(A) As used in this chapter, conditions or degrees of emergency or disaster have the meanings described in this section.
(1) "State of war emergency" means the condition which exists immediately, with or without a proclamation thereof by the Governor, whenever this state or nation is attacked by any enemy of the United States or upon receipt by the state of a warning from the federal government indicating that such an enemy attack is probable or imminent.
(2) "State of emergency" means the duly proclaimed existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the state caused by such conditions as air pollution, fire, flood, storm, epidemic, riot, drought, sudden and severe energy shortage, plant or animal infestation or disease, the Governor’s warning of an earthquake or volcanic prediction or an earthquake or other conditions, other than conditions resulting from a labor controversy or conditions causing a "state of war emergency," which conditions, by reason of their magnitude, are, or are likely to be, beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of any single county, city and county or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat.
(3) "Local emergency" means the duly proclaimed existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the territorial limits of a county, city and county or city caused by such conditions as air pollution, fire, flood, storm, epidemic, riot, earthquake or other conditions which are, or are likely to be, beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of a political subdivision and require the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat.
(4) "Disaster" means any occurrence that has resulted in property damage, deaths and/or injuries to a community. A disaster is a dangerous event that causes significant human and economic loss and demands a crisis response beyond the scope of any single agency or service. Disasters are distinguished from emergencies by the greater level of response required.
(5) "Emergency" means a dangerous event (for example, storm, flood, earthquake, landslide, mudslide, drought, fire, explosion or other catastrophe) that did not result in a request for state or federal assistance; a disaster requires resources beyond those that are available locally.
(B) Other terms and phraseology used in this chapter have the meanings as provided in the California Emergency Services Act, Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 8500 et seq.
(`78 Code, § 2.52.020.) (Ord. 3053 § 1 (part), 2010; Ord. 2429 § 2, 1999.)