(A) The Director is empowered to:
(1) Request the Town Council to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a “local
emergency” if the Town Council is in session, or to issue the proclamation if the Town Council is not in session; (Whenever a local emergency is proclaimed by the Director, the Town Council shall take action to ratify the proclamation within seven days thereafter or the proclamation shall have no further force or effect.)
(2) In the event of the unavailability of a quorum of the Town Council, request the Governor to proclaim a “state of emergency” when, in the opinion of the Director, the locally available resources are inadequate to cope with the emergency;
(3) Control and direct the effort of the emergency organization of the town for the accomplishment of the purposes of this chapter;
(4) Direct cooperation between and coordination of services and staff of the emergency organization of the town, and resolve questions of authority and responsibility that may arise between them;
(5) Represent the town in all dealings with public or private agencies on matters pertaining to emergencies, as defined in this chapter;
(6) In the event of the proclamation of a “local emergency,” as herein provided, the proclamation of a “state of emergency” by the Governor or the director of the state’s Office of Emergency Services or the existence of a “state of war emergency,” the Director is empowered to:
(a) Make and issue rules and regulations on matters of life and property as affected by such emergency; provided that, the rules and regulations must be confirmed at the earliest practicable time by the Town Council;
(b) Obtain vital supplies, equipment and other properties found lacking and needed for the protection of life and property and to bind the town for the fair value thereof, and if required immediately, to commandeer the same for public use;
(c) Require emergency services of any town officer or employee and, in the event of the proclamation of a “state of emergency” in the county or the existence of a “state of war emergency,” to command the aid of as many citizens as he or she deems necessary in the execution of his or her duties; the persons shall be entitled to all privileges, benefits and immunities as are provided by state law for registered disaster service workers;
(d) Requisition necessary personnel or material of any town department or agency; and
(e) Execute all of his or her ordinary power as Town Manager, all of the special powers conferred upon him or her by this chapter or by resolution or emergency plan adopted pursuant to this chapter by the Town Council, all powers conferred upon him or her by any statute, by any agreement approved by the Town Council and by any other lawful authority.
(B) The Director of Emergency Services shall designate the order of succession to that office, to take effect in the event the Director is unavailable to attend meetings and otherwise perform his or her duties during an emergency. The order of succession shall be approved by the Town Council.
(C) The Assistant Director shall, under the supervision of the Director and with the assistance of emergency service chiefs, develop emergency plans and manage the emergency programs of the town, and shall have such other powers and duties as may be assigned by the Director.
(Prior Code, § 2.52.070)