Civil action brought by public agency; award of costs and attorney’s fees

1. A public agency may commence an action in the name of the agency to recover the expense of an emergency response by the public agency against any person who knowingly: (a) Makes a false report to a public agency that a felony or misdemeanor has been committed or that an emergency exists; or (b) Creates the false appearance that a felony or misdemeanor has been committed or that an emergency exists, and that false appearance causes a false report to be made to a public agency that a felony or misdemeanor has been committed or that an emergency exists. 2. A civil action may be brought pursuant to this section even if there has been no criminal conviction for the false report. 3. If a public agency prevails in an action brought pursuant to this section, the court may award the public agency the costs of the action and reasonable attorney’s fees. 4. As used in this section: (a) “Expense of an emergency response” includes, without limitation, the reasonable costs incurred by a public agency in making an appropriate response to or investigation of a false report, including, without limitation, the salary or wages of any person responding to or investigating a false report, the deemed wages of any volunteer of a public agency participating in the response or investigation, the costs for use or operation of any equipment and the costs for the use or expenditure of any resources, fuel or other materials. (b) “Public agency” means an agency, bureau, board, commission, department or division of the State of Nevada or a political subdivision of the State of Nevada that provides police, fire-fighting, rescue or emergency medical services.