(Rev. Ords. 1976, Pt. 2, Ch. 5, §§ 1--3)
(a) 
There shall be a department of civil defense to be under the direction of a director of civil defense. The department may also be referred to as the civil defense agency.
(b) 
It shall be the function of the department of civil defense to carry out the duties prescribed by Acts of 1950, chapter 639 and any acts in amendment or in addition to such chapter 639 and such other functions and duties as may be set forth in this chapter or established by ordinance from time to time not inconsistent with the laws of the Commonwealth, namely, to prepare for and carry out all emergency functions, other than functions for which military forces other than the National Guard are primarily responsible, for the purpose of minimizing and repairing injury and damage resulting from disasters caused by attack, sabotage or other hostile action or by fire, flood, earthquake or other natural causes. Such functions shall include specifically, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, fire-fighting and police services, medical and health services, rescue, engineering and air raid warning services, evacuation of persons from stricken areas, emergency welfare services, communications, radiological, chemical and other special weapons of defense, emergency transportation, existing or properly assigned functions of plant protection, temporary restoration of public utility services and other functions.
(c) 
The department of civil defense shall be provided with suitable office space, equipment and supplies.
(Rev. Ords. 1976, Pt. 2, Ch. 5, §§ 4--6)
(a) 
The director of civil defense shall be appointed by and shall serve at the pleasure of the mayor.
(b) 
Subject to general control of the mayor, the director of civil defense shall have the direct responsibility for the organization, administration and operation of the civil defense agency.
(c) 
The director of civil defense shall receive such salary as shall be, from time to time, established by ordinance.
(Rev. Ords. 1976, Pt. 2, Ch. 5, § 7)
In the event of a disaster as defined in section 1 of Acts of 1950, chapter 639, the city, acting through the director of civil defense, shall have power to enter into contracts and incur obligations necessary to combat such disaster to protect the health and safety of persons and property, and to provide emergency assistance to the victims of such disaster. Further in the event of such disaster, the director of civil defense is authorized to exercise all the powers set forth in Acts of 1950, chapter 639, pertaining to the performance of public work, making of contracts, incurring obligations, employment of temporary workers, rental of equipment and purchasing of supplies. Such action taken in time of disaster shall be subject to the approval of the mayor.
(Rev. Ords. 1976, Pt. 2, Ch. 5, § 9)
For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this chapter, the mayor, or if so delegated by him the director of civil defense, may within the limits of amounts appropriated therefor, appoint and employ such experts, clerks and other employees as the work of the department of civil defense may require and may remove them and in general may make such expenditures within the limits of appropriations and as may be necessary to execute effectively the purposes of Acts of 1950, chapter 639, and of this chapter, and any acts in amendment to or in addition to such law or this chapter.
(Rev. Ords. 1976, Pt. 2, Ch. 5, § 10)
The chief of police, with the approval of the director of civil defense and of the mayor, is authorized to send to the aid of any other city or town in the event of disaster such equipment and personnel of his department as in the judgment of the chief of police shall be advisable for the suppression of riot or other form of violence in such other city or town in the event of a request therefor from the mayor or city manager of such city or selectmen of such town.
(Rev. Ords. 1976, Pt. 2, Ch. 5, § 11)
(a) 
In accordance with the authority referred to in section 15 of Acts of 1950, chapter 639, the city may accept gifts, grants or loans of services, equipment, supplies, materials or funds for the purposes of civil defense from the federal government or any agency or officer thereof or from any person.
(b) 
The acceptance of such gifts, grants or loans shall be subject to the terms of the offer and the rules and regulations, if any, of the agency or person making such offer. Acceptance of such gifts, grants or loans on behalf of the city shall be made through its city council subject to the approval of the mayor.
(c) 
Appropriate records shall be kept by the director of civil defense of all matters relating to such gifts, grants or loans.
(Rev. Ords. 1976, Pt. 2, Ch. 5, § 12)
(a) 
Upon the promulgation of executive orders or of general regulations by the governor of the Commonwealth, or upon a directive by the governor to the mayor or to the director of civil defense or other municipal department officer or employee of the city to carry out the provisions of any such executive order, regulation or directive, the director of civil defense is hereby authorized and directed to take all necessary steps to carry out such executive order, regulation or directive in spite of any municipal ordinance or procedure which may in whole or in part conflict with such executive order, regulation or directive.
(b) 
All such actions shall be taken and such executive orders or regulations shall be carried out for the purpose of meeting conditions arising from emergency or disasters, without the delay, caused by observance of ordinances or procedures customary in periods of normal life.
(Rev. Ords. 1976, Pt. 2, Ch. 5, § 13)
Upon the receipt of any executive order, general regulation or directive from the governor, as referred to in section 6-8 under the powers conferred upon him by Acts of 1950, chapter 639, the director of civil defense or the officer or employee of the city receiving such order, regulation or directive shall cause copies thereof with all due diligence to be filed with the City Clerk, the mayor, the city auditor, the city solicitor, the director of civil defense and the department affected thereby.
(Rev. Ords. 1976, Pt. 2, Ch. 5, § 14)
In carrying out the purposes of civil defense, the city shall use the services, equipment, supplies and facilities of the departments, officers and agents of the Commonwealth and of the political subdivisions of the Commonwealth to the maximum extent practicable, and all officers, departments, agents and employees of the city shall, to the fullest extent practicable, cooperate and extend their services to the Commonwealth and other civil defense organizations of the Commonwealth upon request to the end that so far as municipal action by the city is concerned the spirit and purposes of Acts 1950, chapter 639, shall be carried out to the fullest extent.