(A) The County Judge Executive is hereby authorized and directed to create an organization for civil defense utilizing to the fullest extent the existing agencies within the county. This office shall be known as the Office of Disaster and Emergency Services or DES. The County Judge Elective, as the executive head of the government in the county, shall be the Director of the Civil Defense Forces of the county and shall be responsible for its organization, administration, and operations. The Mayor of the city shall be directly responsible for and in complete control of the activities of the city concerning disaster and emergency services unless otherwise instructed by the County Judge Executive, who has the authority over the entire county, to include all cites, during a disaster or emergency as defined in this chapter.
(B) The organization shall consist of the following:
(1) An Office of Disaster and Emergency Services within the executive department of the county government and under the direction of the County Judge Executive. There shall be an executive head of the Office of Disaster and Emergency Services, who shall be known as the Coordinator of the Office of Disaster and Emergency Services, and such assistants and other employees as are deemed necessary for the proper functioning of the organization. On some occasions, the Coordinator may be referred to as the Director of DES, but this shall be by title only, the County Judge Executive is the executive head of the Disaster and Emergency Services.
(2) The employees, equipment, and facilities of all cities and county departments, boards, institutions, and commissions, will participate in the DES activity.
(3) Volunteer persons and agencies offering services to, and accepted by, the city and county.
(C) The DES Director (County Judge Executive) will appoint a Coordinator of the County Office of Disaster and Emergency Services who shall be a person well versed and trained in planning operations including activities which involve 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.
(D) The DES Coordinator shall designate and appoint a Deputy Coordinator to assume the emergency duties of the Coordinator in the event of his or her absence or inability to act; the intent being that there will always and at all times be a Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator in charge of the county.
(Res. passed 8-10-1987)