WHEREAS, law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, road maintenance crews, public service utility workers, and tow operators place themselves in danger every time they work within inches of vehicles traveling at highway speeds to conduct valuable, life-saving operations in adverse weather conditions; and

WHEREAS, it is imperative that we promote safer incident scenes through public education and awareness to protect all responders as they courageously work to clear incidents; and

WHEREAS, crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW) serves as an opportunity for the Department of Public Safety - Nevada Highway Patrol Division (DPS-NHP), the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), and other first responder agencies to participate in coordinated efforts to educate the public and bring awareness to first responder safety, and to promote effective Traffic Incident Management strategies and training for first responders; and

WHEREAS, the State of Nevada reminds drivers of the "Move Over" law (NRS 484B.607) which states, "if possible, drive in a lane that is not adjacent to the lane where the traffic incident is located, unless roadway, traffic, weather, or other conditions make doing so unsafe or impossible"; and

WHEREAS, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, less than 30% of Americans are aware of move-over laws, and fail to abide by them; and

WHEREAS, Nevada is committed to effective traffic incident response and management through collaboration and training, which reduces the duration and impacts of traffic incidents and improves the safety of motorists, crash victims, and emergency responders; and

WHEREAS, over 1,500 first responders have participated in Nevada Traffic Incident Management Coalition efforts throughout the state since 2014, and 75% of all first responders in Nevada have received Traffic Incident Management training; and

WHEREAS, during Crash Responder Week, the State of Nevada remembers and honors those national first responders who lost their lives in 2022: 17 Law Enforcement, 11 Fire/EMS, 18 Tow Operators, 4 Road-Side Technicians, 1 DOT/SSP, for a total of 51 first responders;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOE LOMBARDO, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, do hereby proclaim the week of November 13-17, 2023 as

CRASH RESPONDER SAFETY WEEK IN NEVADA