Emergency Management and Homeland Security

Terrorism and Crime

Hazard Description

An act of violence is any situation that presents an immediate and ongoing danger to the safety of people in the community. In addition to individuals using firearms, other types of weapons and erratic behavior can create active threat situations. Domestic terrorism is perpetrated by individuals and/or groups inspired by or associated with primarily U.S.‐based movements that espouse extremist ideologies of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.

Impact

Any populated area can be impacted by criminal acts or terrorism. These areas include, but are not limited to, shopping structures, clinics/hospitals, schools, and government offices and buildings. Active threats could have
an impact on the community in the following ways: loss of human life; damage to buildings and structures; temporary displacement during the threat and/or investigation; stress on medical, emergency response, and security services; decrease in economic activity and hospitality business after the event; psychological and emotional trauma; and an increased need for emergency services and funding.

Mitigation

To reduce the community’s vulnerability to criminal acts and terrorism, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office established the Northern Nevada Regional Intelligence Center (NNRIC). In addition, the Washoe County Health District has developed a Multi‐Casualty Incident Plan to provide guidelines for managing multi‐casualty incidents and coordinating between multiple responding agencies and organizations

Sign-up for Alerts

Citizens can register for reverse telephone notification, called Code Red, as well as other notifications concerning alerts. To sign up, click on the “Regional Notification” link on the menu and follow the instructions.

To learn more about the Washoe County Homeland Security program, click here.