Chapter 2.56
EMERGENCY ORGANIZATION*
Sections:
2.56.010 Purpose of provisions.
2.56.020 Emergency defined.
2.56.030 Disaster council created—Membership.
2.56.040 Disaster council—Powers and duties.
2.56.050 Director and assistant director of emergency services.
2.56.060 Powers and duties of the director and assistant director of emergency services.
2.56.070 Emergency organization.
2.56.080 Emergency plan.
2.56.090 Expenditures.
2.56.100 Punishment of violations.
* Prior ordinance history: Ord. 349.
2.56.010 Purpose of provisions.
The declared purposes of this chapter are to provide for the preparation and carrying out of plans for the protection of persons and property within this county in the event of an emergency; the direction of the emergency organization; and the coordination of the emergency functions of this county with all other public agencies, corporations, organizations, and affected private persons. (Ord. 593 § 1 (part), 1996)
2.56.020 Emergency defined.
As used in this chapter, “emergency” means the actual or threatened existence of conditions of disaster or the extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within this county caused by such conditions as air pollution, fire, flood, storm, epidemic, riot or earthquake, or other conditions, including conditions resulting from war or imminent threat of war, but other than conditions resulting from a labor controversy, which conditions are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of this county, requiring the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat. (Ord. 593 § 1 (part), 1996)
2.56.030 Disaster council created—Membership.
The Alpine County disaster council is created and shall consist of the following:
A. The sheriff of Alpine County who shall be chairman;
B. The assistant director of emergency services, who shall be vice chairman;
C. Such chiefs of emergency services as are provided for in a current emergency plan of this county, adopted pursuant to the ordinance codified in this chapter. (Ord. 652 § 1 (part), 2003; Ord. 593 § 1 (part), 1996)
2.56.040 Disaster council—Powers and duties.
The Alpine County disaster council shall be the funding approval authority body (the “approval authority”) for all purposes and actions required by the state funding plan of the California Office of Homeland Security. The chair of the council or his designee shall provide the California Office of Homeland Security with the names and telephone numbers of each member of the council and such other information as the Office of Homeland Security may from time to time require. All grant applications made pursuant to this authority shall be approved by the board of supervisors prior to submittal. All expenditures of funds by the disaster council shall be consistent with the annual county budget approved by the board of supervisors. (Ord. 652 § 1 (part), 2003; Ord. 593 § 1 (part), 1996)
2.56.050 Director and assistant director of emergency services.
A. There is created the office of director of emergency services. The sheriff of Alpine County shall be the director of emergency services.
B. There is created the office of assistant director of emergency services, who shall be appointed by the director. (Ord. 652 § 1 (part), 2003; Ord. 593 § 1 (part), 1996)
2.56.060 Powers and duties of the director and assistant director of emergency services.
A. The director is empowered to:
1. Request the board of supervisors to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a “local emergency” if the board of supervisors is in session, or to issue such proclamation if the board of supervisors is not in session. Whenever a local emergency is proclaimed by the director, the board of supervisors shall take action to ratify the proclamation within seven days thereafter or the proclamation shall have no further force or effect;
2. Recommend that the supervisors request the governor to proclaim a “state of emergency” when, in the opinion of the director, the locally available resources are inadequate to cope with the emergency;
3. Control and direct the effort of the emergency organization of this county for the accomplishment of the purposes of this chapter;
4. Direct cooperation between and coordination of services and staff of the emergency organization of this county; and resolve questions of authority and responsibility that may arise between them;
5. Represent this county in all dealings with public or private agencies on matters pertaining to emergencies as defined herein;
6. In the event of the proclamation of a local emergency as herein provided, the proclamation of a state of emergency by the governor or the director of the state office of Emergency Services, or the existence of a “state of war emergency,” the director is empowered:
a. To make and issue rules and regulations on matters reasonably related to the protection of persons and property as affected by such emergency; provided, however, such rules and regulations must be confirmed at the earliest practicable time by the board of supervisors,
b. To obtain vital supplies, equipment, and such other properties found lacking and needed for the protection of persons and property and to bind the county for the fair value therefor and, if required immediately, to commandeer the same for public use,
c. To require emergency services of any county officer or employee and, in the event of the proclamation of a state of emergency in the county or the existence of a state of war emergency, to command the aid of as many citizens of this county as he deems necessary in the execution of his duties; such persons shall be entitled to all privileges, benefits and immunities as are provided by state law for registered disaster service workers,
d. To requisition necessary personnel or material of any county department or agency, and
e. To execute all of his ordinary power as sheriff conferred upon him by the ordinance codified in this chapter or by resolution or emergency plan pursuant hereto adopted by the board of supervisors, all powers conferred upon him by any statute, by any agreement approved by the board of supervisors, and by any other lawful authority.
B. The director of emergency services shall designate the order of succession to that office, to take effect in the event the director is unavailable to attend meetings and otherwise perform his duties during an emergency. Such order of succession shall be approved by the board of supervisors.
C. The assistant director shall, under the supervision of the director and with the assistance of emergency services chiefs, develop emergency plans and manage the emergency programs of this county; and shall have such other powers and duties as may be assigned by the director. (Ord. 652 § 1 (part), 2003: Ord. 593 § 1 (part), 1996)
2.56.070 Emergency organization.
All officers and employees of this county, together with those volunteer forces enrolled to aid them during an emergency, and all groups, organizations and persons who may by agreement or operation of law, including persons impressed into service under the provisions of Section 2.56.060(A) (6)(c) of this code, be charged with duties incident to the protection of life and property in this county during such emergency, shall constitute the emergency organization of the county of Alpine. (Ord. 593 § 1 (part), 1996)
2.56.080 Emergency plan.
The Alpine County disaster council is responsible for the development of the County of Alpine Emergency Plan, which plan shall provide for the effective mobilization of all of the resources of this county, both public and private, to meet any condition constituting a local emergency, state of emergency, or state of war emergency; and shall provide for the organization, powers and duties, services and staff of the emergency organization. Such plan shall take effect upon adoption by resolution of the board of supervisors. (Ord. 593 § 1 (part), 1996)
2.56.090 Expenditures.
Any expenditures made in connection with emergency activities, including mutual aid activities, shall be deemed conclusively to be for the direct protection and benefit of the inhabitants and property of the county of Alpine. (Ord. 593 § 1 (part), 1996)
2.56.100 Punishment of violations.
It is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not to exceed five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not to exceed six months, or both, for any person, during a state of war emergency, state of emergency, or local emergency to:
A. Wilfully obstruct, hinder or delay any member of the emergency organization in the enforcement of any lawful rule or regulation issued pursuant to this chapter, or in the performance of any duty imposed upon him by virtue of this chapter;
B. Do any act forbidden by any lawful rule or regulation issued pursuant to this chapter, if such act is of such a nature as to give or be likely to give assistance to the enemy, or to imperil the lives or property of inhabitants of this county, or to prevent, hinder or delay the defense or protection thereof;
C. Wear, carry or display, without authority, any means of identification specified by the emergency agency of the state. (Ord. 593 § 1 (part), 1996)