The purpose of this chapter is to provide for a coordinated
municipal response to emergencies that threaten the health, safety
and welfare of persons and property in the City of New Castle; to
provide for the declaration of an emergency by the Mayor; to authorize
certain measures in response to such emergencies; and to provide for
the creation and adoption of an Emergency Management Plan.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
CURFEW
A prohibition against any person's presence, whether
within a vehicle of any kind, or on foot, upon any alley, street,
highway, public property, or vacant premises within the corporate
limits of the City of New Castle, for a designated period or periods
of time and/or in a designated volume of occupancy. Such a prohibition
shall not apply to persons officially designated to discharge duties
through a valid Emergency Management Plan or under state or federal
authorities.
EMERGENCY
Any disaster resulting from a catastrophic condition caused
by human intervention, a natural event, a public health crisis, civil
disorder or war, impacting or likely to impact the City of New Castle
and resulting in substantial damage to property or the environment,
hardship, suffering, injury, or actual or potential loss of life,
to such an extent that extraordinary measures must be taken to ensure
public health, safety, and welfare. An emergency must be proactively
declared by the Mayor, in a writing made available for immediate dissemination
to the public.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR
A designation for the City Administrator on the Emergency Management Team, unless another person is designated by the Mayor pursuant to §
28-4 of this chapter, who shall be responsible for implementing the Mayor's executive decisions in accordance with an Emergency Management Plan. The Emergency Management Coordinator's designation shall expire at the termination of the applicable emergency.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN
A plan approved by the Mayor in accordance with §
28-6 of this chapter, in consultation with the Emergency Management Team, and setting forth measures for the mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery of a given emergency once an emergency has been declared by the Mayor.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM
The team consisting of the members set forth in §
28-4 of this chapter responsible for coordinating and implementing any emergency authorities authorized under §
28-5 of this chapter in accordance with an Emergency Management Plan.
MITIGATION
Ongoing actions undertaken to reduce the impact of emergencies;
e.g., identifying and addressing potential and ancillary hazards.
PREPAREDNESS
Actions undertaken in anticipation of a likely or imminent
emergency with the purpose of enhancing readiness and minimizing the
impact thereof; e.g., maintenance of evacuation routes and shelters,
and the acquisition of necessary resources such as food, medicine
and other supplies, and taking action to protect vulnerable persons
and property.
RECOVERY
Post-emergency actions implemented to aid in the renormalization
of the social, economic, and political structures of the City of New
Castle. Actions designated as recovery measures within an Emergency
Management Plan may be taken for a reasonable period of time following
the expiration of a declared emergency.
RESPONSE
Short-term actions taken to preserve life, property and the
environment, with the objective of protecting and stabilizing the
social, economic, and political structures of the City of New Castle,
including but not limited to the imposition of a curfew or quarantine,
search and rescue efforts, and crowd control.
In the event a state of emergency affecting any part of the
City of New Castle or areas surrounding the City has been declared
by the Governor of the State of Delaware, or in the event the City
or any part thereof is in imminent danger of suffering civil disturbance,
acts of war or terrorism, environmental crisis, disorder, riot, a
health or safety emergency or other similar occurrence that seriously
and substantially endangers the lives, safety, health or property
of the public, the Mayor is empowered and authorized to issue a public
declaration that a state of emergency exists in the City of New Castle.
The declaration of a state of emergency shall be made in writing,
or, in extraordinary circumstances, a written declaration may be issued
following its effect, provided a written record of the date and time
of such a declaration is maintained, and a written declaration is
issued as soon as is practicable.
If the Mayor is unavailable or otherwise unable to assume the
authorities granted within this chapter before or during an emergency,
then for so long as the Mayor is unavailable or unable to act, these
authorities shall pass to the following persons in the order of seniority
listed below:
A. President of the City Council;
B. The longest serving member of City Council, in successive order;
and
C. If no City Council member is available, then the City Administrator.