§ 26-6. Emergency management program.

(a)

A comprehensive emergency management program shall be adopted and maintained by resolution of the city council upon the recommendations of the director. In the preparation of this emergency management program as it pertains to city organization, it is the intent that the services, equipment, facilities and personnel of all existing departments, agencies and boards shall be utilized to the fullest extent. When approved, it shall be the duty of all municipal departments, agencies and boards to perform the functions assigned by the emergency management program and to maintain their portion of the emergency management program in a current state of readiness at all times. The emergency management program shall be considered supplementary to this section and have the effect of law whenever an emergency or attack, as defined herein, has been proclaimed.

(b)

The director shall prescribe in the emergency management program those positions within the disaster organization, in addition to his own, for which lines of succession are necessary. In each instance, the responsible person will designate and keep on file with the director a current list of two persons as successors to his position. The list will be in order of succession and will as nearly as possible designate persons by job title best capable of carrying out all assigned duties and functions.

(c)

Each department head assigned responsibility in the emergency management program shall be responsible for carrying out all duties and functions assigned therein. Duties will include the organization and training of assigned city employees and volunteers. Each department head shall formulate the operational plan for his department which, when approved, shall be an annex to and part of the program.

(d)

Amendments to the emergency management program shall be submitted to the director. If approved, the director (city manager) will submit the amendments to the city council with his recommendations for their approval. Such amendments shall take effect 30 days from the date of adoption by the city council. If an amendment is pending at the time that a disaster is proclaimed under provisions of this section, the amendment will be considered approved immediately and will remain effective unless specifically revoked by the city council.

(e)

When a required competency or skill for an emergency function is not available within the city government, the director is authorized to seek assistance from persons outside of government. The assignment of duties, when of a supervisory nature, shall also grant authority to the persons prior to, during and after the occurrence of a disaster. Such services from persons outside of government may be accepted by the city on a volunteer basis. Such citizens shall be enrolled as emergency management volunteers in cooperation with the heads of city 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 coordinator, but the responsibility and authority accrue from and remain with the director.

(g)

The evacuation plan of the city is hereby established as designated upon the map on file in the city clerk's office and at the emergency operations center labeled "City of Port Orange Hurricane Evacuation Plan".

(Code 1981, § 7.3-6; Ord. No. 1998-72, § 3, 11-17-98)