Because the potential for a natural, technological, or national emergency-related disaster of catastrophic proportions and devastating impact requires extensive use of highly trained and skilled personnel experienced in disaster response and recovery actions, and whereas such needs and requirements may exceed the normal forces available to the State of Arkansas to prevent death and injury to its citizens and extensive loss of property, it is found and declared necessary:
(1) To establish within the Division of Emergency Management an Emergency Volunteer Reserve Cadre of persons trained and experienced in certain functions related to disaster response and recovery operations;
(2) To provide authority to the Director of the Division of Emergency Management to call the emergency volunteer reserve personnel into active service upon declaration of a state of disaster emergency by the Governor or the President of the United States or when, in the opinion of the director, a pending natural, technological, or national emergency may require the immediate services of the personnel;
(3) To provide the authority to the director to reimburse members of the cadre, when called to active duty, for out-of-pocket expenses for lodging, food, and travel at the current rate and under the provisions for reimbursement applicable to state employees of like grade and responsibility during the period of active service to the state; and
(4) To provide to the cadre the same privileges and immunities as are applicable to state employees when performing their duties on behalf of the state.