The following words and phrases, when used in this Part, shall
have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, 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 citizens of this commonwealth or preclude the operation
or use of essential public facilities.
B.
Be of such magnitude or severity as to render essential state
supplementation of county and local efforts or resources exerted or
utilized in alleviating the danger, damage, suffering or hardship
faced.
C.
Have been caused by forces beyond the control of man, by reason
of civil disorder, riot or disturbance, or by factors not foreseen
and not known to exist when appropriation bills were enacted.
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, man-made or natural resources.
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, firefighting services,
police services, medical and health services, rescue, engineering,
disaster warning services, communications, radiological, shelter,
chemical and other special weapons defense, evacuation of persons
from stricken areas, emergency welfare services, emergency transportation,
emergency resources protection, temporary restoration of public utility
services and other functions related to civilian protection.
LOCAL EMERGENCY
The condition declared by the local governing body when in
their 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. A local emergency
arising wholly or substantially out of a resource shortage may be
declared only by the governor, upon petition of the local governing
body, when he deems the threat or actual occurrence of a disaster
to be sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant coordinated local
government action to prevent or alleviate the damage, loss, hardship
or suffering threatened or caused thereby.
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.
RESOURCE SHORTAGE
The absence, unavailability or reduced supply of any raw
or processed natural resource, or any commodities, goods or services
of any kind which bear a substantial relationship to the health, safety,
welfare and economic well-being of the citizens of this commonwealth.
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 use of bombs, missiles, shell fire, nuclear,
radiological, chemical or biological means, or other weapons or overt
paramilitary actions, or other conditions, such as sabotage.
The Township hereby declares the establishment of a local emergency
management organization in accordance with the plan and program of
the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. Said organization shall
have the responsibility for emergency management, response and recovery
within the territorial limits of Upper Makefield Township within which
it is organized and, in addition, shall conduct such services outside
of its jurisdictional limits as may be required.
A local disaster emergency may be declared by the Upper Makefield Township Board of Supervisors upon finding a disaster has occurred or is imminent. The Upper Makefield Township Board of Supervisors may by resolution authorize one or more chief executive officers of the Township to declare a local disaster emergency subject to ratification by the Upper Makefield Township Board of Supervisors. Such authorization to declare a local disaster may be granted in descending order of rank, depending upon availability of said officers. The declaration of a local disaster emergency shall be ratified by the Board of Supervisors except where it is determined a duly authorized chief executive has grossly abused his/her discretion in declaring a local emergency or the circumstances warranting the declaration of a local disaster do not meet the definitional requirements contained in §
10-101 hereof.
Each appointed coordinator and deputy shall:
A. Attend an successfully complete the first phase of the career development
program as prescribed by the agency within one year after appointment.
B. Attend and successfully complete the second phase of the career development
program as prescribed by the agency within three years after appointment.
C. 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.
Each appointed coordinator and deputy coordinator shall be reimbursed
for actual expenses incurred in the performance of his required training
and attendance at scheduled meetings.
The local coordinators of emergency management shall develop
mutual aid agreements, subject to Board of Supervisor approval, for
reciprocal emergency assistance.
No purchase or purchases shall be made, no contract entered
into and no expenses incurred by the local emergency coordinator or
by anyone of his/her deputy coordinators in excess of $25 annually
unless the proposed expenditure has been approved in writing by the
Board of Supervisors. However, in the event of a duly ratified and
declared local disaster, the emergency management coordinator and
his/her deputy shall be authorized to purchase or enter into contracts
in response to said declared disaster in a total monetary amount to
be set from time to time by the Board of Supervisors by resolution.
Notwithstanding any other provision within this section to the contrary,
whenever the duly appointed Township Solicitor has, by written legal
opinion filed with the Township Secretary, determined in light of
the exigencies of a declared local emergency that time-consuming procedures
and formalities prescribed by law pertaining to the performance of
public work, entering into contracts, the incurring of obligations,
the employment of temporary workers, the renting of equipment, the
purchase of supplies and materials, and the expenditure of public
funds may be disregarded, then in that event the emergency management
coordinator and his/her deputy coordinators may operator without regard
to such formalities and procedures, provided expenditures are within
the monetary limits authorized by the Board of Supervisors.
It shall be the responsibility of the duly appointed local management
coordinator and his/her deputy coordinators to provide for the following
with the approval and consent of the Upper Makefield Township Board
of Supervisors:
A. Prepare, maintain, administer and keep current a disaster emergency
management plan for the prevention and minimization of injury and
damage caused by disaster, promote an effective response to disaster
and disaster emergency relief and recovery in consonance with the
Pennsylvania Emergency Management plan.
B. Establish, equip, administer 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 insure
prompt, efficient and effective disaster emergency services.
D. Organize, prepare, administer and coordinate all locally available
manpower, materials, supplies, equipment, facilities and services
necessary for disaster emergency readiness, response and recovery.
E. Adopt, administer 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 Part.
G. Cooperate and coordinate with any public and private agency or entity
in achieving any purpose of this Part.
H. Have available for inspection at its emergency operations center
all emergency management plans, rules and orders of the Governor and
the agency.
I. Provide prompt and accurate information regarding local disaster
emergencies to appropriate commonwealth and local officials and agencies
and the general public.
J. Develop mutual aid agreements with adjacent political subdivisions
and other organizations for reciprocal emergency assistance. The agreement
shall be consistent with the plans and programs of the agency.
K. Give prompt and general publicity to any order or proclamation declaring,
continuing or terminating a local disaster emergency. Notice of such
orders or proclamations shall be promptly filed with the Pennsylvania
Emergency Management Agency.
L. Generally responsible for the planning, administration and operation
of the local emergency management organization.