[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Coopersburg
as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 2-14-1989 by Ord. No. 430
(Ch. 1, Part 5A of the 1996 Code)]
The purpose of an emergency management policy is to anticipate the happening
of an unexpected event within the Borough giving rise to conditions which
could seriously affect the health, safety or welfare of a substantial number
of residents and interrupt the operation of essential public services. This
is a result of the mandate of Section 7503 of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management
Services Code, 35 Pa. C.S.A. § 7101 et seq. which requires the Borough
of Coopersburg to prepare, maintain and keep current an Emergency Operations
Plan (EOP) for the prevention and minimization of injury and damage caused
by a major emergency or disaster.
A.
Emergency management is not a separate function set apart
from the normal responsibilities of local government. It is employed whenever
a local government responds to an extraordinary emergency such as a flood,
tornado, earthquake, fire, major accident or explosion, the release of toxic
or radioactive materials, civil disorder or other disasters whether natural
or man-made.
B.
In any major emergency or disaster there must be direction
and coordination of services immediately available within the community and
with those which must be brought in from elsewhere. These services are both
governmental and private. Key personnel from the local police, fire and medical
services will be on immediate call. Direction must come from Borough officials
and designated citizens who have been identified as being available to respond
to an emergency.
A.
Expenses must inevitably be picked up, somehow, after
the emergency has passed. Funds may be drawn from either the local government
or the private sector. That determination should never be allowed to impede
the performance of urgent activities necessitated by disaster.
B.
When the Governor has proclaimed a state of extreme emergency,
each political subdivision within the disaster area may enter into contracts
and incur obligations necessary to combat such threatened or actual disaster,
protect the health and safety of such persons and property and provide emergency
assistance to the victims of such disaster. In exercising this authority the
Borough may proceed without regard to time consuming procedures and formalities
proscribed by law (except for mandatory constitutional and charter requirements)
pertaining to the performance of public works, entering into contracts, incurring
obligations, employment of temporary workers, rental of equipment, purchase
of supplies and materials, levying of taxes and appropriation and expenditure
of public funds.
A.
If and when a emergency occurs there will not be time
to ask the question: Who shall take the lead in putting an emergency plan
into operation? The expected leadership shall come from the following list
of individuals:
B.
The Borough Secretary is placed first and last on the
list in recognition of the fact that this office will most likely become first
involved in notifying and securing the active participation of persons to
be in leadership command. It will be the function of the Borough Secretary
to work with the leadership in its function.
A.
The purpose of the Emergency Management Committee is
to provide broad, authoritative, skilled and experienced leadership essential
to effective action in major emergencies.
B.
The Coopersburg Borough Emergency Management Committee
shall consist of the Mayor, who shall be the ad hoc chairperson guiding the
Coopersburg Borough Emergency Management Committee until it shall have undertaken
its initial organization meeting and selected (or approved an appointee of
Borough Council) an Emergency Management Coordinator for the Borough. After
that event, the Mayor shall remain a member, and second in command, of the
Agency.
C.
The Coopersburg Borough Emergency Management Committee
shall be an advisory body prior to and during major emergency situations whose
purpose will be to prepare and evaluate alternative courses of action capable
of being made available during an emergency and bring support and guidance
to the person in charge during such emergency situation. Decisions of the
Committee, during emergency, are to be advisory only and shall not bind the
person in charge to a particular course of action.
Inasmuch as different natural and man-made events which may develop
the potential for disaster will call for differing approaches and varied and
distinctive problems, at times, an Emergency Operations Plan will have sets
of different procedures designed to meet the problems anticipated from the
developing event. The Emergency Operations Plan of the Borough of Coopersburg
has been set up in contemplation of the following possibilities of events:
A.
Flood, hurricanes, rain and wind.
B.
Water disruptions.
C.
Electric power failure.
D.
Bomb or device scares.
E.
Search/rescue of missing persons, drowning, downed aircraft,
or similar emergency situations.
F.
Train derailments, motor vehicle calamities, fire or
explosion related calamities.
G.
Evacuations from distant municipalities (nuclear accident).
At the moment the Emergency Operations Plan goes into effect and the
Emergency Management Director or other "leader" in the chain of command begins
both an objective and a subjective performance, the ultimate test of judgment
in an emergency. Beyond the Plan (which should be at fingertips at this time)
the following sequence of activities will take place by the individual in
charge:
A.
A quick analysis of the nature and scope of the event;
people involved; and persons and institutions needed immediately.
B.
A setting in motion of activity to reach out to county,
state and federal civil defense or emergency officials.
C.
A search for private sector responsible persons if the
calamity has been set off by actors or agencies of commerce or industry.
D.
A designation of individual or individuals to make records
of sequence and happening of events, with objective data development an important
priority.
E.
A submission of initial and follow-up reports to county,
area or state emergency management offices.
F.
A submission of damage assessment reports when requested.
G.
Review events and plan improvements in existing Emergency
Operations Plan.
In response to the mandate of § 7503 of the Pennsylvania Management
Services Code, 35 Pa. C.S.A. § 7102 et seq. the Borough of Coopersburg
hereby adopts the Generic Emergency Operation Plan submitted by the Department
of Property Services of the Office of Civil Defense of the County of Lehigh,
submitted January 4, 1989, in form, contents and style as adapted to the Borough
institutions and personnel therein named to carry out stated functions. The
Emergency Operations Plan of the Borough of Coopersburg shall be revised and
readopted as revised, annually, at the first meeting of the Borough Council
in January of each calendar year; such action to be taken by resolution, and
the first resolution number of each calendar year is so designated to be utilized
for this administrative purpose. Each such resolution, from year to year,
is hereby designated to be a part and parcel of this article and incorporated
by reference therein.
[Adopted 3-22-1994 by Res. No. 2-94
(Ch. 1, Part 5B of the 1996 Code)]
The Borough of Coopersburg Council does hereby approve, adopt and place
into immediate effect the Emergency Operations Plan of the Borough of Coopersburg.
This plan shall be revised on an annual basis to make certain that it conforms
with the requirements of the Lehigh County Emergency Operations Plan.
[1]
Editor's Note: The Borough of Coopersburg Emergency Operation
Plan is on file in the Borough offices.
