HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmergency Management Ordinance 10/15/07EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE
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HARNETT COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE
The County of Harnett ordains:
Article 1. Harnett County Emergency Management Agency
Section 1. Short Title
This Ordinance shall be known and may be cited and referred to as the "Emergency Management
Ordinance for the County of Harnett."
2. Intent and Purpose
It is the intent and purpose of this Ordinance to establish an office that will insure the complete anc
efficient utilization of all Harnett County resources to combat disaster resulting from enemy actions
or other disasters as defined herein.
The Harnett County Office of Emergency Management will be the coordination agency for all
activity in connection with Emergency Management. It will be the instrument through which the
Harnett County Board of Commissioners may exercise the authority and discharge the
responsibilities vested in them during disaster emergencies.
This Ordinance will not relieve any city or county department of the moral responsibilities or
authority given to it in the city or county charter or by local ordinances, nor will it adversely affect
the work of any volunteer agency organized for relief in disaster emergencies.
3. Definitions
The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation of this Article:
(a) "Emergency Management" is the basic government functions of maintaining the public peace,
health and safety during an emergency. This term shall include plans and preparations for
protection and relief, recovery and rehabilitation from effects of an attack by the forces of an
enemy nation or the agents thereof, or a disaster as defined herein. It shall not, however,
include any activity that is the primary responsibility of the military forces of the United States.
(b) "Attack" shall mean direct or indirect assault against the County of Harnett, its government, its
environs, or of the nation, by the forces of a hostile nation or the agents thereof, including
assault by bombing, conventional or nuclear, chemical or biological warfare, terrorism or
sabotage.
(c) "Disaster" includes but is not limited to actual or threatened enemy attack, sabotage,
extraordinary fire, flood, storm epidemic, accident, chemical spill, air or other discharge into
ground or water, or other impending or actual calamity endangering or threatening to endanger
health, life or property of constituted government.
(d) "Emergency Management Forces" shall mean the employees, equipment and facilities of all
city and county departments, boards, councils, institutions and commissioners; and in
addition, it shall include all volunteer personnel, equipment and facilities contributed by, or
obtained from, volunteer persons or agencies.
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EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE
(e) "Volunteer" shall mean contributing a service, equipment or facilities to the Emergency
Management Agency without remuneration.
(f) "Emergency Management Volunteer' shall mean any person duly registered, identified and
appointed by the Coordinator of the Harnett County Emergency Agency, appointed as
prescribed in this Ordinance.
(g) "Coordinator' shall mean the Coordinator of the Harnett County Emergency Agency, appointed
as prescribed in this Ordinance.
(h) "Regulations" shall include plans, programs and other emergency procedures deemed
essential to Emergency Management.
etion 4. Organization and Appointments
The organization shall consist of the following:
(a) An agency of Emergency Management within the executive department of the Harnett County
government under the direction of the Harnett County Board of Commissioners. The agency
head of the Emergency Management Agency shall be known as the Coordinator and such
assistants and other employees as are deemed necessary for the proper functioning of the
agency will be appointed.
(b) The employees and resources of all Harnett County departments, boards, institutions, and
councils shall participate in the Emergency Management activities. Duties assigned to city or
county departments shall be the same as or similar to the normal duties of the department,
where possible.
(c) Volunteer personnel and agencies offering service to, and accepted by the city and county.
The Harnett County Manager, with the concurrence of the Harnett County Board of Commissioners,
shall appoint a Coordinator of the Harnett County Emergency Management Agency who shall be a
person well versed and trained in planning operations involving the activities of many different
agencies which will operate to protect the public health, safety and welfare in the event of danger
from enemy action or disaster as defined in this Ordinance.
The Coordinator shall designate and appoint Deputy Coordinators to assume the emergency duties
of the Coordinator in the event of his absence or inability to act.
;lion S. Day -to -Day duties and Responsibilities of the Coordinator.
The Coordinator shall be responsible to the Harnett County Board of Commissioners in regard to all
phases of Emergency Management activity. The Coordinator shall be responsible for the planning,
coordination, and operation of the Emergency Management activities in Harnett County. The
Coordinator shall maintain liaison with the State and Federal authorities and the authorities of
nearby political subdivisions so as to insure the most effective operation of the Emergency
Management plans. The Coordinator's duties shall include, but not be limited to the following:
(a) Coordinating the recruitment of volunteer personnel and agencies to augment the personnel
and facilities of the County of Harnett for Emergency Management purposes.
