HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd 279-1948 AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO DISASTERS
WHEREAS experience during war and peace has demon-
strated the need for adequate disaster plans and for mobilization
of the resources of the community to cope with such disasters; and
WHEREAS the State of California has c~eated a
State Disaster Council to prepare a state disaster plan and to
recommend mutual aid regions; and
WHEREaSeS municipalities have legal authority
(Constitution, Article XI, Section ll, and Military and Veterans
Code Section 1571, as amended by Statutes of 1945, Chapter 1024) to
create disaster councils for the purpose of formulating local
disaster plains, including mutual aid agreements;
NOW, THEREFORE, ~he City Council of the City of
South San Francisco does ordain ~s follows:
Section 1. DISASTER. ~s used in this ordinance,
the term "disaster" shall include, but is not limited to, any
extraerdinary fire, flood, riot, storm, epidemic or earthquake, or
any. enemy attack or sabotage, which causes or threatens to cause
loss of life or property and in which occurrences the responsibility
devolves upon the regular constituted authorities for the maintenance
of public peace and order and the preservation of life and property.
It shall not include any conditions resulting from a labor controversy.
Section 2. DISASTER COUNCIL. MEMBERSHIP. The
City of South San Francisco Disaster Council is hereby created and
shall consist of the following:
The Mayor, who shall be chairman.
B. The Commander, who shall be vice-chairman.
C. The Vice-~ommander, appointed by the Mayor.
with ~he advice and consent of the City Council, who, in the absence
of, or at the direction of, the Commander, shall act on his behalf
on matters within the purview of this ordinance.
D. The Chiefs of Divisions as hereinafter
p.rovided.
E. Such other representatives of civic, business,
labor, veterans~ professional or other organizations as may be
appointed by the mayor with the ~d¥ice and consent of the City Council.
Section 3. DISASTER COUNCIL. POWERS AND DUTIES.
It shall be the duty of the City of South San Francisco Disaster
Council, and it is hereby empowered:
A. To develop a plan for meeting any disaster.
Such plan shall provide for the effective mobilization of all the
resources of the community, both public and private;
B. To prepare and recommend for consideration by
the City Council ordinances necessary to implement the disaster
plan;
C. To consider and recommend.t o the City Council
for approval mutual aid plans and agreements;
The Disaster Council shall meet upon call of the
chairman.
Section 4. CO~.~'~NDER. POWERS ~ND DUTIES. There
is hereby created %he office of Co~nander. Such officer shall be
appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of the City
Council.
The Commander is hereby empowered:
A. To proclaim %he existence or threatened
existence of a disaster and the termination thereof;
B. To request the Governor %o proclaim a state of
extreme emergency in the area in ~nd around the City of South San
Francisco when, in the opinion of the Commander, the resources of
the community are inadequate to cope with the disaster;
C. To govern and direct the efforts of the City
of South San Francisco Disaster Corps in the accomplishment of the
purposes of this ordinance;
D. To direct coordination and cooperation between
the chiefs of divisions and resolve q. uestions of authority and
responsibility that may arise between them;
E. To represent the Disaster Corps in all
dealings with public or private agencies pertaining to disaster
preparedness.
It shall also be the duty of the Commander,
and he is hereby empowered, during a disaster, or when a disaster
is imminent:
A. To make and issue rules and regulations on
matters reasonably related to the protection of life and property
as affected by such disaster;
B. To obtain vital supplies, equipment and such
other properties found lacking and needed for the protection of
the life and property of the people, and bind the city for the
fair value thereof, and, if required immediately, to commandeer
the same for public use;
C. To require emergency services of any City
officer or employee;
D. To requisition necessary personnel or material
of any city department or agency;
E. To execute all of b~e ordinary powers ~£ mayor,
all of the special powers conferred upon him by this ordinance, and
all powers conferred upon him by any other lawful authority.
Section 5. EXECUTIVE OFFICER. There is hereby
created the position of Executive Officer of the Disaster Corps.
The Executive Officer shall b e appointed by the mayor with the advice
and consent of the City Council. The Executive Officer shall be the
executive secretary of the Disaster Council and shall be Chief of
Division of Personnel and Recruitment.
Section 6. DISASTER CORPS. GENERAL. Officers and
employees of the City of South San Francisco, together with those
volunteer forces enrolled to aid tl~em during a disaster, and all
groups, organizations and persons who may by agreement or operation
of law be charged with duties incident to the protection of life and
- 3 -
property in the City of South San Francisco during such disaster,
shall constitute the City of south San Francisco Disaster Corps.
