[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Alexandria 8-3-1986. Amendments noted where applicable.]
There is hereby established in the Township
of Alexandria a Local Emergency Management Council, to be appointed
annually by the Mayor, and consisting of a Municipal Coordinator,
Deputy Coordinator and various representatives from fire, police,
rescue squad and Board of Health membership as he or she may deem
appropriate.
Said Council shall develop a comprehensive Emergency
Management Operations Plan for consideration, adoption and implementation
by the Township Committee. Said Council shall adopt rules and regulations
consistent with the above stated requirements for its own governance.
[Added 7-13-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-010]
A.
Establishment. The Office of the Emergency Management is hereby established
in the Township of Alexandria in accordance with the provisions of
N.J.S.A. App. A:9-41.
B.
Emergency management coordinator. The Mayor and members of the Township
Committee shall by way of majority vote, appoint a Municipal Emergency
Management Coordinator. Any qualified individual appointed as the
Township's Municipal Emergency Management Coordinator, who is
not a resident of Alexandria Township, shall reside within a reasonable
proximity of the Township to ensure prompt responsive coordination
of municipal resources for any local incident. The Municipal Emergency
Management Coordinator, subject to fulfilling the requirements of
N.J.S.A. App. A:90.1, shall serve for a term of three years.
(1)
Qualifications.
(a)
A Municipal Emergency Management Coordinator shall:
[1]
Possess a high school diploma or its equivalent;
[2]
Satisfy applicable position requirements of any relevant state
or local statute or ordinance (including N.J.S.A. App.A:9-40.1);
[3]
Have a minimum of two years of experience in the planning, development,
and administration of emergency response activities such as those
provided by emergency management, police, fire, rescue or medical
personnel either in the public or private sector or in the military
service;
[4]
Possess a valid New Jersey driver's license; and
[5]
Complete National Incident Management System training pursuant
to Directive NJOEM-I (2021), and the following courses/continuing
education requirements:
[a]
The NJOEM Basic Workshop in Emergency Management (within one
year of first appointment as required by N.J.S.A. App.A:9-40.1);
[b]
The FEMA Professional Development Series (within one year of
first appointment, in satisfaction of the Home Study Course requirement
of N.J.S.A. App.A:9-40.1); and
[c]
Twenty-four-hours of continuing education every 12 months (based
upon the date of appointment or re-appointment), unless extended for
good cause by the NJOEM State Training Officer.
[i]
Qualifying classes include the following categories:
[A]
Disaster/emergency management, homeland security,
incident command system courses;
[B]
General management courses: principles of management,
finance, organizational behavior, budgeting, community development,
human resources, computer systems, MIS applications, business communications,
and public speaking; or
[C]
Other classes approved by the NJOEM State Training
Officer.
[ii]
The course participation hours for the classes identified in Subsection B(1)(a)[5][a] and [b] above can be applied to satisfy the continuing education requirement within any given twelve-month period.
[iii]
The NJOEM State Training Officer is authorized
to develop and disseminate guidance for permitting instructor hours
to satisfy a portion of the continuing education requirement up to
12 hours per twelve-month reporting period.
(2)
Duties and authority of the Municipal Emergency Management Coordinator.
The Municipal Emergency Management Coordinator shall lead the emergency
management function at the municipal level. The Municipal Emergency
Management Coordinator shall:
(a)
Maintain proficiency in the profession of emergency management,
and participate in appropriate federal, state and local meetings,
trainings, conferences and exercises to develop and enhance subject
matter expertise;
(b)
Establish and oversee the Municipal Office of Emergency Management, and, when applicable, recruit, organize, coordinate and train deputies and staff to administer the Municipal Office of Emergency Management and oversee the functions and programs described in Subsection B(3);
(c)
Comply with federal, state and local statutes, rules, procedures
and authorities pertaining to emergency management, adhere to the
guidance of the State Director and NJOEM, and maintain an active cooperative
working relationship with the County Office of Emergency Management
of the county in which the municipality is located, to implement all
elements of the municipality's emergency management program;
(d)
Establish and implement policies and procedures with respect
to the municipality's emergency management program to ensure
effective coordination and oversight of all programs and functions
described in the Municipal Emergency Operations Plan (EOP);
(e)
Coordinate the review and update of the EOP pursuant to N.J.S.A.
