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.
(Prior code § 3600; Ord. 86-119, 1986)
As used in this chapter:
"Emergency"
shall mean 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, or earthquake, or other conditions,
including conditions resulting from war or the 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.
(Prior code § 3601; Ord. 86-119, 1986)
The City of West Hollywood Disaster Council is hereby 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. Such
emergency coordinators as are provided for in a current emergency
plan of this city, adopted pursuant to this chapter.
d. 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.
(Prior code § 3602; Ord. 86-119, 1986; Ord. 96-477 § 2, 1996)
It shall be the duty of the City of West Hollywood Disaster
Council, and it is hereby 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
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.
(Prior code § 3603; Ord. 86-119, 1986)
There is created the office of Director of Emergency Services.
The City Manager or alternate, as stated in the Standardized Emergency
Management System ("SEMS") documents and the emergency plan of this
city, shall be the Director of Emergency Services.
(Prior code § 3604; Ord. 86-119, 1986; Ord. 96-477 § 3, 1996)
a. The
Director is hereby 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 hereby empowered:
(a) To make and issue rules and regulations on matters reasonably related
to the protection of life and property as affected 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 or she deems necessary in the execution of his or
her 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 this ordinary power as City Manager, all of the
special powers conferred upon him or her by this chapter or by resolution
or emergency plan pursuant hereto adopted by the City Council, all
powers conferred upon him or her by any statute, by any agreement
approved by the City Council, and by any other lawful authority.
b. The
Director of Emergency Services shall designate the order of succession
to that office, to take effect in the event the Director is unavailable
to attend meetings and otherwise perform his or her duties during
an emergency.
(Prior code § 3605; Ord. 86-119, 1986; Ord. 96-477 § 4, 1996)
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 subparagraph (a)(6)(b) of Section
2.80.060, 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 of West Hollywood.
(Prior code § 3606; Ord. 86-119, 1986)
Staff as assigned by the City Manager shall be responsible for
the development of the City of West Hollywood 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 take effect
upon adoption by resolution of the City Council.
(Prior code § 3607; Ord. 86-119, 1986; Ord. 96-477 § 5, 1996)
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 of West Hollywood.
(Prior code § 3608; Ord. 86-119, 1986)
It shall be a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not to exceed
$1,000 or by imprisonment for not to exceed six months, or both, for
any person, during an emergency, to:
a. Willfully
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.
c. Wear,
carry, or display, without authority, any means of identification
specified by the emergency agency of the State.
d. Be in
violation of any lawful curfew order enacted pursuant to this chapter,
unless the individual violates such order by reason of good cause,
necessity or is homeless and has no place to go.
(Prior code § 3609; Ord. 86-119, 1986; Ord. 382 §§ 1, 2, 1993)
The West Hollywood Emergency Plan is in compliance with the
Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), as established in
the
Government Code, SB 1841, Section 8607.
The Public Safety Administrator, with assistance from designated
staff, is responsible for updating and maintaining the Emergency Plan,
as well as keeping it in compliance with SEMS.
(Prior code § 3610; Ord. 86-119, 1986)