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Local Government Emergency Management:
What you need to know
A local government’s administrative team is the first line of defense against emergencies and disasters and is primarily responsible for managing the response to and recovery from those events.
Upon learning that an emergency might be imminent, the administration’s first priority is to alert and warn citizens and take whatever actions are needed to minimize damage and protect life and property.
When an emergency or disaster does occur, fire and police units, emergency medical personnel, and rescue workers rush to damaged areas to provide aid. After this initial response, the administrative team works to ensure public rights-of-way and public facilities are cleared and safe. The local government’s administration coordinates its efforts with agencies who assist individuals and families in need. When a local government’s administration responds to and recovers from a disaster, the levels of activities and the type of resources required are determined by several factors.
Below is an overview of the City of West Park’s emergency management information protocol as outlined in the City’s published Code of Ordinances, also available online at www.Municode.com, via the link below:
Sec. 12-23. – Emergency management structure.
(a) The city administrator or designee shall perform the function of director of emergency management and shall implement, manage and report on all actions authorized and taken under the provisions of this chapter.
(b) The city administrator or designee shall appoint a coordinator of emergency services whose duties shall include the ongoing planning for and coordination of those actions necessary for the creation and maintenance of an effective emergency response capability to prepare for and manage emergency conditions.
(c) The city administrator or designee shall create and designate an emergency preparedness committee which shall provide input to and assist in the coordination of the preparation, implementation, evaluation, and revision of the emergency management program. The committee includes the program coordinator, and all division and partner organizations with an operational or policy role in emergency management as detailed in the emergency management plan.
(Ord. No. 2006-14, § 4, 6-7-2006)
Sec. 12-24. – Powers, duties and responsibilities of director of emergency management and coordinator of emergency services.
- The city administrator, when acting as the director of emergency management, shall have the following powers, duties and responsibilities: (1) To declare or recommend a declaration of emergency pursuant to section 12-25; to inform the mayor and the city commission of the reasons for and status of events requiring the declaration. (2) To direct the creation, revision and the exercise of emergency response plans conforming to state and county emergency plans and compliant with the National Incident Management System for the mitigation of, preparation for, response to, and recovery from emergencies; and to exercise all powers permitted by F.S. ch. 252. (3) To assist the efforts of the coordinator of emergency services in preparation for, response to, and recovery from, emergency conditions. (4) To recommend a budget to the city commission for the creation and maintenance of an emergency response capability as provided herein. (5) To promulgate emergency regulations necessary for the protection of life and property, establishment of public order, and control of adverse conditions affecting public welfare resulting from an emergency, to the city commission.
- The coordinator of emergency services shall have the following responsibilities and duties: (1) To supervise the development and maintenance of city emergency plans, including annual updates. (2) To plan for and develop an emergency operations center to include equipment, manning, and operational procedures necessary to the management and control of emergency conditions. (3) To develop and manage the city’s emergency awareness public information program. (4) To prepare and submit an annual operating budget to the city administrator or designee related to emergency management activities, preparations and training.
(Ord. No. 2006-14, § 5, 6-7-2006)
Sec. 12-25. – Declaration of a state of emergency.
