The responsibilities of the director shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:
(a) Conducting a program of comprehensive emergency management including mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery;
(b) Conducting an ongoing survey of actual or potential hazards which threaten life and property within the city and an ongoing program of identifying and requiring or recommending the implementation of measures which would tend to prevent the occurrence or reduce the impact of such hazards if a disaster did occur;
(c) Supervising the development and approval of an emergency management plan for the City of Fort Worth, and recommending for adoption by the city council all mutual aid arrangements deemed necessary for the implementation of such plan;
(d) In accordance with state law, declaring a local state of emergency during times of riot or unlawful assembly by three or more persons acting together by use of force or violence, or if a clear and present danger of the use of violence exists, or a natural or technological emergency exists or threatens the health and/or safety of the citizens of the City of Fort Worth. The declaration may be issued when an emergency is imminent or during the initial or response phase of the emergency when resolution of the incident(s) or situation(s) by use of city personnel and equipment is expected and/or as a prelude to submitting a request to the governor for assistance from state resources. The declaration may not be continued or renewed for a period in excess of 72 hours except by or with the consent of the city council. Any order or proclamation declaring, continuing or terminating a local state of emergency shall be given prompt and general publicity and shall be filed promptly with the city secretary;
(e) In accordance with state law, declaring a local state of disaster during or following a natural, technological, or attack related catastrophe when response to and/or recovery and rehabilitation from the effects of the catastrophe will overwhelm the capabilities of the city. The declaration serves as the initial step in requesting assistance from the state through the governor. The declaration may not be continued or renewed for a period in excess of seven days except by or with the consent of the city council. Any order or proclamation declaring, continuing or terminating a local state of disaster shall be given prompt and general publicity and shall be filed promptly with the city secretary;
(f) Issuing necessary proclamations, regulations or directives which are necessary for carrying out the purposes of this chapter. Such proclamations, regulations or directives shall be disseminated promptly by means calculated to bring its contents to the attention of the general public and, unless circumstances attendant on the situation prevent or impede, promptly filed with the city secretary;
(g) Ensuring, after a state of emergency or state of disaster has been declared, that the city exercises all powers reasonably necessary to protect the health, security, peace, life and property of the city and its inhabitants during the period of such emergency or disaster. These powers may be exercised during the state of emergency or disaster after reasonable notice has been given of the situation and the powers to be exercised. This notice shall be judged with due regard to the exigent circumstances at the time. Such reasonable notice may include publication in a newspaper of general circulation, announcement over television or radio, circulation of notices or posted signs in the affected area, or by other appropriate means. These special powers shall include, but are not limited to:
(1) Imposition of a general or limited curfew regulating or prohibiting any person or persons from being or remaining, loitering or congregating on any street, alley, park, public property or any other place which may be specified and where they have no right or authority to be under the terms of and during the period covered by said curfew;
(2) Limitation or prohibition of the sale or dispensing of beer, wine, liquor and any or all other forms of alcoholic beverages;
(3) Limitation or prohibition of the sale or dispensing of gasoline or other liquid flammable or combustible products, dynamite or other explosives, firearms or ammunition;
(4) Limitation upon or prohibition against the operation of any establishment selling, distributing, dispensing or giving away any of the items enumerated in subsections (g)(1), (g)(2) and (g)(3) above;
(5) Appropriation of real property, fixtures and/or personal property for purposes of necessary governmental operations for not longer than 360 consecutive days after commencement of such natural, technological or attack related emergency or disaster or until termination of the emergency or disaster period by the local governing body declaration, whichever first occurs; and
(6) Establishment of temporary emergency housing, for persons needing same, upon any and all lands to which the city has right of possession or custody, whether the same shall be deraigned from grantors, donors or lessors by purchase, dedication or otherwise, irrespective of local zoning ordinances, rules and regulations or deed restrictions, effective at the time of or during the establishment of such housing.
(h) Assuming direction and control of the operations of the City of Fort Worth emergency management organization as well as ensuring the training of emergency management personnel;
(i) Determining all questions of authority and responsibility that may arise within the emergency management organization of the city;
(j) Maintaining liaison with other municipal, county, district, state, regional or federal emergency management organizations;
(k) Marshaling all necessary personnel, equipment or supplies from any department of the city to aid in the carrying out of the provisions of the emergency management plan;
(l) Supervising the drafting and execution of mutual aid agreements, in cooperation with the representatives of the state and of other local political subdivisions of the state, and the drafting and execution, if deemed desirable, of an agreement with the county in which said city is located and with other municipalities within the county, for the countywide coordination of emergency management efforts;
(m) Supervising and authorizing the procurement of all necessary supplies and equipment, including acceptance of private contributions which may be offered for the purpose of improving emergency management within the city;
(n) Authorizing agreements, after approval by the city attorney, for use of private property for public shelter and other purposes;
(o) Surveying the availability of existing personnel, equipment, supplies and services which could be used during an emergency or a disaster, as provided for herein; and
(p) Satisfying other requirements as specified in the state law.
(Ord. 11592, § 2(9-2), passed 6-6-1994)