[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Franklin Township 6-7-1990
as Ch. 1, Part 5, of the 1990 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A local emergency management agency is hereby established and shall
be known as the “Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency.”
The Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency is established pursuant
to the provisions of the Emergency Management Services Code (35 Pa.C.S.A.
§ 7501 et seq.).
The Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency shall have the responsibility
for emergency management and disaster response and recovery within Franklin
Township. The Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency shall also provide
emergency management and disaster response and recovery services outside Franklin
Township as required by the terms and conditions of this chapter.
A.
A local disaster emergency may be declared by the Franklin
Township Board of Supervisors. In addition, the Coordinator of the Franklin
Township Emergency Management Agency is hereby authorized to declare a local
disaster emergency subject to ratification by the Franklin Township Board
of Supervisors within seven days of such declaration.
B.
A local disaster emergency may only be declared upon
finding by the Franklin Township Board of Supervisors, or the Coordinator
of the Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency, that a disaster has
occurred or is imminent.
C.
The declaration of a local disaster emergency shall not
be continued or renewed for a period in excess of seven days unless approved
by the Franklin Township Board of Supervisors.
D.
Any order or proclamation declaring, continuing or terminating
a local disaster emergency shall be given prompt and general publicity, and
a copy of any such order or proclamation shall be filed promptly with the
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
E.
Upon declaration of a local disaster emergency, the applicable
response and recovery aspects of the Franklin Township local emergency management
plan shall be activated, and all provisions for aid and assistance thereunder
shall be authorized.
Upon declaration of a disaster emergency, Franklin Township, pursuant
to 7301(c) of the Emergency Management Services Code, shall be authorized
to exercise the powers granted in this chapter without regard to time-consuming
procedures and formalities prescribed by law (excepting mandatory constitutional
requirements) pertaining to the performance of public work, entering into
contracts, the incurring of obligations, the employment of temporary workers,
the rental of equipment, the purchase of supplies and materials, the levying
of taxes and the appropriation and expenditure of public funds. In addition,
upon the declaration of a disaster emergency, Franklin Township is authorized
to avail itself of the provisions of Act of August 5, 1941 (P.L. 752, No.
286), known as the “Civil Service Act” (71 P.S. § 741.1
et seq.). in connection with the employment of personnel in local organizations
established pursuant to provisions of this chapter.
A.
The Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency shall
have a coordinator who shall be responsible for the planning, administration,
and operation of the agency subject to the direction and control of the Franklin
Township Board of Supervisors.
B.
The Coordinator of the Franklin Township Emergency Management
Agency shall be appointed by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
upon recommendation of the Franklin Township Board of Supervisors. The Franklin
Township Board of Supervisors may, upon agreement by resolution with adjoining
municipalities, recommend to the Governor a candidate for coordinator for
emergency management activities in the said political subdivisions. The Franklin
Township Emergency Management Coordinator shall serve at the pleasure of the
Franklin Township Board of Supervisors.
C.
The Coordinator of the Franklin Township Emergency Management
Agency shall:
(1)
Be professionally competent and capable of planning,
effecting and coordinating operations among agencies of government and controlling
coordinated operations by local emergency preparedness forces;
(2)
Attend and successfully complete the first phase of the
career development program as prescribed by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management
Agency within one year after appointment;
(3)
Attend and successfully complete the second phase of
the career development program as prescribed by the Pennsylvania Emergency
Management Agency within three years after appointment;
(4)
Attend basic and advanced seminars, workshops and training
conferences called by the Director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management
Agency and/or its Director of Training and Education.
D.
Failure to attend and successfully complete the career
development program phases, as described above, or failure to attend a prescribed
training program for two consecutive years shall be cause for replacement
of the Coordinator of the Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency.
E.
Responsibility for the professional in-service training
of the coordinator of the Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency shall
rest with the Emergency Management Coordinator of Adams County, Pennsylvania.
F.
Franklin Township will reimburse its coordinator for
actual expenses incurred as the result of his or her attendance at scheduled
meetings and training programs.
The Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency is hereby directed
to:
A.
Prepare, maintain and keep current a disaster emergency
plan for Franklin Township for the prevention and minimization of injury and
damage caused by disaster, for prompt and effective response to disaster and
for disaster emergency relief and recovery in consonance with the Pennsylvania
Emergency Management Plan and the Adams County Emergency Management Plan;
B.