(a) The mayor, vice mayor, city administrator, or the acting city administrator, in the order named, based on availability, shall have the authority to declare a state of emergency. (b) Any declaration of a state of emergency and all emergency regulations activated or rescinded under the provisions of this chapter shall be confirmed by the city commission no later than at the next regular meeting, unless the nature of the emergency renders a meeting of the city commission extremely impractical. (c) Emergency resolutions or orders authorized by this chapter shall include, but are not limited to, the following subjects: (1) Evacuation; (2) Curfews; (3) Declaration of areas off limits; (4) Suspension or regulation of the sale of, or offer to sell, with or without consideration, alcoholic beverages, explosives and flammables or combustibles; (5) Prohibiting the sale of merchandise, goods or services at more than the average retail price; (6) Water use restrictions; (7) Suspension of local building regulations; (8) Regulating the use of and rationing of fuel, ice and other essentials; (9) Emergency procurement procedures. (d) Upon declaration of a state of local emergency and during the existence of a declared state of local emergency, the mayor or designated city official, in addition to any other powers conferred upon the mayor or designated city official by F.S. ch. 870 or other law, has the power and authority among other nonenumerated powers to: (1) Direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of the population from any stricken or threatened area within the city if the mayor or designated city official deems this action necessary for the preservation of life or other emergency mitigation, response, or recovery; (2) Waive the procedures and formalities otherwise required of the city by law or ordinance pertaining to:
- Performance of public work and taking whatever prudent action is necessary to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the community;
- Entering into contracts;
- Incurring obligations;
- Employment of permanent and temporary workers;
- Utilization of volunteer workers;
- Rental of equipment;
- Acquisition and distribution, with or without compensation, of supplies, materials, and facilities;
- Appropriation and expenditure of public funds;
(3) Prohibit or regulate travel upon any public street, highway or upon any other public property. Persons 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 may be excepted from such prohibition or regulation; (4) Impose a curfew upon all or any portion of the city thereby prohibiting persons from being on public streets, highways, parks or other public places during the hours which the curfew is in effect; (5) Prohibit any person, firm, or corporation from using the fresh water supplied by the city for any purpose other than cooking, drinking or bathing; (6) Prohibit the sale or distribution of any alcoholic beverages, ammunition, firearms, explosives, and flammables or combustibles during a state of emergency with or without the payment or a consideration therefor; (7) Prohibit or regulate the participation in or carrying on of any business activity, and prohibit or regulate the keeping open of place of business, places of entertainment and any other place of public assembly; (8) Regulate the use of and ration fuel, ice and other essentials; (9) Prohibit or regulate any demonstration, parade, march, vigil or participation therein from taking place on any of the public rights-of-way or upon any public property; (10) Suspend local building regulations as necessary during the existence of a public emergency; (11) Prohibit the sale of merchandise, goods or services at more than the average retail price; (12) The restrictions referenced in subsection (d) (3) through (11) of this section may exempt, from all or part of such restrictions, physicians, nurses and ambulance operators performing medical services, on-duty employees of hospitals and other medical facilities, on-duty military personnel, bona fide members of the news media, personnel of public utilities maintaining essential public services, city authorized or requested firefighter, paramedic, law enforcement officers and emergency management personnel and such other classes of persons as may be essential to the preservation of public order and immediately necessary to preserve safety, health and welfare needs of the people within the city. (e) A declaration of a state of emergency shall activate the emergency plans applicable to the city. A declaration of a state of emergency shall automatically invoke the emergency measures listed in F.S. § 870.044, if the emergency relates to overt acts of violence or the imminent threat of such violence. (f) A state of emergency, when declared as provided herein, shall continue in effect from day to day until declared to be terminated. Provided, however, that a state of emergency declared pursuant to F.S. §§ 870.041 through 870.048 shall commence upon the declaration thereof and shall terminate at the end of a period of 72 consecutive hours thereafter, unless, prior to the end of such 72-hour period, the public official or city official declaring the emergency shall have terminated such state of emergency. An extension of the 72-hour time limit must be accomplished by a declaration of extension of the state of emergency by the mayor or designated city official. (g) Nothing in this section authorizes any restrictions or prohibitions on firearms or ammunition.
(Ord. No. 2006-14, § 6, 6-7-2006)
Sec. 12-26. – Termination of a state of emergency.
A state of emergency may be terminated by the official declaring the emergency or a person eligible to declare an emergency and the termination shall be confirmed by a vote of the city commission if practicable or upon the certification of the person who originally requested the declaration of the state of emergency, that the conditions leading to or causing the emergency no longer exist and the city’s agencies and departments are able to manage the situation without extraordinary assistance. Provided, however, that a state of emergency established under F.S. §§ 870.041—870.047 shall terminate at the end of a period of 72 consecutive hours after the declaration of the emergency, unless, prior to the end of the 72-hour period, the public official calling for a declaration of emergency or the city commission has terminated such state of emergency. Notice of termination of the emergency declaration shall be made to the public by the city administrator or designee by available means.
(Ord. No. 2006-14, § 7, 6-7-2006)
Cooperative Response of Leadership
In administering the City’s Emergency Management policy, the administrator has to also consider the County’s and the State’s willingness or cooperation or involvement in the successful implementation of the policy. Any act of not seeking the support or cooperation of the County and the State may jeopardize the emergency recovery effort. The decisions made by leaders and the effects they have in a disaster must carry the confidence of the community in which they serve. Such decisions are critical, especially if established policies are not followed, thus eroding public trust, resulting in moral injury to Staff and causing community division.
As a result, leaders responding to emergency management should evidence moral courage, integrity, honesty, respect, kindness, professionalism, competence, impartiality, and objectivity. These actions delineate the requisite moral character for professional emergency management practice.
