The declared purposes of this chapter are to provide for the
preparation and carrying out of plans for the protection of persons
and property within this city in the event of an emergency; the direction
of the emergency organization; and the coordination of the emergency
functions of this city with all other public agencies, corporations,
organizations and affected private persons.
(Ord. 622 § 1, 1971)
As used in this chapter, “emergency” means the actual
or threatened existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril
to the safety of persons and property within this city caused by such
conditions as air pollution, fire, flood, storm, epidemic, riot, drought,
sudden and severe energy shortage, plant or animal infestation or
disease or earthquake, or other conditions, including conditions resulting
from war or imminent threat of war, but other than conditions resulting
from a labor controversy, which conditions are or are likely to be
beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities
of this city, requiring the combined forces of other political subdivisions
to combat.
(Ord. 622 § 2, 1971; Ord. 938 § 1, 1983)
The city disaster council is created and shall consist of the
following:
(a) The
mayor, who shall be chairman;
(b) The
director of emergency services, who shall be vice-chairman;
(c) The
assistant director of emergency services;
(d) Such
chiefs of emergency services as are provided for in the current emergency
plan of this city, adopted pursuant to this chapter;
(e) Such
representatives of civic, business, labor, veterans, professional
or other organizations having an official emergency responsibility,
as may be appointed by the director with the advice and consent of
the city council.
(Ord. 622 § 3, 1971)
It shall be the duty of the city disaster council, and it is
empowered, to develop and recommend for adoption by the city council,
emergency and mutual aid plans and agreements and such ordinances
and resolutions and rules and regulations as are necessary to implement
such plans and agreements. The disaster council or selected representation
therefrom shall meet upon call of the chairman or, in his absence
from the city or inability to call such meeting, upon call of the
vice-chairman.
(Ord. 622 § 4, 1971)
(a) The
offices of director of emergency services and assistant director of
emergency services are created. The city manager shall be the director
of emergency services and the fire chief shall be the assistant director
of emergency services.
(b) The
order of succession to the office of the director of emergency services
shall be the assistant director and thereafter the police chief.
(Ord. 622 § 5, 1971; Ord. 1053 § 6, 1989)
(a) The
director is empowered to:
(1) Request the city council to proclaim the existence or threatened
existence of a local emergency if the city council is in session,
or to issue such proclamation if the city council is not in session.
Whenever a local emergency is proclaimed by the director, the city
council shall take action to ratify the proclamation within seven
days thereafter or the proclamation shall have no further force or
effect;
(2) Request the governor to proclaim a state of emergency when, in the
opinion of the director, the locally available resources are inadequate
to cope with the emergency;
(3) Control and direct the effort of the emergency organization of this
city for the accomplishment of the purposes of this chapter;
(4) Direct cooperation between and coordination of services and staff
of the emergency organization of this city; and resolve questions
of authority and responsibility that may arise between them;
(5) Represent this city in all dealings with public or private agencies
on matters pertaining to emergencies as defined herein;
(6) In the event of the proclamation of a local emergency as herein provided,
the proclamation of a state of emergency by the Governor or the Director
of the State Office of Emergency Services, or the existence of a state
of war emergency, the director is empowered:
(A) To make and issue rules and regulations, on matters reasonably related
to the protection of life and property as effected by such emergency;
provided, however, such rules and regulations must be confirmed at
the earliest practicable time by the city council,
(B) To obtain vital supplies, equipment and such other properties found
lacking and needed for the protection of life and property and to
bind the city for the fair value thereof and, if required immediately,
to commandeer the same for public use,
(C) To require emergency services of any city officer or employee and,
in the event of the proclamation of a state of emergency in the county
in which this city is located or the existence of a state of war emergency,
to command the aid of as many citizens of this community as he deems
necessary in the execution of his duties; such persons shall be entitled
to all privileges, benefits and immunities as are provided by state
law for registered disaster service workers,
(D) To requisition necessary personnel or material of any city department
or agency, and
(E) To execute all of his ordinary power as city manager, all of the
special powers conferred upon him by this chapter or by resolution
or emergency plan pursuant hereto adopted by the city council, all
powers conferred upon him by any statute, by any agreement approved
by the city council and by any other lawful authority.
(b) The
assistant director shall, under the supervision of the director and
with the assistance of emergency service chiefs, develop emergency
plans and manage the emergency programs of this city; and shall have
such other powers and duties as may be assigned by the director.
(Ord. 622 § 6, 1971; Ord. 1053 § 7, 1989)
All officers and employees of this city, together with those volunteer forces enrolled to aid them during an emergency, and all groups, organizations and persons who may by agreement or operation of law, including persons impressed into service under the provisions of Section
2.72.060(a)(6)(C), be charged with duties incident to the protection of life and property in this city during such emergency, shall constitute the emergency organization of the city.
(Ord. 622 § 7, 1971)
The city disaster council shall be responsible for the development
of the city emergency plan, which plan shall provide for the effective
mobilization of all of the resources of this city, both public and
private, to meet any condition constituting a local emergency, state
of emergency or state of war emergency, and shall provide for the
organization, powers and duties, services and staff of the emergency
organization. Such plan shall be in effect as of the date of an approving
resolution by the city council.
(Ord. 622 § 8, 1971)
The city of South San Francisco shall be a member of the San
Mateo Operational Area Emergency Services Organization, which serves
to coordinate civil defense and disaster plans, programs and agreements
among the political subdivisions in the county of San Mateo and between
the political subdivisions and the Office of Emergency Services of
the state of California. The mayor or an alternate from the city council
shall be a voting member of the San Mateo Operational Area Emergency
Services Council, which serves as the governing body of the San Mateo
Operational Area Emergency Services Organization.
(Ord. 622 § 9, 1971; Ord. 938 § 2, 1983)
Any expenditures made in connection with emergency activities,
including mutual aid activities, shall be deemed conclusively to be
for the direct protection and benefit of the inhabitants and property
of the city.
(Ord. 622 § 10, 1971)
It is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not to exceed five
hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not to exceed six months,
or both, for any person, during an emergency, to:
(a) Wilfully
obstruct, hinder or delay any member of the emergency organization
in the enforcement of any lawful rule or regulation issued pursuant
to this chapter, or in the performance of any duty imposed upon him
by virtue of this chapter;
(b) Do
any act forbidden by any lawful rule or regulation issued pursuant
to this chapter, if such act is of such a nature as to give or be
likely to give assistance to the enemy or to imperil the lives or
property of inhabitants of this city, or to prevent, hinder or delay
the defense or protection thereof;
(c) Wear,
carry or display, without authority, any means of identification specified
by the emergency agency of the state.
(Ord. 622 § 11, 1971)