, more coordinated, and effective response.”
This year’s event featured briefings from the NNSS Operations Command Center, Fire & Rescue, Protective Force, Performance Assurance, RSL, and Emergency Communication Network (ECN) teams for best practice sharing and discussion. Attendees also received a first-hand look at the National Nuclear Security Administration’s new AgustaWestland 139 Aerial Measuring System helicopter, which are used for aerial radiological detection and will operate out of RSL-Nellis.
“It was an honor and a privilege to get to see the RSL and to learn from your team,” said Mercy Air 21 Lead Pilot Riley Ballard. “The opportunity to learn about the remote sensing, emergency response, and ECN work being done there was valuable and informative.”
Community partnerships are vital to NNSS emergency planning and real-world events, most recently demonstrated through the coordinated August response to the wildland Ribbon Fire at the Site.
“Southern Nevada’s emergency management network is incredibly strong due to the diverse expertise and dedication of its members,” added Basham Murphy. “We benefit from the commitment of both public and private sector partners, and that diversity allows us to adapt to a wide range of emergency situations. Our network’s ability to come together, share resources, and act quickly is one of its greatest strengths.”
