About the Department
The Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) works to protect the people of New Mexico and the nation through a comprehensive and coordinated program of mitigating hazards, preparing for emergencies, preventing attacks, and recovering from disasters regardless of cause. Our department prepares for a wide variety of emergencies, including wildfires, flooding, health crises, and domestic attacks. When necessary, the state assists localities whose capabilities are overwhelmed, and DSHEM serves as the conduit for federal assistance. Our work in emergency management is coordinated around the five mission areas of the National Preparedness Goal: prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery.
DHSEM also coordinates with state and local law enforcement, as well as federal partners like the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to obtain, analyze, and distribute intelligence on possible threats to public safety. Additionally, our department facilitates and distributes tens of millions of dollars in federal grants to New Mexico communities every year. DHSEM also works closely with customs and border officials to secure our nation’s borders.
The mission of the State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) is to protect the lives and property of New Mexico residents and guests from the devastating effects of fire. This goal is accomplished through promotion of public safety and fire prevention programs, as well as resources distributed to the New Mexico fire departments for fire protection services. The SFMO carries out its mission through four bureaus: Code Enforcement, Fire Investigations, Fire Service Support, and the Fire Training Academy.
History
- 1959: The New Mexico Office of Emergency Management is established as the Civil Emergency Preparedness Division (CEPD) of the Office of Military Affairs
- 1979: President Carter establishes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and CEPD is reorganized to meet FEMA structural requirements
- 1987: CEPD is moved from Office of Military Affairs to the Department of Public Safety
- 1990: CEPD is changed to the Office of Emergency Management, within the Department of Public Safety
- 2003: The New Mexico Office of Homeland Security is established, working in conjunction with the Office of Emergency Management
- 2007: The two offices are joined to create the modern, cabinet-level agency of the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- 2021: The State Fire Marshal’s Office joins DHSEM beginning on July 1, 2021
Our Leadership
Major General Miguel Aguilar, Interim Cabinet Secretary
Major General Miguel Aguilar serves as the Adjutant General for the State of New Mexico and the Acting Secretary for the State’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
A native of Dexter, Aguilar received his commission from the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell. Aguilar deployed to Afghanistan in 2005 as a member of an Embedded Training Team for the 205th Regional Corps Advisory Group. He assumed command of 1st Battalion, 200th Infantry, in 2011 and led the battalion though a deployment to the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, as part of the Multinational Force and Observers. Aguilar took command of the 111th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in 2014 and oversaw its transition to the 111th Sustainment Brigade. He commanded the brigade until 2017 when he became the New Mexico Army National Guard’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. Aguilar retired from the New Mexico State Police in 2018 as a major in command of the Special Operations Bureau.
Ali Rye
State Director
Ali Rye was appointed Deputy Cabinet Secretary for DHSEM in January 2023, overseeing the operations bureaus. Ali Rye led the department’s Response and Recovery Bureau since joining the Agency in February 2022, is the State Coordinating Officer for the Hermit’s Peak Calf Canyon Federal Disaster and has worked on numerous other federal disasters. Previously she worked in Emergency Management in San Juan County, at the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management and at Walt Disney World in Florida. She attended Arkansas Tech University.
Regina Chacon
Deputy Cabinet Secretary
Regina Chacon has served as Interim Deputy Cabinet Secretary for DHSEM since November 2023, overseeing the administrative bureaus. Regina has worked for the State of New Mexico for 25 years. Regina served as Bureau Chief of the Law Enforcement Record Bureau for the Department of Public Safety before her most recent position as Deputy Director for the Department of Military Affairs.
Randy Varela
State Fire Marshal
Randy Varela was appointed as the NM State Fire Marshal in June 2022. He is a generational native of New Mexico and has over 40 years of experience in fire service, including 17 with the Fire Marshal’s Office. Randy has responded to and managed emergencies of all sizes, from small fires to large-scale disasters, and has been responsible for implementing safety protocols and training programs.
He enthusiastically shares the vision to come together as one to make positive, lasting change for New Mexicans and their futures. He is committed to leading, listening, and learning as this State Fire Marshal’s Office turns another page.