Because of the existing and increasing possibility of the occurrence
of disasters of unprecedented size and destructiveness resulting from enemy
attack, sabotage or other hostile action, or from fire, flood, earthquake
or any other cause, and in order to insure that preparations of this municipality
will be adequate to deal with such disasters, and generally to provide for
the common defense and to protect the public peace, health and safety and
to preserve the lives and property of the people of this municipality, it
is hereby found and declared to be necessary:
A. To create a Municipal Civil Defense Agency.
B. To provide for the rendering of mutual aid to other municipalities
both in the State of New Jersey and other states which may require aid, and
to cooperate with the state government with respect to carrying out civil
defense and disaster control functions.
It is further declared to be the purpose of this chapter and the policy
of this municipality that all civil defense functions of this municipality
be coordinated, by the Director of Civil Defense and Disaster Control, to
the maximum extent with the comparable functions of the state government,
including its various departments and agencies, of other municipalities, and
of private agencies of every type, to the end that the most effective preparation
and use may be made of this municipality's resources and facilities for dealing
with any disaster that may occur.
It is further declared that the Municipal Civil Defense and Disaster
Control Director may declare a state of local disaster emergency and initiate
disaster control operations whenever, in his opinion, a disaster has occurred
or is imminent, and it shall be the duty of all persons, firms or others to
obey all regulations, rules or directives issued either by the State of New
Jersey or any agency thereof, the County Coordinator of Civil Defense and
Disaster Control or any authorized member of the County Staff, or the Municipal
Director of Civil Defense and Disaster Control or any authorized officer.
The Municipal Civil Defense and Disaster Control Agency shall be governed
by and shall act in strict accordance with Chapter 251, P.L. 1942, as amended.
As provided in the Civil Defense and Disaster Control Plan of the State
of New Jersey, Section II, Division 2, Paragraph (b), all requests for mutual
aid from outside of this municipality shall be forwarded through proper channels
to the County Civil Defense and Disaster Control Coordinator, and this municipality
and all agencies thereof are prohibited from sending assistance to another
municipality unless directed by the County Civil Defense and Disaster Control
Coordinator.
The Municipal Court of the Township of Mullica shall have jurisdiction
in all complaints arising out of any violation of any rule, regulation, ordinance
or statute pertaining to civil defense and disaster control, and any person,
firm or corporation found guilty of any such violation thereof shall be punishable
by a fine of not more than $200 or by imprisonment for not more than 90 days,
or by both such fine and imprisonment.