Nevada’s National Guard is smaller than most, with about 4,000 soldiers and airmen. It’s an all-volunteer force with members deployed to at least three COVID-19 testing sites throughout Clark and Washoe counties. Some guard members are even deployed overseas serving in federal missions.
In a recent meeting, Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) staff pleaded for assistance for correctional officers who they say are working extended shifts at critically-low staffing levels.
“Governor Sisolak, commissioners, when are we going to start supporting our first responders?” asked Robert Smith, a sergeant with the NDOC who attended the meeting. “We need some relief, and we needed it yesterday.”
Other participants at the meeting suggested the National Guard be brought in due to concerns for safety in prisons if the labor shortage continues or escalates.
Before a request for guard support reaches the governor’s office and the National Guard, the state’s Division of Emergency Management (DEM) first has to approve it. Division Chief David Fogerson says continued federal, pandemic funding for guard resources can make this seem like a simple solution. But, it’s important to remember, guardsmen are part-time and often hold full-time positions in the very jobs that need supplementing.
“When we pull up more National Guard members, we’re pulling them away from their private-sector jobs as well,” said Fogerson. “We’ve been having a lot of discussions about how do we find the right resource for the mission that needs to be accepted.”
The NDOC hasn’t made an official request for the National Guard. However, when the Clark County School District asked for military school bus drivers, the DEM denied it citing concerns including an insufficient number of voluntary guard sign-ups.