Establish, equip, and staff an emergency operations center
for Franklin Township;
C.
Establish a warning and communications system for Franklin
Township that will support governmental operations in emergencies;
D.
Provide essential facilities and equipment to those agencies
and organizations that have been assigned emergency functions under the provisions
of this chapter;
E.
Provide individual and organizational training programs
for police officers, fire fighters, rescue personnel, ambulance personnel,
emergency management volunteers and the general public to insure prompt, efficient
and effective disaster emergency services;
F.
Organize, prepare, and coordinate all locally available
manpower, materials, supplies, equipment and facilities necessary for disaster
emergency readiness, response and recovery;
G.
Adopt and implement precautionary measures to mitigate
the anticipated effects of a disaster;
H.
Execute and enforce such rules, regulations and orders
as the Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency may adopt pursuant to
the provisions of this chapter;
I.
Cooperate and coordinate with any public and private
agencies or entities in achieving any purpose of this chapter;
J.
Have available for inspection at its emergency operations
center all emergency management plans, rules, regulations, and orders of the
Governor, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Adams County
Emergency Management Agency;
K.
Provide prompt and accurate information regarding local
disaster emergencies to appropriate Commonwealth and local officials and agencies
and the general public;
L.
Make monthly reports to Franklin Township on the status
and programs of the Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency, its personnel,
programs, and plans;
M.
Execute and enforce such rules and orders as may be adopted
by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Adams County Emergency
Management Agency;
N.
Make timely recommendations to and secure the consent
of Franklin Township concerning the development of plans, the acquisition
of materials, supplies, and equipment and the development of a budget for
the agency, except as provided for in disaster emergencies;
O.
Identify areas within Franklin Township that are particularly
vulnerable to disaster;
P.
Upon request of the Coordinator of the Franklin Township
Emergency Management Agency assist Franklin Township and/or its police, fire,
rescue, or emergency medical services in handling and coordinating special,
nondisaster emergencies and situations.
The coordinator of the Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency
shall develop and maintain mutual aid agreements with adjacent political subdivisions
for reciprocal emergency assistance. The agreements shall be consistent with
the plans and program of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and
the Adams County Emergency Management Agency. The agreements shall stipulate
that direction of emergency disaster assistance is the responsibility of the
lowest level of government affected, that the County Emergency Management
Agency shall provide coordination and support when more than one political
subdivision within Adams County is affected, and that the Pennsylvania Emergency
Management Agency or its area organization shall provide coordination and
support when two or more counties are affected. In disaster emergencies, requests
for mutual aid assistance shall be referred to the organization, as outlined
above, having responsibility for coordination and, in time of emergency, it
shall be the duty of the Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency to
render assistance in accordance with these mutual aid agreements. In all cases,
support services provided from outside the affected area shall remain under
the command and control of the receiving area.
A.
Except during local disaster emergencies, the Franklin
Township Board of Supervisors shall:
(1)
Approve all expenditures of the Franklin Township Emergency
Management Agency in advance;
(2)
Approve attendance and participation of personnel of
the Emergency Management Agency at training sessions, seminars, and meetings;
(3)
Review and approve the Franklin Township Emergency Management
Plan.
Any gift or grants of monies made to the Franklin Township Emergency
Management Agency or to Franklin Township for the payment of expenses incurred
or to be incurred by or for the Emergency Management Agency shall be deposited
in the treasury of Franklin Township and shall be appropriated only for the
purpose for which the gift or grants were made.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as prohibiting the Franklin
Township Emergency Management Agency from providing representation to other
boards or agencies, such as outside emergency management advisory boards,
emergency health services councils, and regional communications committees,
that coordinate with or otherwise impact the delivery of emergency management
services.
The Franklin Township Emergency Management Agency shall, with the approval
of the Franklin Township Board of Supervisors, adopt such insignia and/or
other identifying marks or markings as are necessary to ensure the correct,
prompt identification of its personnel, equipment and facilities.
The provisions of the Emergency Management Services Code of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, Act 1978-323 (P.L. 1332), as amended, shall govern the emergency
management activities of Franklin Township and the Franklin Township Emergency
Management Agency except in circumstances where the Emergency Management Services
Code does not address local provisions or conditions provided for by this
chapter.
