Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara, was reappointed by Assembly Speaker Karen Bass to serve as vice chairman of the Joint Committee on Emergency Management.

Nava previously chaired the committee. Chairmanship rotates from Senate to Assembly.

The Joint Committee on Emergency Management is the successor entity made necessary as a result of Nava’s legislation that merged the Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security, creating the California Emergency Management Agency, or CalEMA. The committee was formally known as the Joint Committee on Emergency Services and Homeland Security.

“The Joint Committee on Emergency Management impacts disaster and emergency preparedness issues facing California,” Nava said. “The people of California deserve to know actions their local, state and federal officials are taking to ensure their health and safety in the face of public emergencies. It is vitally important that the state of California be prepared to respond when disaster strikes and understand how to coordinate with and support local law enforcement and other first responders.”

The 14-member committee made up of seven Assembly members and seven senators charged with examining California’s readiness to deal with natural and man-made disasters including, tsunamis, floods, fires, earthquakes and terrorist attacks.
     
As chairman of the committee for the 2007-08 legislative session, Nava held hearings throughout California in an attempt to learn from disasters, such as the La Conchita mudslide in Ventura County, the 2005-06 severe winter storm, wildfires and other disasters, and to evaluate deficiencies and to recommend improvement in the state’s emergency/homeland security structure.

— John Mann is a spokesman for Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara.