[Adopted 9-7-1982 as Ord. No. 82-7]
The following words and phrases, when used in this Article, shall have, unless otherwise clearly indicated, the meanings given to them in this section:
AGENCY
The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
COUNCIL
The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council.
DISASTER
A man-made disaster, natural disaster or war-caused disaster.
DISASTER EMERGENCY
Those conditions which may, by investigation made, be found, actually or likely, to:
A. 
Affect seriously the safety, health or welfare of a substantial number of the citizens of the Borough of Norristown or preclude the operation or use of essential public facilities;
B. 
Be of such magnitude or severity as to render essential borough efforts or resources exerted or utilized in alleviating the danger, damage, suffering or hardship faced; and
C. 
Have been caused by forces beyond the control of man, by reason of civil disorder, riot or disturbance or by factors not foreseen.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
The judicious planning, assignment and coordination of all available resources in an integrated program of prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery for emergencies of any kind, whether from attack or man-made or natural sources.
EMERGENCY SERVICES
The preparation for and the carrying out of functions, other than functions for which military forces are primarily responsible, to prevent, minimize and provide emergency repair of injury and damage resulting from disasters, together with all other activities necessary or incidental to the preparation for and carrying out of those functions. The functions include, without limitation, fire-fighting services, police services, medical and health services, rescue services, engineering services, disaster warning services, communications, radiological services, shelter, chemical and other special weapons defense, evacuation of persons from stricken areas, emergency welfare services, emergency transportation, emergency resources management, existing or properly assigned functions of plant protection, temporary restoration of public utility services and other functions related to civil protection.
LOCAL EMERGENCY
The condition declared by the Mayor, or the Emergency Coordinator in the Mayor's absence, when, in his judgment, the threat or actual occurrence of a disaster is or threatens to be of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant coordinated local government action to prevent or alleviate the damage, loss, hardship or suffering threatened or caused thereby.
LOCAL ORGANIZATION
The Norristown Emergency Management Organization.
MAN-MADE DISASTER
Any industrial, nuclear or transportation accident, explosion, conflagration, power failure, natural resource shortage or other condition, except enemy action, resulting from man-made causes, such as oil spills and other injurious environmental contamination, which threatens or causes substantial damage to property, human suffering, hardship or loss of life.
NATURAL DISASTER
Any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, earthquake, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, drought, fire, explosion or other catastrophe which results in substantial damage to property, hardship, suffering or possible loss of life.
WAR-CAUSED DISASTER
Any condition following an attack upon the United States resulting in substantial damage to property or injury to persons in the United States caused by the use of bombs, missiles, shellfire, nuclear, radiological, chemical or biological means or other weapons or overt paramilitary actions or other conditions such as sabotage.
A. 
It is the intent and purpose of this Article to establish the Norristown Emergency Management Organization in order that it will ensure the complete and efficient utilization of all borough facilities to combat disaster where resulting from enemy action or other disasters as defined herein.
B. 
The Norristown Emergency Management Organization will be the coordinating agency for all activity in connection with emergency relief. It will be the instrument through which the Norristown Emergency Management Coordinator may exercise the authority and discharge the responsibilities vested in him in accordance with P.L. 1332, No. 323, November 26, 1978.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 35 Pa.C.S.A. § 7101 et seq.
C. 
The enactment of this Article will not relieve any borough department of the moral responsibilities or authority granted it through the Borough Code[2] or local ordinance, nor will it adversely affect the work of any volunteer agency organized for relief in disaster emergencies.
[2]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 45101 et seq.
A. 
Council. The primary responsibility for overall policy and direction of the Norristown Civil Defense and Disaster Program and response capability of the type herein prescribed shall be vested in the body legally known as the "Norristown Emergency Management Council," which shall consist of the Mayor, the Chief of Police, the Chief of the Norristown Fire Department, the Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, the Chairman of the Fire Committee and the Coordinator of the Norristown Emergency Management Organization. The Mayor of the Borough of Norristown may designate a member to serve as Chairman. Three (3) members shall constitute a quorum.
B. 
Compensation and expenses. The members of the Emergency Council shall serve without compensation.
C. 
Regular meetings. For the conducting of routine business, including particularly the consideration of matters of basic policy, the Emergency Council shall meet at the call of the Chairman and at least three (3) times during each calendar year.
D. 
Emergency meetings. In the event of attack or disaster situations determined actually or likely to be of such a nature, magnitude, severity or duration as to necessitate extensive or extraordinary deployment and use of borough resources for emergency purposes, the Chairman shall, within not more than forty-eight (48) hours immediately following such determination, call the Council into emergency session for consideration of actions taken or to be taken. In the absence of the Chairman, notice of such meeting shall be disseminated to the membership by the Coordinator of the Norristown Emergency Management Organization.
The Emergency Council shall have the following powers and duties:
A. 
To prepare, maintain and keep current a Norristown Emergency Management Plan for the prevention and minimization of injury and damage caused by disaster, prompt and effective response to disaster and disaster emergency relief and recovery. The plan may include provisions for:
(1) 
Preparedness standards established by the federal and state emergency management agencies.
(2) 
Assistance to borough officials in designing emergency management plans and training programs.
(3) 
Organization of manpower, chains of command, continuity of government in emergency situations and emergency operation principles.
(4) 
Coordination of federal, commonwealth and local disaster emergency management activities.
(5) 
Assistance to the commonwealth and other local governments in obtaining, utilizing and managing federal and commonwealth disaster assistance.
(6) 
Identification of areas within the borough particularly vulnerable to disasters.
(7) 
Recommendations for zoning, building and other land use controls; safety measures pertaining to nonpermanent or semipermanent structures; resource conservation and allocation; and other preventive and preparedness measures designed to eliminate or reduce disasters or their impact.
(8) 
Authorization and procedures for the erection or other construction of temporary works designed to protect against or mitigate danger or damage caused by flood, conflagration or other disaster.
B. 
To promulgate, adopt and enforce such rules, regulations and orders as may be deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.
C. 
To establish and operate or to assist in the establishment and operation of training programs and programs of public information.
D. 
To determine the need for, maintain information regarding and procure materials, supplies, equipment, facilities and services necessary for disaster emergency readiness and recovery.
E. 
To plan and make arrangements for the availability and use of any private facilities, services and property and, if necessary and if in fact used, provide for payment for use under terms and conditions agreed upon.
F. 
To cooperate with the federal government, state government or any other public or private agency or entity in achieving any purpose of this section and in implementing programs for disaster prevention, preparation, response and recovery.
G. 
To accept and coordinate assistance provided by federal agencies in major disasters in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Disaster Relief Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-288, 42 U.S.C. § 5121 et seq.), or any amendment or reenactment thereof.
A local disaster emergency may be declared by the Mayor upon finding that a disaster has occurred or is imminent. The Mayor may authorize the Coordinator of Emergency Management to declare a local disaster emergency, subject to ratification by the Mayor. The declaration of emergency shall not be continued or renewed for a period in excess of seven (7) days, except by or with the consent of the Council. Any order or proclamation declaring, continuing or terminating a local disaster emergency shall be given prompt and general publicity and shall be filed promptly with the State Emergency Management Organization. The effect of a declaration of a local disaster emergency is to activate the response and recovery aspects of the Norristown Emergency Management Organization and to authorize the furnishing of aid and assistance thereunder.
A. 
A Coordinator of Emergency Management shall be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Mayor. Upon the failure of the Mayor to make a recommendation of a candidate for Coordinator, the Governor is authorized to appoint a Coordinator without any recommendation.
B. 
Qualifications of Coordinator. The Coordinator shall be professionally competent and capable of planning, effecting coordination among operating agencies of government and controlling coordinated operations by local emergency preparedness forces.
C. 
In-service training. Each appointed Coordinator shall:
(1) 
Attend and successfully complete the first phase of the career development program as prescribed by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Organization within one (1) year after appointment.
(2) 
Attend and successfully complete the second phase of the career development program as prescribed by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Organization within three (3) years after his appointment.
(3) 
Attend basic and advanced seminars, workshops and training conferences called by the State Director and/or official having responsibility for providing the Coordinator with in-service training.
D. 
Failure of the Coordinator to attend the instruction described in this section or his failure to attend a prescribed training conference for a period of two (2) consecutive years shall be cause for replacement.
The Norristown Emergency Management Council shall:
A. 
Prepare, maintain and keep a current Disaster Emergency Management Plan for the prevention and minimization of injury and damage caused by disaster, emergency relief and recovery in consonance with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Plan.
B. 
Establish, equip and staff an emergency operations center, consolidated with warning and communication systems, to support government operations in emergencies and provide other essential facilities and equipment for agencies and activities assigned emergency functions.
C. 
Provide individual and organizational training programs to ensure prompt, efficient and effective disaster emergency services.
D. 
Organize, prepare and coordinate all locally available manpower, materials, supplies, equipment, facilities and services necessary for emergency readiness, response and recovery.
E. 
Adopt and implement precautionary measures to mitigate the anticipated effects of disaster.
F. 
Execute and enforce such rules and orders as the agency shall adopt and promulgate under the authority of this article.
G. 
Cooperate and coordinate with any public or private agency or entity in achieving any purpose of this article.
H. 
Provide prompt and accurate information regarding local disaster emergencies to appropriate commonwealth agencies and the general public.
Neither the Norristown Emergency Management Organization, Council, Coordinator or any member of the Emergency Council, except in cases of willful misconduct, the agents, employees or representatives of any of them engaged in any emergency services activities nor, except in cases of willful misconduct or gross negligence, any individual or other person under contract with them to provide equipment or work on a cost basis to be used in disaster relief nor, except in cases of willful misconduct or gross negligence, any person, firm, corporation or agent or employee of any of them engaged in disaster services activities, while complying with or attempting to comply with this article or any rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this article, shall be liable for the death of or any injury to persons or loss or damage as a result of that activity.
All duly enrolled emergency management volunteers who are not eligible to receive benefits under the workmen's compensation laws shall be entitled, except during a state of war or period of armed conflict within the continental limits of the United States, to the following benefits relating to injuries sustained while actually engaged in emergency management activities or en route to and from emergency management tasks or operations authorized by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and carried out in accordance with rules and orders promulgated and adopted by the Agency:
A. 
A sum of $2,500 for accidental injury directly causing or leading to death.
B. 
A sum not to exceed $1,500 for reimbursement for medical and hospital expenses associated with accidental injury.