App:A9-36.2 through 36.4, NJOEM procedures and directives issued by
the State Director;
(f)
Chair the Local Emergency Management Township Committee (or
participate in a joint emergency management Township Committee if
applicable) in accordance with N.J.S.A. App.A:9-41 and directives
issued by the State Director;
(g)
In accordance with the authority set forth in directives of
the State Director and N.J.S.A. App.A:9-40.5, when warranted, proclaim
(and then rescind) a municipal-level state of emergency, implementing
emergency protective measures and issuing all orders required to support
life safety and to facilitate preparedness, response and recovery
operations;
(h)
Attend 75% of all scheduled County Office of Emergency Management
meetings for municipal coordinators and assure representation at all
other County Emergency Management meetings as deemed necessary by
the County Coordinator; and
(i)
Perform, or ensure the performance of, other duties and tasks
necessary to administer the municipality's emergency management
program.
(3)
Oversight of the municipal emergency management program. The Municipal
Emergency Management Coordinator shall lead the Municipal Emergency
Management Program and oversee the Municipal Office of Emergency Management
in accordance with all relevant federal, state and local laws, regulations,
procedures and authorities, including State Director directives. The
Municipal Emergency Management Coordinator shall collaborate with
municipal agencies and other stakeholders to ensure the efficient
administration of the municipality's emergency management budget
to support the following responsibilities, duties and functions:
(a)
Equipping, staffing, operating, and maintaining a primary municipal
emergency operations center, identifying an alternate site, and developing
the capability to conduct emergency operations virtually in the event
that the primary municipal emergency operations center is impaired
or inaccessible;
(b)
Coordinating the preparation and periodic review of an approved
municipal emergency operations plan, as well as any appendices and
plans in support thereof, that reflects the municipality's hazards,
risks, capabilities and gaps;
(c)
Conducting at least two meetings per year with the Local Emergency
Management Township Committee in accordance with directives of the
State Director, and conduct other planning meetings as necessary,
providing advance notice to the County Office of Emergency Management;
(d)
Pursuant to directives of the State Director, conducting and/or
participating in emergency management exercises and training;
(e)
Acquiring, maintaining and deploying emergency management equipment;
(f)
Developing, coordinating and activating mutual aid emergency
management plans;
(g)
Activating emergency management facilities and services as are
available from the resources of the municipal government;
(h)
Ensuring effective programmatic support for all functions within
the municipal EOP, including, but not limited to:
[1]
Implementing a public information and alert and warning system
to disseminate timely and effective communications regarding incidents
or threats to public safety, and cooperating with the National Warning
System (NAWAS);
[2]
Facilitating public health and mass care services, including,
but not limited to: emergency sheltering; points of distribution (PODs)
and bulk distribution of mass care and health supplies; mental health
support for individuals impacted by disasters and emergencies; reunification
and family assistance centers; and pandemic support;
[3]
Coordinating municipal sheltering and evacuation operations,
and supporting any county/regional/state sheltering and mass care
response activities for affected residents of the municipalities;
[4]
Implementing debris management and other public works programs
necessary to support the emergency management program;
[5]
Facilitating search and rescue operations in accordance with
directives issued by the State Director; and
[6]
Supporting damage assessments and recovery efforts.
(i)
Supporting county and local plans to provide services for at-risk
individuals (N.J.S.A. App.A:9-36.18) during extreme weather conditions;
(j)
When applicable, supporting the implementation of the relevant
provisions of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
(EPCRA) and related state statutes, regulations and executive or administrative
orders, as well as guidance issued by the New Jersey State Emergency
Response Commission;
(k)
Securing county, state and federal technical and financial assistance
as may be required for promoting and/or implementing the emergency
management functions within the municipality, and if the municipality
is an Emergency Management Agency Assistance (EMAA) funded agency,
satisfying all program goals, work plans and guidelines established
by the state for such funding;
(l)
Supporting municipal hazard assessments and identifying critical
infrastructure;
(m)
If applicable, developing, adopting and updating a hazard mitigation
plan and ancillary plans required to comply with federal and state
mitigation requirements;
(n)
Interacting with the municipal, state, and federal government
for preparedness, response and recovery activities in connection with
the state's nuclear power plants as well as those of adjacent
states;
(o)
Complying with all orders and directives of the State Director,
applicable policies and procedures of NJOEM; and relevant guidance
and orders of the county office of emergency management in which the
municipality is located.
(p)
Performing all such other functions and undertaking any action
necessary to support the municipality's emergency management
program.