(b) Development and coordination of plans for the immediate use of all facilities, equipment,
manpower and other resources of the county for the purpose of minimizing or preventing
damage to persons and property; and protection and restoring to usefulness governmental
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services and public utilities necessary for the public health, safety, and welfare.
(c) Negotiating and concluding agreements with owners or persons in control of building or other
property for the use of such building or other property for the Emergency Management
purposes and designation suitable buildings as public shelters.
(d) Through public informational programs, educating the populace as to actions necessary and
required for the protection of their persons and property in case of enemy attack or defined
herein, either impending or present.
(e) Conducting public practice alerts to insure the efficient operation of the Emergency
Management forces and to familiarize residents with Emergency Management regulations,
procedures and operations
(f) Coordinating the activity of all other public and private agencies engaged in any Emergency
Management activities.
Section 6. Emergency Management Plans
1. Comprehensive Emergency Management plans shall be adopted and maintained by resolution of
the Harnett County Board of Commissioners. In the preparation of these plans as it pertains to city
and county organization, it is intended that the services, equipment and facilities and personnel of
all existing departments and agencies shall be utilized to the fullest extent. When approved, it
shall be the duty of all departments and agencies to perform the functions assigned by these plans
and to maintain their portions of the plans in a current state of readiness at all times. These plans
shall have the effect of law whenever a disaster, as defined in this Ordinance, has been
proclaimed.
The Coordinator shall prescribe in the emergency plans those positions within the disaster
organization, in addition to his own, for which lines of succession are necessary. In each instan
the responsible person will designate and keep on file with the Coordinator a current list of three
persons as successors to his position. The list will be in order of succession and will, nearly as
possible, designate persons best capable of carrying out all assigned duties and functions.
Each service chief and department head assigned responsibility in the plans shall be responsible
for carrying out all duties and functions assigned therein. Duties will include the organization and
training of assigned employees and where needed volunteers. Each chief shall formulate the
Standing Operations Procedure to implement the plans for his service.
4. Amendments to these plans shall be submitted to the Coordinator. If approved, the Coordinator
will then submit the amendments to the Harnett County Board of Commissioners with his
recommendation for their approval. Such amendments shall take effect 30 days from the date of
approval.
When a required competency or skill or a disaster function is not available within government, the
Coordinator is authorized to seek assistance from persons outside of government. The
assignment of duties, when of a supervisory nature, shall also include the granting of authority for
the persons so assigned to carry out such duties prior to, during and after, the occurrence of a
disaster. Local government on a voluntary basis may accept such services from persons outside
of government. Such citizens shall be enrolled as Emergency Management Volunteers.
Section 7. No Municipal or Private Liability
1. This Ordinance is an exercise by the County of Harnett as its governmental functions for the
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protection of the public peace, health, and safety, and neither the County of Harnett nor agents and
representatives, if some, or any individual receiver, fine, partnership, corporation, association, or
trustee, or any of the agents thereof in good faith carrying out, complying with or attempting to
comply with any order, rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this Ordinance,
shall be liable for any damage sustained to person or property as the result of said activity.
8. Violations
shall be a misdemeanor for any person to violate any of the provisions of this Ordinance or plans
sued pursuant to the authority contained herein, or to willfully obstruct, hinder or delay any member of
e Emergency Management organization as herein defined in the enforcement of the provisions of this
rdinance or any plan issued thereunder.
9. Severability
ild any provision of this Ordinance be declared invalid for any reason, such declaration shall not
:t the validity of the other provisions, or of this Ordinance, as a whole, it being the legislative intent
the provisions of this Ordinance shall be severed and remain valid notwithstanding such
10. Conflicting Ordinances, Orders Rules, and Regulations Suspended
all times when the orders, rules and regulations made and promulgated pursuant to this Article shall
in effect, they shall supersede all existing ordinances, orders, rules and regulations insofar as the
er may be inconsistent therewith.
.Section 11. Effective Date
effect on the / 5 day of O G 20_0
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