CHAPTER 11.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

§11-1    Definitions.

§11-2    General.

§11-3    Disaster Council.

§11-4    Director of Emergency Services (DES).

§11-5    Emergency Organization.

§11-6    Emergency Operations.

Sec. 11-1. Definitions.

For the purposes of this Chapter, the following words and terms shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

(a)    Director of Emergency Services (DES): The individual with overall responsibility for City emergency management. The City Manager shall serve as the DES.

(b)    Disaster Council: A committee of City management employees and non-City emergency management officials who shall review and make recommendations regarding plans for meeting local or other emergency situations.

(c)    Emergency Management Coordinator: The individual delegated the day-to-day responsibility for the development and maintenance of all emergency plans and management of coordination efforts. The Fire Chief shall serve as the Emergency Management Coordinator.

(d)    Emergency Operations Center (EOC): The location from which the City’s centralized emergency management can be effectively coordinated.

(e)    Local Emergency: The duly proclaimed existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the City caused by such conditions as air pollution, fire, flood, storm, epidemic, riot, earthquake, or other conditions.

(f)    Monterey County Operational Area: An intermediate level of the state emergency organization consisting of Monterey County and all political subdivisions within the county limits.

All other terms used herein which are defined in the California Emergency Services Act, commencing at Government Code § 8550, shall have the same meaning as set forth in that Act.

Sec. 11-2. General.

The purpose of this Chapter is to provide for the planning and response to major emergencies within the City of Monterey and governmental agencies contracting with the City for emergency services, and to provide assistance to and coordination of emergency response functions of the City with other affected agencies, jurisdictions, organizations, and persons within the Monterey County Operational Area, Office of Emergency Services Region(s) and the State of California. In addition, the City Council hereby adopts the use of the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS) for the development and maintenance of disaster response plans, and the management of disaster planning and response as described in the Emergency Services Act.

Sec. 11-3. Disaster Council.

(a)    A Disaster Council is hereby established and shall be chaired by the City Manager as the Director of Emergency Services (DES).

(b)    The City Manager shall appoint additional Disaster Council members as he/she deems appropriate to achieve the Disaster Council’s mission. Disaster Council membership shall generally be senior City executives or managers who have concurrent Emergency Operations Center staff responsibilities, or senior representatives from allied external emergency management organizations.

(c)    Mission and Responsibilities. The Disaster Council shall have administrative authority over all emergency preparedness and emergency management activities within the City of Monterey to ensure conformance with all Federal, State, County, and City regulations, policies, and procedures relative to emergency planning, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery as follows:

(1)    Establish standards for a comprehensive all-risk Emergency Operations Plan;

(2)    Establish standards for any City regulations, rules, policies, procedures, and operational guidelines related to emergency preparedness and management;

(3)    Establish standards for any emergency preparedness or emergency management-related plans or agreements;

(4)    Establish operational, maintenance, and training standards for the City Emergency Operations Center; and

(5)    Review and approve all emergency preparedness and emergency management-related plans and agreements, including any subsequent revisions.

(d)    Meetings. The Disaster Council shall meet at least annually and any other times as the Chairperson shall establish. (Ord. 3457 § 1, 2010)

Sec. 11-4. Director of Emergency Services (DES).

(a)    The office of Director of Emergency Services is hereby established, with the City Manager serving in such capacity.

(b)    Powers and Duties. The Director of Emergency Services shall have the following powers and duties:

(1)    To appoint such persons and create such positions as required to respond to emergency or disaster situations.

(2)    To appoint a Vice-Chair of the Disaster Council.

(3)    To order activation of the Emergency Operations Center and initiate response of disaster service workers.

(4)    To request the City Council to proclaim the existence of a local emergency, or to proclaim the existence of a local emergency subject to ratification by the City Council within seven (7) days. Further, to assure that the City Council reviews the need for continuing the local emergency in effect at least every fourteen (14) days until conditions warrant termination of the emergency status. When emergency conditions cease to exist, the City Council shall terminate the local emergency.

(5)    To advise the Mayor to request the Governor to proclaim an appropriate state of emergency when it appears the resources of the City are inadequate to cope with the emergency.

(6)    To request activation of the Monterey County Operational Area Emergency Operations Center when the resources of the City are inadequate to cope with any emergency, and to direct the use of available resources for the benefit of the inhabitants and property within the City.

(7)    To control and direct the efforts of the emergency organization of the City in conformance with SEMS for the accomplishment of the purposes of this Chapter.

(8)    To authorize public emergency workers and employees to command the aid of citizens when necessary in the execution of their duties during a state of emergency.

(9)    To exercise the following powers and duties during a proclaimed emergency:

(a)    To make and issue rules and regulations on matters reasonably related to the protection of life and property which are or may be affected by the emergency, including the temporary suspension of local ordinances and regulations, provided that such actions shall be confirmed at the earliest practical time by the City Council.

(b)    To obtain needed supplies, equipment and such other properties found lacking and necessary for the protection of life and property for the people, and obligate the City to repay the fair value of such goods. This shall include the power to commandeer such property for public use. Any expenditures made in connection with such emergency activities, including mutual aid activities shall be deemed conclusively to be for the direct protection and benefit of the inhabitants and property within the City. This power shall include the ability to suspend the normal purchasing rules and regulations as set forth in Monterey City Code Chapter 28.

(c)    To require any officer or employee of the City to assist in the response to and mitigation of any local emergency, or in the event of the proclamation of any state of emergency by the Governor, relating to any emergency within the Coastal Region, and to command the aid of as many citizens of the City as is reasonable and necessary for the response to and mitigation of any emergency. Such persons shall be entitled to all privileges, benefits and immunities as are provided to registered or unregistered disaster service volunteers as set forth in Government Code Section 8657.

Sec. 11-5. Emergency Organization.

The Emergency Organization of the City of Monterey shall consist of all officers and employees of the City, all volunteer forces enrolled to aid them during an emergency, and other groups, organizations and persons who may, by agreement, circumstance, or operation of law, be charged with duties necessary for the protection of life and property in this City.

Sec. 11-6. Emergency Operations.

The California Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), as established in California Government Code Section 8607, is hereby adopted as the standard for emergency management and disaster operations within the City of Monterey.

The functions and duties of the City’s Emergency Management Organization shall, insofar as possible, conform to the form of organization, titles, and terminology as established by the California Standardized Emergency Management System, the Incident Command System (ICS), National Incident Management System (NIMS), and the Resources Information Management System, as set forth by California Emergency Management Agency.

The City shall participate as a member of the Monterey County Operational Area in accordance with SEMS and NIMS guidelines and any memorandum of understanding entered into by and between the City and other members regarding operational area functions and coordination. (Ord. 3457 § 1, 2010)