(a) Volunteer Status.
(1) All WSC members shall serve as emergency management volunteers only and shall not be deemed to be employees of the City of North Olmsted or WCOG for purposes of entitlement to compensation, fringe benefits, including workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation.
(2) WSC members shall not seek or accept any monetary compensation of any kind for volunteer service, shall acknowledge and agree that any loss or injury incurred during service shall be solely at the risk of the volunteer, waive any and all claims for him/herself, his/her heirs and assigns, and agree to hold harmless the City of North Olmsted, Ohio, its employees and agents for any such loss or injury as well as the WCOG and its employees and agents, provided that such indemnity shall not be effective for damages that result from intentional acts of the City or the Westshore Council of Governments, their employees or agents. WSC members must submit such volunteer status on waiver forms provided by the WCOG prior to any activities.
(3) Immunity. Emergency management volunteer status described herein shall be consistent with and invoke immunity from liability pursuant to ORC 5502.30 and generally constitute a governmental function.
(4) Insurance. WCOG shall maintain general liability insurance to cover the volunteer activities of the WSC and such policy shall name the City of North Olmsted as an additional insured party. WCOG, by and through its designated finance director, shall provide an annual certificate of insurance to each finance director of the westshore cities.
(b) Membership/Identification Cards. Any person 18 years of age or older who is a resident of a Westshore Council of Governments city or is a resident in a city contiguous to a Westshore city may volunteer to become a member of the WSC if they meet all of the following requirements:
(1) Submit a completed application for WSC membership.
(2) Complete required FEMA training.
(3) Abide by and fulfill membership requirements defined in the WSC Guidelines.
(4) Submit to a background check.
(A) Every WSC applicant shall submit to a background check conducted by the appropriate representative of a Westshore city police department.
(B) Only upon successful completion thereof as per the WSC Guidelines, the volunteer shall be issued a WSC identification card, which he/she may retain during his/her continued active membership and good behavior.
(C) The identification card is and remains at all times the property of the WSC.
(5) At such time as a volunteer leaves the organization for any reason or is expelled or has his/her membership terminated, he/she agrees to return the identification card to the WSC coordinator forthwith.
(c) Dismissal. Westshore safety directors or their designees may, at their discretion, dismiss or deactivate any volunteer from the WSC organization. No volunteer shall acquire any interest or expectation of continued participation, nor shall the WCOG nor any of its cities be required to explain or justify the determination to dismiss or deactivate any volunteers' participation.
(Ord. 2012-117. Passed 12-18-12.)
(Ord. 2012-117. Passed 12-18-12.)