[HISTORY: Adopted by the Cayuga County Legislature 6-25-2013 by L.L. No. 2-2013. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
Section 20(2)(a) of the Executive Law defines a disaster as follows:
"....occurrence or imminent threat of wide spread or severe damage,
injury, or loss of life or property resulting from any natural or
man-made causes, including, but not limited to, fire, flood, earthquake,
hurricane, tornado, high water, landslide, mudslide, wind, storm,
wave action, volcanic activity, epidemic, air contamination, terrorism,
cyber event, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, radiological
accident, nuclear, chemical, biological or bacteriological release,
water contamination, bridge failure or bridge collapse"; and
B.
Section 27 of the said law authorizes County government to provide
for the continuity of County government in the event of a disaster,
and that is the purpose of the following.
Pursuant to Article 2-B of the Executive Law of the State of
New York, in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, as defined
in § 20 of the New York Executive Law, within the County
of Cayuga, the following directives shall apply to the conduct and
duties of Cayuga County officers and agencies:
A.
The chief elected or appointed officers of the County shall provide
for continuity of government by establishing a chain of command. To
insure prompt notification to administrative officials, the County
Emergency Management Office should be advised of each departmental
line of succession. Wherever possible, the line of succession should
extend to four levels of management, including home addresses and
home phone numbers, and phone numbers of pagers and cell phones if
available and/or used by the person.
B.
If, as a result of a disaster, the County Legislature is unable to
discharge its powers and duties and the Chair, or the appropriate
successor (herein after "Chair"), pursuant to this article files a
sworn certificate with the County Clerk and the Clerk of the County
Legislature to that effect, then the following officers shall act
as the governing body in its place: Chair of the County Legislature,
Deputy Chair, Majority Leader/Minority Leaders, Chair of Judicial
and Public Safety Committee, County Administrator. Persons other than
County Legislators may be designated as substitutes only after it
is determined that there are no County Legislators available. The
emergency governing body shall have all the power and duties of the
County Legislature and may appoint replacements for County Officers
not available to act in their disability or absence.
C.
Succession of authority. In the absence of the Chair or in the event
of inability for any reason to discharge the powers and duties of
the office during a period of disaster, the succeeding chain of command
during the period of the disaster shall be the Deputy Chair of the
County Legislature, then the Majority Leader/Minority Leaders, then
the Chair of Judicial and Public Safety, and then the County Administrator.
Such chain of command shall remain in effect unless the County Legislature
(or the committee exercising its function) by resolution designates
a different chief administrator for purposes of the particular emergency
or disaster.
D.
All County officers and agencies of Cayuga County shall continue
regular County government operations to the extent permitted by natural
or man-made disaster emergency conditions, shall implement, as able,
all provisions of disaster preparedness and emergency response plans
as authorized by the Chair and, if necessary, will follow lines of
succession established by this article for continuity of government.
The Chair of the County Legislature:
A.
Shall be responsible for the conduct of natural or man-made disaster
operations;
B.
May declare a state of emergency in all or part of the County and
issue such executive orders to expedite the response to the emergency
that exists or is imminent pursuant to Article 2-B, § 24,
of the State Executive Law;
C.
Shall utilize, when necessary, County emergency management/civil
defense forces as provided in Article 2-B of the Executive Law, and
any New York State defense emergency statutes;
D.
Shall, when necessary, procure assistance through the Cayuga County
Office of Emergency Services from New York State Division of Homeland
Security and Emergency Services and federal governments and other
political subdivisions;
E.
Shall submit to the New York State Division of Homeland Security
and Emergency Services and Disaster Preparedness Commission all such
reports as are required as a basis for obtaining state and/or federal
financial assistance; and
F.
The "consider appointing someone without a typical initial response
role" shall act as the Public Information Officer (PIO) to the public
or designate PIO duties or establish a Joint Information Center (JIC).
A.
The following officers and agencies of Cayuga County shall direct
and coordinate performance of their emergency functions in the event
of natural or man-made disaster:
(1)
Sheriff. Maintains law and order including protection of life and
property, regulates and controls traffic, directs the injured and
sick to medical installations and those in need of temporary shelter
to mass care installations, and provides assistance to handicapped
persons by obtaining transportation and directing them to the Red
Cross or other suitable reception and mass care installations.
(2)
Director of Emergency Services. Maintains and activates the Emergency
Operations Center. Coordinates the activities of governmental, private,
and volunteer agencies associated with preparation for, response to,
mitigation of, and recovery from a disaster within the County. Acts
as the Regional Fire Administrator under the New York Statewide Mobilization
and Mutual Aid Plan for the County to make available state assistance
through the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.
Coordinates the provision of resources for triage, treatment and transport
of ill and injured victims between service providers and the hospitals,
obtains aid under the "Cayuga County Emergency Services Mutual Aid
Annex" utilizing EMS first response and ambulance service providers.
