(a) Director of Emergency Services. There is hereby created the office of Director of Emergency Services. The County Administrator shall be the Director of Emergency Services. In the event the CAO is unavailable to serve as Director, the person(s) designated as the CAO's successor as Director of Emergency Services are, in order of succession, the Assistant County Administrative Officer, the Deputy County Administrative Officer, and the Chief of the Office of Emergency Services.
(b) Powers and Duties of the Director of Emergency Services. The Director is hereby empowered to direct the operational response to an Emergency, and is specifically empowered and authorized 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 such proclamation if the Board of Supervisors is not in session. Whenever the Director proclaims a local emergency, the Board of Supervisors shall take action to ratify the proclamation within seven days thereafter (or within any other timeframe provided by state law or executive order) or the proclamation shall have no further force or effect;
(2) Request the Governor or recommend that the Chair 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. Whenever the Director makes such a request directly, it shall be confirmed by the Board of Supervisors at the earliest practicable time;
(3) Control and direct the effort of the Emergency Management 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 Management Organization of this County and resolve questions of authority; and responsibility that may arise between them;
(5) Represent this County in all dealings with public or private entities on matters pertaining to emergencies as defined herein. Such day to day dealings may be delegated as appropriate;
(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 Office of Emergency Services, or the existence of a "State of War Emergency," the Director is hereby empowered:
(i) To make and issue rules and regulations on matters reasonably related to the protection of life and property as affected by such emergency; provided, however, such rules and regulations must be confirmed at the earliest possible practicable time by the Board of Supervisors;
(ii) To obtain vital supplies, equipment, and 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;
(iii) To require emergency services of any County officer or employee and, in the event of the proclamation of a "Local Emergency" or "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 deemed necessary in the execution of emergency duties; such persons shall be entitled to all privileges, benefits, and immunities as are provided by State law for registered Disaster Service Workers;
(iv) To appoint additional emergency management staff as needed, in addition to those established by the County Emergency Operations Plan, and to delegate to those members of the emergency management organization such duties and responsibilities as the Director may deem necessary;
(v) To requisition necessary personnel, facilities, or assets of any County department or agency; and
(vi) To execute all ordinary powers as Administrative Officer; all the special powers conferred upon that position 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.
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 or otherwise perform the duties of that office during an emergency.
(§ 4, Ord. 226, as amended by § 3, Ord. 671, eff. August 16, 1972, § 3, Ord. 673, eff. September 20, 1972, and § 4, Ord. 894, eff. November 6, 1980, as amended by § 1, Ord. 1359, eff. May 31, 2007, as amended by § 2, Ord. 1561, eff. April 6, 2023, as amended by § 2, Ord. 1568, eff. July 25, 2024)