The City Manager is authorized and directed to create an organization for emergency management utilizing to the fullest extent the existing agencies within the city. The City Manager, as executive head of the municipal government, shall be the supervisor of the emergency management forces of the city and shall be responsible for their organization, administration, and operations. The organization shall consist of the following:
(A) The City Manager shall create and maintain a Department of Emergency Management to aid in mitigation and preparedness before a disaster and to alleviate injury or damage through a coordinated response and recovery from damages resulting from disaster, nuclear or conventional weapons attack, sabotage or other hostile action, or by other disaster or major or civil emergency as defined herein, and to protect the lives and health of the citizens of the city, their property and property rights, whether public or private, in any emergency or disaster event endangering the lives and property of the people of the city.
(B) The City Manager shall appoint a director to be head of the Emergency Management Department, and such assistants and other employees as are deemed necessary for the proper functioning of the organization. The Director shall be a person trained in planning operations involving the activities of many different agencies which will operate to protect the public health, safety and welfare in the event of danger from enemy action or disaster as defined in this chapter. The Director shall meet the qualifications promulgated by the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM).
(C) The employees, equipment and facilities of all city departments, boards, institutions, and commissions will participate in emergency management activity as needed. Duties assigned to a city department shall be the same or similar to the normal duties of the department.
(D) Volunteer persons and agencies offering services to and accepted by the city.
(Ord. 947, passed 6-12-2023)