Because of the existing and increasing possibility of disasters
of unprecedented size and destructiveness resulting from fire, flood,
earthquake, hurricane, tropical storm, plane crash or other natural
or man-made causes, and in order to ensure that preparation of this
City will be adequate to deal with such disasters in addition to civil
insurrection, war or any hostility towards the United States and generally
provide for the common defense and to protect the public peace, health,
safety and to preserve the lives and property of the residents of
this City, it is hereby found and declared to be necessary to:
A. Create an Office of Emergency Management.
B. Provide for the rendering of mutual aid to other cities within the
State of New Jersey and adjoining states and to cooperate with the
state government with respect to carrying out emergency functions.
C. Create and test an emergency operations plan for all divisions of
City government in the event of one of the aforementioned disasters.
It is further declared to be the purpose of this section and
the policy of this City that all emergency functions of the state
government, including its various departments and agencies, of the
county government and of the other municipalities and private agencies
of every type shall be included in the emergency operations plan so
that a Comprehensive Plan can be developed to make use of all available
resources in the event that a disaster does occur.
It is further declared to be the purpose of this section and
the policy of this City to organize an Office of Emergency Management
in conformity with the Civil Defense Act as directed by P.L. 1942,
c. 251, N.J.S.A. App. A:9-33 et seq., as amended.
The Mayor of this City shall be responsible for the appointment
of a qualified Coordinator of this Office pursuant to state and federal
guidelines as of the date of his/her appointment. The Coordinator
shall serve for a term of three years subject to fulfilling the requirements
of state statute (N.J.S.A. App. A:9-40.1). It shall be the responsibility
of the Coordinator to appoint a Deputy Coordinator and such staff
as may be needed to effectively operate this office. The appointment
of each Deputy Coordinator is subject to the approval of the Mayor
and, whenever possible, shall be appointed from among the salaried
officers or employees of the municipality. It is the responsibility
of the staff, under the direction of the Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator,
to create and test the emergency operations plan and to be prepared
to activate it whenever necessary.
It shall be the responsibility of this organization to carry
out and enforce such orders, rules and regulations as issued by the
Coordinator or the chain of command as outlined by the emergency operations
plan, under the authority of this section.
The Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator as herein appointed may
be entitled to compensation to be determined by a majority of the
Common Council on an annual basis in accordance with the appropriate
salary ordinance.