Because of the existing and increasing possibility of disasters of unprecedented
size and destructiveness resulting from fire, flood, earthquake, hurricane,
tropical storm, plane crash or other natural or man-made causes, and in order
to ensure that preparations of this city will be adequate to deal with such
disasters in addition to civil insurrection, war or any hostility towards
the United States and generally provide for the common defense
and to protect the public peace, health, safety and to preserve the lives
and property of the residents of this city, it is hereby found and declared
to be necessary to:
A. Create an Office of Emergency Management.
B. Provide for the rendering of mutual aid to other cities
within the State of New Jersey and adjoining states and to cooperate with
the state government with respect to carrying out emergency functions.
C. Create and test an emergency operations plan for all
divisions of city government in the event of one of the aforementioned disasters.
It is further declared to be the purpose of this chapter and the policy
of this city that all emergency functions of the state government, including
its various departments and agencies, of the county government and of the
other municipalities and private agencies of every type shall be included
in the emergency operations plan so that a comprehensive plan can be developed
to make use of all available resources in the event that a disaster does occur.
It is further declared to be the purpose of this chapter and the policy
of this city to organize an Office of Emergency Management in conformity with
the Civil Defense Act as directed by P.L. 1942, c. 251, as amended.
The Mayor of this city shall be responsible for the appointment of a
qualified Coordinator of this Office pursuant to state and federal guidelines
as of the date of his/her appointment. The Coordinator shall serve for a term
of three years subject to fulfilling the requirements of state statute (N.J.S.A.
App. A:9-40.1). It shall be the responsibility of the Coordinator to appoint
a Deputy Coordinator and such staff as may be needed to effectively operate
this office. The appointment of each Deputy Coordinator is subject to the
approval of the Mayor and, whenever possible, shall be appointed from among
the salaried officers or employees of the municipality. It is the responsibility
of the staff, under the direction of the Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator,
to create and test the emergency operations plan and to be prepared to activate
it whenever necessary.
It shall be the responsibility of this organization to carry out and
enforce such orders, rules and regulations as issued by the Coordinator or
the chain of command as outlined by the emergency operations plan, under the
authority of this chapter.