Nevada County must be ready to respond to any emergency, whether wildfire, winter storms, cybersecurity incidents or anything else, and Brett Fletcher is a key part of the team making that possible.
He’s an administrative analyst for the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Department. The team manages the Emergency Preparedness Healthcare Coalition, a powerful network of medical health partners, first responders and dedicated Public Health staff.
“I love it when we can gather everyone together like the Avengers during our events and see everyone learn from each other,” he said. “It’s a special feeling knowing and witnessing your job having a positive effect on the world.”
The group participates in regular drills, exercises and planning sessions to make sure everyone’s skills are up to date.
Born and raised in Texas, Fletcher moved here with his wife Colleen Fletcher, a California native who wanted to come home. She also works for the County as a computer services technician. The couple live in Nevada City with their two dogs and have family throughout the state.
Brett Fletcher began working for the County in December 2023, a week when “32 trillion gallons of rain” hit the state and the Emergency Operations Center had to activate. “My job has been exciting since I first started,” he said.
He was featured on CBS 13 TV in Sacramento for his role in a year-long project to upgrade radio emergency communications.
“It was an exciting project as it was a ‘back to basics’ approach to communications,” he said. “One of the top worries during any emergency is losing communications and radios are the most resilient tool for that.”
A Homeland Security grant allowed the team to upgrade to radio signals in West County to those that are 10 times stronger. “This was a dream idea when I first started, and I almost can’t believe it’s a reality now.”
Next up is a project to connect the western and eastern parts of the county with radio signals without the need for a satellite signal or a ham radio license.
In his free time, Fletcher likes to explore Nevada County. “When I first arrived, I expected some boredom being in a small town, but my wife and I are always doing something here: traveling, discovering new parks, attending shows and concerts, learning new hobbies, and meeting new friends,” he said.
He’s pleasantly surprised by the vibrant local classical music scene. “I had a season pass to the San Antonio Symphony a few years and ago and knew I was going to miss it,” he said. “However, between the multiple classical music programs in Nevada County, I’ve shockingly seen more shows here than I did in San Antonio (the seventh largest city in the USA).”