For the third consecutive year, the Nevada National Security Sites’ (NNSS) Strategic Operations and Response Support (SOARS) team hosted emergency management leaders spanning the region for the 2025 Emergency Management Partner Briefing.
The Aug. 27 event, held at the Atomic Museum and Desert Research Institute, featured representatives from the National Weather Service – Las Vegas, MGM Resorts International, The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, Palms Casino, Nellis Air Force Base, Federal Aviation Administration, Clark County Fire Department, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, University of Nevada-Las Vegas Police Department, City of North Las Vegas, City of Henderson, Southern Nevada Health Preparedness Coalition, Southern Nevada Health District, Nevada Office of Emergency Management, Nevada Governor’s Office, Nye County, Desert Research Institute, and the NNSS.
The networking forum coincided with August’s National Emergency Management Awareness Month, shining a light on the criticality of established agency partnerships and rapport.
Attendees received briefings about the NNSS’ mission, Operations Command Center, Emergency Operations Center, protective force, fire and rescue, exercise program, emergency planning and hazard analysis areas from NNSS division leaders. Desert Research Institute President Dr. Kumud Acharya presented the scientific capabilities plus local and global opportunities made available through Nevada’s non-profit research institute. Guests were then provided tours of the Desert Research Institute and Atomic Museum.
NNSS SOARS Manager Lucas Basham Murphy founded the event in 2023 to foster a network for shared training, organizational capabilities, exercise collaboration and resource planning. The NNSS hosted the inaugural briefing at the Site, followed by the NNSS Remote Sensing Laboratory – Nellis in 2024.
“When I launched this forum in 2023, the goal was simple: create a space where emergency management partners could share expertise and build stronger connections,” said Basham Murphy. “Three years in, I’ve seen it evolve into something much bigger. Each year, more agencies and organizations join us, and the conversations have grown deeper and more collaborative. What started as an introduction to capabilities has become a true network for shared training, exercise support and resource planning across the region. The strength of this forum is in the relationships we’ve built, and I think we’re only beginning to see what this network can accomplish together.”
