Arkansas Emergency Services Act of 1973 (Arkansas Code: Title 12 - Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, And Military Affairs; Subtitle 5 - Emergency Management; Chapter 75)

This act regulates emergency services. It provides that, because of the existing and increasing possibility of the occurrence of a major emergency or a disaster of unprecedented size and destructiveness resulting from enemy attack, natural or human-caused catastrophes, or riots and civil disturbances and in order to ensure that this state will be prepared to deal with such contingencies in a timely, coordinated, and efficient manner and generally to provide for the common defense and protect the public peace, health, safety and preserve the lives and property of the state, it is found and declared to be necessary to: (1) create from the present Office of Emergency Services and current adjunct offices the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management and authorize and direct the creation of comparable local organizations within the political subdivisions of the state; (2) confer upon the Governor and upon the executive heads of the political subdivisions of the state the emergency powers provided herein; (3) provide for the rendering of mutual aid among the political subdivisions of the state and with other states and to cooperate with the federal government with respect to carrying out emergency management functions; (4) direct the establishment of emergency management liaison offices within each state department and agency with an emergency management role or responsibility; and (5) provide for workers' compensation benefits for emergency management workers performing emergency management operations.