Nevada Guard Colonel Brett Compston Takes Over State Division of Emergency Management

CARSON CITY — Today, Brett Compston, who has worked more than a decade in emergency response at the state and federal level, was named the next chief of Nevada Division of Emergency Management/Homeland Security.

Compston, set to retire next month as a colonel from the Nevada Army National Guard, replaced Dave Fogerson, who has served as chief since October 2020.

Compston has managed several highly visible missions in recent years, including time as Incident Commander for Nevada’s coronavirus health response (2020-2021). Other highly-visible Guard missions managed by Compston included the civil disturbance and Presidential Inauguration security mission (2021), a series of natural disasters in 2017 (historic snowfall in northern Nevada along with support to hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria), wildland fires, search and rescue operations, and the annual New Year’s Eve security mission on the Las Vegas Strip.

In 2020, as the Nevada Office of the Military provided comprehensive oversight of the COVID-19 health response of all state agencies, Compston coordinated resources and implemented processes to support the entire state’s COVID-19 health response.

The Nevada Guard’s involvement in the mission included more than 1,400 Soldiers and Airmen in 2020. It was the largest domestic activation of the Nevada Guard in state history. At this time, DEM was moved from the Department of Public Safety to the Nevada Office of the Military. The 2021 Nevada Legislature made the DEM move permanent.

For his work in support of the state’s health response, Compston was awarded a regional citation by the International Association of Emergency Managers in 2020 – despite the fact Compston was not a member of the organization. Only six emergency managers in the nation were awarded regional citations that year, according to the organization that promotes the profession of emergency management.

Prior to his work during the pandemic, Compston served as the commander and deputy commander of a National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction – Civil Support Team and as the Nevada Guard joint plans officer.

Compston is an Army Aviation Officer — UH-60 pilot, platoon leader, company commander, battalion logistics officer, brigade plans and exercises, rescue coordination center director — who spent nine years on active duty before joining the Nevada National Guard. Compston is a NORTHCOM certified Dual Status Commander.

After serving in State and Joint Operations during the pandemic, Compston transitioned to the Nevada Army Guard’s Director of Operations and Training, his last military post prior to his transition to DEM.

Compston graduated with a bachelor’s in criminal justice from the University of Nevada, Reno, holds a master’s degree from the University of Maryland, a master’s in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a Harvard Kennedy School executive certificate in public leadership. Compston is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executive Fellows program, the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security Executive Leaders Program, and is a FEMA Vanguard Executive Crisis Leaders Fellow.