(A) A comprehensive civil defense and disaster basic operations plan shall be adopted and maintained by resolution of fiscal court upon the recommendations of the County Judge Executive. In the preparation of the plan and as it pertains to the county organization, it is the intent that the services, equipment, facilities, and personnel of all existing departments and agencies shall be utilized to the fullest extent. When approved, it shall be the duty of all county and municipal departments and agencies in the county to perform the functions assigned by the plan and to maintain their portion of the plan in a current state of readiness at all times. The basic operations plan shall be considered supplementally to this chapter and have the effect of law whenever a disaster, as defined in the chapter, has been proclaimed. The basic operations plan is many times referred to as the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
(B) The Director shall prescribe in the basic plan those positions within the disaster and emergency services organization in addition to his or her own, for which lines of succession are necessary. In each instance, the responsible person will designate and keep on file with the Director of DES Coordinator a current list of three persons as successors to his or her position. The list will be in order of succession and will be as nearly as possible, designated persons, with the best capabilities of accomplishing or carrying out all assigned duties and functions.
(C) Each service chief and department head assigned responsibility in the basic emergency operations plan shall be responsible for carrying out all duties and functions assigned therein. Duties will include the organization and training of assigned city/county employees and volunteers. Each chief shall formulate the operational plan for these services which, when approved, shall be an annex to and a part of the basic operations plan.
(D) Amendments to the basic plan be submitted to the County Judge Executive. If approved, the Director will submit the amendments to the fiscal court with his or her recommendations for its approval. Such amendments shall take effect 30 days from the date of approval unless action is taken by the fiscal court disapproved the Director’s submission. In the event an amendment is pending at the time that a disaster is proclaimed under the provisions of this chapter, the amendment will be considered approved immediately and will remain effective unless specifically revoked by the court.
(E) When a required competency or skill for a disaster function is not available within the county or city government, the Director is authorized to seek assistance from persons outside the government. The assignment of duties, when of a supervisory nature, shall also grant authority for the persons so assigned to carry out such duties prior to, during, and after the occurrence of a disaster. Such services from persons outside of the government may be accepted by the county or city on a volunteer basis. Such citizens shall be enrolled as disaster and emergency services volunteers in cooperation with the heads of the city/county departments affected.
(F) Some of the duties ascribed to the Director in this section will ordinarily be handled as a matter of routine by the DES Coordinator, but the responsibility and authority stem from and remain with the Director, who is the County Judge Executive of the county.
(Res. passed 8-10-1987)