(A) A state of emergency shall be deemed to exist whenever during times of great public crisis, disaster, rioting, catastrophe, or similar public emergency, for any reason, municipal public safety authorities are unable to maintain public order or afford adequate protection for lives or property.
(B) In the event of an existing or threatened state of emergency endangering the lives, safety, health, and welfare of the people within the town, or threatened damage to or destruction of property, the Mayor is hereby authorized and empowered to issue a public proclamation declaring to all persons the existence of a state of emergency, and in order to more effectively protect the lives and property of people within the town, to place in effect any or all of the restrictions hereinafter authorized.
(C) The Mayor is hereby authorized and empowered to limit by the proclamation the application of all or any part of the restrictions to any area specifically designated or described within the corporate limits of the town and to specific hours of the day or night, and to exempt from all or any part of the restrictions law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other public employees, doctors, nurses, employees of hospitals, and other medical facilities; on duty military personnel whether state or federal, on duty employees of public utilities, public transportation companies, and newspaper, magazine, radio broadcasting, and television broadcasting corporations operated for profit; any other persons as may be essential to the preservation of public order and immediately necessary to serve the safety, health, and welfare needs of the people within the town.
(D) The Mayor shall proclaim the end of the state of emergency or all or any part of the restrictions imposed as soon as circumstances warrant or when directed to do so by the Board.
(E) During the existence of a proclaimed state of emergency, the Mayor may impose by proclamation any or all of the following restrictions:
(1) Prohibit or regulate the possession off one's own premises of explosives, firearms, ammunition, or dangerous weapons of any kind, and prohibit the purchase, sale, transfer, or other disposition thereof;
(2) Prohibit or regulate the buying or selling of beer, wine, or intoxicating beverages of any kind, and their possession or consumption off one's premises;
(3) Prohibit or regulate any demonstration, parade, march, vigil, or participation therein from taking place on any of the public ways or upon any public property;
(4) Prohibit or regulate the sale of gasoline, kerosene, naptha, or any other explosive or inflammable fluids or substance;
(5) Prohibit or regulate travel upon any public street, alley, or roadway or upon any other public property, except by those in search of medical assistance, food, or other commodity or service necessary to sustain the well-being of themselves or their families or some member thereof;
(6) Prohibit or regulate the participation in or carrying on of any business activity, and prohibit or regulate the keeping open of places of business, places of entertainment, and any other places of public assembly; and/or
(7) Authorize federal, state, county, or town personnel, their agents or assigns, to enter onto private roads and private properties for the purpose of undertaking emergency protective measures to protect life and property, or to remove or reduce any hazards as may be deemed to constitute a threat to public health, safety, and welfare, in particular where loss of life or property may occur as a result of failure to take appropriate or timely action to remove or reduce potential or existing hazards.
(F) Any proclamation may be extended, altered, or repealed in any particular during the continued or threatened existence of a state of emergency by the issuance of a subsequent proclamation.
(G) During the existence of a proclaimed state of emergency, it shall be unlawful for any person to violate any provision of any restriction imposed by any proclamation authorized by this chapter.
(Prior Code, § 3-3001) (Ord. passed 12-10-1974; Ord. passed 12-10-1996) Penalty, see § 35.99