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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Pinto

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

02/02/06

HB

SHORT TITLE

SAN JUAN & MCKINLEY COUNTY

EMERGENCY SERVICES

SB 454

ANALYST Weber

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$800.0

Recurring

General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to HB 245

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Indian Affairs Department (IAD)

Department of Public Safety (DPS)

SUMMARY

Senate Bill 454 appropriates $800 thousand from the general fund to the Indian Affairs

Department for the purpose of contracting with the Navajo Nation for provision of emergency

management services in San Juan and McKinley counties.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $800 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.

Senate Bill 454 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Indian Affairs Department notes:

This emergency Management project with the Navajo Nation has been funded through the State

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. (Navajo Nation Emergency Management Plan,

Senate Bill 454 – Page

3

2004).

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.

MW/mt