(A) The Director is hereby empowered to:
(1) Request the Board of Supervisors to proclaim the existence, or threatened existence, of a “local emergency” if the Board of Supervisors is in session or to issue the proclamation if the Board of Supervisors is not in session. Whenever a local emergency is proclaimed by the Director, the Board of Supervisors shall take action to ratify the proclamation within seven days thereafter or the proclamation shall have no further force or effect;
(2) Recommend that the Chairperson of the Board of Supervisors request the Governor to proclaim a “state of emergency” when, in the opinion of the Director, the locally available resources are inadequate to cope with the emergency;
(3) Control and direct the effort of the emergency organization of this county for the accomplishment of the purposes of this chapter;
(4) Direct cooperation between and coordination of services and staff of the emergency organization of this county to include the operational area and resolve questions of authority and responsibility that may arise between them;
(5) Represent this county in all dealings with public or private agencies on matters pertaining to emergencies, as defined herein; and
(6) In the event of the proclamation of a “local emergency,” as herein provided, the proclamation of a “state of emergency” by the Governor or the Director of the state’s Office of Emergency Services, or the existence of a “state of war emergency”, the Director is hereby empowered:
(a) To make and issue rules and regulations on matters reasonably related to the protection of life and property as affected by the emergency; provided, however, the rules and regulations must be confirmed at the earliest practicable time by the Board of Supervisors;
(b) To obtain vital supplies, equipment and such other properties found lacking and needed for the protection of life and property and to bind the county for the fair value thereof and, if required immediately, to commandeer the same for public use;
(c) To require emergency services of any county officer or employee and, in the event of the proclamation of a “state of emergency” in the county or the existence of a “state of war emergency,” to command the aid of as many citizens of this county as he or she deems necessary in the execution of his or her duties. The person shall be entitled to all privileges, benefits and immunities as are provided by state law for registered disaster service workers;
(d) To requisition necessary personnel or material of any county department or agency; and
(e) To execute all of the special powers conferred upon him or her by this chapter or by resolution or emergency plan pursuant hereto adopted by the Board of Supervisors, all powers conferred upon him or her by any statute, by any agreement approved by the Board of Supervisors and by any other lawful authority.
(B) The Director of Emergency Services shall designate the order of succession to that office, to take effect in the event the Director is unavailable to attend meetings and otherwise perform his or her duties during an emergency. The order of succession shall be approved by the Board of Supervisors.
(C) The Assistant Director shall, under the supervision of the Director, develop emergency plans and manage the emergency programs of this county and shall have such other powers and duties as may be assigned by the Director.
(1966 Code, § 6-6) (Ord. 898, § 5, 2012; Ord. 914, § 2, 2013)