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Albuquerque’s Office of Emergency Management reports directly to the City’s Director of Public Safety and the Mayor, and is managed by Emergency Manager Greg Sanchez (gjsanchez@cabq.gov), who oversees the Emergency Management program.
Emergency Manager Greg Sanchez (gjsanchez@cabq.gov) has more than 25 years of law enforcement and emergency management experience. Until his retirement in 2003, Sanchez served as Deputy Chief with the Albuquerque Police Department. Upon his separation with APD, Sanchez served as a manager for the New Mexico region Pre positioned Equipment Program- a United States Department of Homeland Security national response and resource management program.
As the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Officer, Bruce Sickles (bsickles@cabq.gov) oversees operational matters concerning the Office of Emergency Management and staffs and trains members of the EOC. Bruce ensures all communications capabilities are available and ready for use, and oversees all emergency operations center training exercises. He is a New Mexico Certified Emergency Manager. Bruce is a Trustee on the New Mexico Crime Prevention Association Board. He is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and is past Chapter Chairman of the Chapter 127 of the American Society for Industrial Security. Additionally, Bruce is the Albuquerque Emergency Communications (EMCOMM) Reserve (Amateur Radio Operator, KE5MJQ) program manager.
The Emergency Management Planning Officer, Ernest Maestas(EMMaestas@cabq.gov) is the coordinator for the Albuquerque Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. He provides outreach to organizations, business, schools and community groups to increase visibility of current and future programs and seek opportunities and advertise CERT program initiatives to seek citizen involvement. Ernest served as Westside Area Command Crime Prevention Coordinator for the Albuquerque Police Department, overseeing crime prevention and crime analysis for the Westside Area Command; Ernest also managed the Westside Crime Alert System. With an education in Critical Infrastructure, Strategic Intelligence, and WMD Threat Assessments, Ernest brings more than 15 years of experience to the community.
Liz Saavedra (lsaavedra@cabq.gov), Senior Administrative Assistant, coordinates OEM’s budget and schedules, and acts as Treasurer of the New Mexico Emergency Management Association and as the Treasurer to the Local Emergency Planning Committee. Prior to being the OEM Senior Administrative Assistant, she worked in the Fire Department for several years, and kept the records for the Emergency Coordinator in the AFD before OEM was made stand-alone. She is a NM Certified Emergency Manager, and is trained by FEMA to evaluate exercises across the State of New Mexico.
For operational planning, and when the EOC is activated, OEM includes staff from such City agencies as Police, Fire, Rescue, 311, and Environmental Health. This staff can be supplemented as needed with staff from Traffic, Water Utilities, Streets, Animal Services, and financial specialists who may also participate in emergency procurement, and track expenses.
In addition, staff and volunteers of the American Red Cross stand ready to coordinate shelter needs, Amateur Radio personnel provide additional communication capabilities, and the New Mexico National Guard, Kirtland Air Force Base, and Sandia National Laboratories stand ready to play key roles.