Clark County EOP Basic Plan 1 Introduction 1. Introduction Section 1 establishes the framework within which this Emergency Operations Plan exists and how it fits into existing plans. Additionally, the section outlines federal, State of Nevada, and Clark County emergency management authorities pertaining to the community’s roles and responsibilities. 1.1 General Clark County has determined that an integrated approach to emergency operations will enhance their ability to respond to and recover from disaster. Therefore, the County has developed and adopted by resolution this Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) to provide guidance and practical tools for conducting joint operations in response to any incident or event affecting their shared boundaries. The County emergency management mission is to ensure that the County is prepared for a disaster by ensuring coordination of protection, prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery activities that increase the County’s capabilities to minimize loss of life and reduce the impacts of disasters on the community. While the principles described in the EOP can be applied to small, routine responses, the plan is primarily designed to offer guidance for larger or more complex incidents related to a broad spectrum of hazards that exceed the response capability and/or resources of first responders. No plan can anticipate all the situations and conditions that may arise during emergencies, and on-scene Incident Commanders must have the discretion to act as they see fit based on the specific circumstances of the incident at hand. It is imperative, however, that all jurisdictions and response agencies have a plan that provides general guidance and a common framework for preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies and disasters. This plan promulgates such a framework for the County that will bring a combination of technical capabilities and resources, plus the judgment and expertise of its emergency response personnel, department directors, and other key stakeholders, to bear on any incident. This EOP provides the foundation and guidance for use of National Incident Management System (NIMS) principles necessary to effectively manage incidents within or affecting the County. No guarantee of a perfect response system is expressed or implied by this plan, its implementing instructions, or procedures. While the County will respond to emergencies to the utmost of their ability, it is possible that some natural or technological disasters will overwhelm their resources. While recognizing this possibility, this plan is designed to help the County fulfill its response function to its maximum capacity. 1.1.1 Whole Community Planning The “Whole Community” planning approach is based on the recognition that it takes all aspects of a community to effectively prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of disasters. This includes all emergency management partners, both traditional and nontraditional, such as volunteer-, faith-, and community-based organizations; the private sector; 1-1