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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Martinez
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
02/06/06
HB 661
SHORT TITLE
SAN JUAN & MCKINLEY EMERGENCY
SERVICES
SB
ANALYST Weber
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY06
FY07
$600.0
Recurring
General
(Parenthesis () Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates to SB 454, HB 245
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Indian Affairs Department (IAD)
Department of Public Safety (DPS)
SUMMARY
House Bill 661 appropriates $600 thousand from the general fund to the Indian Affairs
Department for the purpose of operating expenses and equipment for emergency management
field services in Crownpoint and Shiprock in FY07.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $600 thousand contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general
fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY07 shall revert to
the general fund.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
Indian Affairs Department contributed the following.
This emergency Management project with the Navajo Nation has been funded through the State
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House Bill 661 – Page
2
of New Mexico since 1996. With a Joint Powers Agreement between the State of New Mexico,
through the Indian Affairs Department, and the Navajo Nation, the two Navajo Emergency
Management Offices (Crownpoint and Shiprock) serve 53 chapters, located in San Juan and
McKinley counties. In addition, oversight is given in portions of the adjacent counties of Cibola,
Sandoval, Rio Arriba, Bernalillo, and Socorro.
The Navajo Nation is one of the largest tribes in the Nation with approximately 300,000
members and a reservation encompassing nearly 26,000 square miles. In the New Mexico
portion of the Navajo Nation, the population of the Navajo Nation is 69,524 (U.S. Census
Bureau, 2000). The Navajo Nation Emergency Management (NNEM) project goals are to
promote the saving of lives and protection of property during emergencies and disasters. In the
wake of the 9-11 events, NNEM have developed a complex Emergency Management Plan and
have established a local chapter emergency management system – ALERT [authorized local
emergency response teams]. There are six full time service and support staff on call 24 hours a
day. This department has planned response and recovery, training and reservation of equipment
to address emergencies, and works with the 53 New Mexico Navajo Chapters. The Emergency
Management plan addresses the duties, responsibilities, tasks, and interfaces between the Navajo
Nation, Federal, State, Counties, and local chapter governments in order to respond to
emergencies and disasters. In addition to working with counties and the federal government, the
Department coordinates health and human safety issues, directly or indirectly, with the Navajo
Department of Public Safety, Navajo Division of Health, Community Health Representatives of
the 53 Chapters, numerous schools, and the Navajo and Albuquerque Area Indian Health
Services for health related matters that arise from an emergency, i.e., pandemic flu, bioterrorism.
However, poor infrastructure, lack of funding for staff and equipment, and the lack of economic
development in rural areas of the Navajo reservation make this effort a difficult task.
(Information from Navajo Department of Emergency Management at: www.navajo911.com)
Due to its location, geological features and critical facilities, the Navajo Nation is vulnerable to
the damaging affects of natural, technological, and national security hazards. Incidents can vary
in scope and intensity, from small local emergencies with minimal damage to multi-County
disasters with extensive devastation and loss of life. These hazards necessitate a comprehensive
mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery program. An analysis based on a 2003
Homeland Security (HLM) Hazard Assessment identified major hazards which threaten local
and regional Navajo communities including:
Natural Hazards: wildfires, drought, floods, flash floods, severe winter storms, tornados,
lightning, hailstorms, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches, volcanic activity, disease
outbreak, crop and livestock infestation
Technological or Human Caused Hazards: hazardous material accidents or release,
power failure, urban fire, transport incident (air/rail), radiological and dam failure.
National Security Hazards: civil disorder, international and domestic terrorism,
chemical/biological, conflict, and attack.
The Department of Public Safety adds.
Federal funding is available for the Navajo Nation through the New Mexico Office of
Emergency Management to apply for the provision of emergency management services. The
counties of San Juan and McKinley currently receive funding for the provision of emergency
management services
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House Bill 661 – Page
3
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
Project performance submitted by the Navajo Nation Emergency Management is defined by their
project plan and includes performance measure by quarters. Performance measures include:
Training, presentations, community awareness on environmental and disaster preparedness;
ALERT chapter training of local personnel, direct food, burnout, natural disaster, mass care
assistance to families, evacuees; and assessments.
Included in the performance measures is establishment of inter-operable communication with
counties and state entities as well as the use of global positioning system capabilities for remote
areas. The performance measures are consistent with federal FEMA guidelines and
recommendations for tribal emergency management departments.
MW/mt