Kelli Baratti retired in 2019 as the Chief of Operations for the Nevada Division of Emergency Management (DEM). She was in that role for 10 years. Previously Ms. Baratti enjoyed a 20-year career in the Nevada fire service.
Ms. Baratti served as the State Fire Mutual Aid Coordinator for the Nevada Division of Forestry, providing mutual aid and resource coordination for local government fire departments. She was a PIO on a national Type II Incident Management Team for 4 years. During her tenure as the State Fire Mutual Aid Coordinator she, along with select members of the Nevada fire service, facilitated the development of legislation that ultimately became NRS 414A, Nevada Intrastate Mutual Aid System. Ms. Baratti served on the Nevada State Firefighters Board of Directors for 8 years, was the Vice Chair of the Central Lyon County Fire Board of Directors, an elected position, term limiting out after 12 years. She most recently completed an 8-year term on the Nevada Board of Fire Services.
In her role as the Chief of Operation for DEM she was responsible for the 24/7 Duty Officer program, coordinating the day-to-day operations of the State Emergency Operation Center (SEOC), implementation of the Nevada Intrastate Mutual Aid System (NRS 414A), Resource Management and Credential project and served as the Emergency Management Compact (EMAC) State Coordinator. She also had oversight of the Division of Emergency Management Coordination Center (DEMC). This Center served as a coordination center under the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) focusing on deployment of Nevada local government fire resources to wildland fire incidents nationwide.
In 2020 Ms. Baratti was asked to return to DEM in a SEOC Operations and Logistics role to support the State of Nevada response to the COVID-19 pandemic response. She retired from service again in May of 2021.