(3)
Deputy Director of Emergency Services. In the absence of or as directed
by the Director of Emergency Services, maintains and activates the
Emergency Operations Center, coordinates the activities of governmental,
private, and volunteer agencies associated with preparation for, response
to, mitigation of, and recovery from a disaster within the County.
Acts as the Regional Fire Administrator under the New York Statewide
Mobilization and Mutual Aid Plan for the County to make available
state assistance through the New York State Office of Fire Prevention
and Control. Coordinates the provision of resources for triage, treatment
and transport of ill and injured victims between service providers
and the hospitals, obtains aid under the "Cayuga County Emergency
Services Mutual Aid Annex" utilizing EMS first response and ambulance
service providers.
(4)
Deputy Director for Fire Services. Under supervision of the Director
of Emergency Services, coordinates the containment and extinguishment
of fires, obtain aid under the "Cayuga County Emergency Services Mutual
Aid Annex", utilizes fire emergency rescue and first aid squads and
departments for removal of trapped and injured persons from damaged
buildings and structures and coordinates the County's firefighting
departments through the County's Mutual Air Program.
(5)
County Administrator. Renders advice and assists the Chair with regard
to continuity of government, application and implementation of the
New York State and United States Government laws, rules and regulations,
as well as orders of the State Disaster Preparedness Commission, Civil
Defense Commission, and executive orders.
(6)
County Attorney. Renders advice and legal opinions to the Chair with
regard to continuity of government, and interpretation, application
and implementation of the New York State and United States Government
laws, rules and regulations, as well as orders of the State Disaster
Preparedness Commission, Civil Defense Commission, and executive orders.
(7)
District Attorney. Acts as legal advisor to the Sheriff and other
law enforcement officials with regard to criminal law matters.
(8)
Highway Superintendent. Maintains highways and bridges under the
jurisdiction of the Highway Department, oversees clearing of roads
from ice, snow, and other debris, coordinates activities with other
highway departments and utilities, assists emergency services providers
when necessary, assists in assessments and documentation of the disaster
impact on the County.
(9)
Director of Health and Human Services. Furnishes authorized assistance
to those in need in accordance with the provisions of the Social Services
Law. Also provides health and medical services as identified in their
emergency response plans and, to the extent able, to the population
including safeguarding the health of people.
(10)
Director of Real Property Tax Services. Provides all assistance available
from the office in the preparation of property damage assessment surveys
and reports.
(11)
County Treasurer. Provides all the assistance available from the
office, at the direction of the Chair, for the collection, compilation,
processing and reporting of all data relative to the evaluation, preparation
and reporting of damage assessments, injury and death records and
statistics, and all other information required to assess and evaluate
the effects of a disaster by local, state and federal authorities.
(12)
Director of Information Technology. Provides, at the direction of
the Chair, all the assistance available from the office for the repair,
implementation of all electronic devices and interfaces, and all other
information and/or technology support or assistance as required.
(13)
Director of Community/Clinic. Provides all the assistance available
from the office, at the direction of the Chair.
(14)
Director of Office for the Aging. Assesses and ministers to the disaster
needs of the elderly, provides departmental resources, facilities,
and personnel to meet these needs.
(15)
County Purchasing Agency. Assists in the procurement and distribution
of critical supplies and resources to effect disaster response and
recovery.
(16)
Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds. Provides building maintenance
services necessary to effect disaster response and recovery operations
to ensure essential Emergency Operations Center functions including,
but not limited to, emergency power, ventilation, lights, plumbing
and accessibility of parking lots.
(17)
Director of Planning. Provides assistance in analyzing economic and
other disaster impact information required for state and federal assistance.
Shall provide code, land use, and research data available to effect
disaster operations
(18)
Coroner. Identifies, or attempts to identify, the dead, coordinates
the removal of bodies to secured areas for proper identification and/or
processing. Maintains records and submits required reports to County
and state agencies.
(19)
County Clerk. Files declarations with the Secretary of State and
state of emergency and emergency orders issued to expedite response.
Is responsible for the maintenance and availability of essential records,
documents and other materials required during the emergency.
(20)
Clerk of the Legislature. Assists the Chair in whatever manner possible.
(21)
Others. Any other County official or employee deemed necessary by
the Chair shall render whatever aid possible as directed by the Chair.
To ensure an effective operational capability in the event of
a natural or man-made disaster or a national emergency, it is incumbent
upon those departments named in this chapter to be NIMS compliant
in order to integrate into emergency operations. One person from each
named department shall have mandated NIMS minimum training.
In the event of a natural or man-made disaster or national emergency,
or preparation therefore, all the elected or appointed officials and
officers of the County shall have the authority to assign emergency
management functions to members of their staffs and such personnel
shall cooperate and extend such services as required of them.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section or
part of this chapter or the application thereof to any person, individual,
corporation, firm partnership, entity or circumstance shall be adjudged
by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unconstitutional,
such order or judgment shall not affect, impair, effect or invalidate
the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the
clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section or part of this
chapter or in its application to the person, individual, corporation,
firm, partnership, entity or circumstance directly involved in the
controversy in which such order or judgment shall be rendered.
