A. The City of Visalia Disaster Council shall comply with the California Emergency Services Act. It shall be the duty of the City of Visalia Disaster Council, and it is empowered, to review and recommend for adoption by the city council, mutual aid plans and agreements and such ordinances and resolutions and rules and regulations as are necessary to implement such plans and agreements. The Disaster Council is established by ordinance, which has empowered the Disaster Council and its officers to register with documented proof of the oath or affirmation and direct the activities of disaster service worker volunteers within the City of Visalia. In this respect, the disaster council is acting as an instrument of the state in aid of carrying out general state government functions and policy with regard to disaster services. The Disaster Council shall meet at least once per year, upon call of the chairperson or in his absence from the city or inability to call such meeting, upon the call of the vice-chairperson. Meetings will be called in accordance with the Brown Act (CGC §54950 et. seq.).
B. The Disaster Council hereby empowers the Director:
1. To request the city council to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a “local emergency” and the termination thereof, if the city council is in session, or to issue such proclamation if the city council is not in session, subject to ratification by the city council within 7 days defined by Title 2 CCR section 8630 , or the emergency shall have no further force or effect and should notify the Operational Area (OA) and provide a copy of the local emergency proclamation as soon as possible;
2. To notify the OA to proclaim a “local emergency” when in the opinion of the director the resources of the City of Visalia are overwhelmed or inadequate to cope with the emergency and when appropriate to request the Governor to proclaim a “state of emergency” and to provide the OA with the Local Emergency Proclamation and the Initial Damage Estimate (IDE) from the City of Visalia.
C. When deemed necessary by the Disaster Council, ad hoc groups may be appointed to advise the Council on emergency management issues; facilitate coordination of City of Visalia emergency planning efforts; foster communication and coordination between disaster organization of this city; assist in development of emergency management programs and policies; review and comment on proposed changes to the emergency plan; and maintain emergency and disaster training for employees, including coordinated drills and exercises. Training is a pre-authorized activity, approved by the Disaster Council and may include classroom instruction, disaster drills or exercises, or related activities designed to enhance the disaster response skills of the disaster service worker volunteer.
D. Mutual Aid Regional Advisory Committees (MARAC) were established to provide a broad base for
local government participation in the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) Maintenance System and are a principal source of input and information into the system. Recommendations from these committees to the SEMS Technical Group provide a means by which SEMS is maintained and improved. The California State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) established six emergency planning districts having the same boundaries as the Mutual Aid Regions. The SERC appointed a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) for each planning district, known as regions, and supervises and coordinates their activities. The Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is created as a standing and working Emergency Management committee. The City of Visalia Disaster Council shall be responsible for ensuring participation in both LEPC and MARAC committees with representatives from the Visalia Emergency Management Organization. The LEPC and MARAC will provide operational direction for implementation of the programs and policies established by the Emergency Management Organization to assist in the preparation of emergency plans, coordinate department emergency training/exercises.
(Ord. 2019-08 §1, 2019)