Section 7. DIVISIONS OF DISASTER CORPS. The
functions and duties of the City of South San Francisco Disaster
Corps shall be distributed among the following divisions of such
corps, each division to be under the direction of a Chief and,
in his absence, the first deputy and second deputy chief,
respectively, appointed by the Chief, and said division to consist
of the following forces, organizations and services, and such other
forces, organizations o r services as may be included pursuant to
the provisions of this ordinance. The chiefs of divisions shall
organize and train volunteers assigned to such division by the
Personnel and Recruitment Division and shall formulate the division
plan which, when approved by the Disaster Council, shall become a
part of the disaster plan. The Chiefs of Divisions shall include
in the division plans recommended mutual aid agreements. The
Chiefs of Divisions shall be custodians of special equipmen~ and
o~her property which may be obtained from any source and ~ssigned to
such division by the Commander.
A. L~-~W AND OkDE~ DIVISION. This division shall
be under and subject to the control of the chief of police, who
shall be chief of the Law and Order Division. The division shall
consist of police personnel and auxiliary police (volunteers).
B. FIEE DIVISION. This division shall be under
and subject to the control of the chief of the fire department, who
shall be Chief of the Fire Division. The division shall consist of
fire department personnel and auxiliary fire fighters (volunteers).
C. MEDICAL DIVISION. This division shall be
under and subject to the control of the city health officer, who
shall be Chief of the Medical Division. The division shall consist
of health department personnel and medical ser¥ice volunteers.
D. PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION. This division shall
be under and subject to the control of the director of public
works (Works Engineer), who shall be Chief of the Public Works
Division. The division shall consist of the department of public
works personnel and auxiliary personnel (volunteers).
E. UTILITIES DIVISION. This division shall be
under and subject to the control of the utilities department, and
the head of such department shall be Chief of the division. The
division shall consist of utilities department personnel and
auxiliary personnel (volunteers).
F. TP~NSPORTATION DIVISION. The chief of this
division shall be a public official having transportation facilities
or a citizen, experienced and engaged in such industry, appointed by
the mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council. The
division shall consist of auxiliary personnel (volunteers).
G. COR2.~UNIC~TIONS DIVISION. The chief of this
division shall be a public official (police or fire) having
communications facilities or a citizen, experienced and engaged
in such industry, appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent
of the City Council. The division shall consist of auxiliary
personnel (volunteers) and city personnel engaged in communications
work.
H. PERSONNEL AND RECRUITMENT DIVISION. This
division shall be under and subject to the control of the Executive
Officer. It shall be the duty of this division to recruit all
volunteer personnel, to enroll and register such personnel, to keep
adequate records thereof, and to assign such personnel to other
divisionsof the Disaster Corps. The Executive Officer may establish
and operate a volunteer office.
I. ~AMERICAN RED CROSS. The American Red Cross
in the City of South San Francisco will furnish food, clothing,
shelter, registration and information service, supplementary medical
service when requested, and rehabilitation to individuals and families
affected by a disaster. The American Red Cross will provide funds
witL which to finance all its relief operations. The chief of
this division will be ttie chairn%an of tl~e City of South San Francisco
Chapter of the American Red Cross, or a delegated representative
thereof.
J. OTHERS. (AS DETERMINED LOCALLY).
Section 8. VOLUNTEERS. All persons, other than
officers and employees of the city, volunteering services pursuant
to tl~e provisions of this ordinance, shall serve without compensation
from the city. While engaged in such services, they shall have the
same immunities as officers and employees of the city performing
similar duties.
Section 9. PUNISHMENT OF VIOLATIONS. It shall
be a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of'not to exceed Five Hundred
Dollars ($500.00), or by imprisonment for a period not exceeding
six (6) months, or both such fine and imprisonment for any person
during a disaster:
A. Wilfully to obstruct, hinder or delay any
member of the Disaster Corps in the enforcement of any lawful rule
or regulation issued pursuant to this ordinance, or in the performance
of any duty imposed upon him by virtue of this ordinance;
B. To do any act forbidden by any lawful rules or
regulations issued pursuant to this ordinance, if such act is of
such a nature as to give, or be likely to give assistance to the
enemy, or to imperil the lives or property of other inhabitants of
this city, or to prevent, hinder or delay the defense or protection
thereof;
C. To wear, carry or display, without autlority,
any means of identification specified by the Disaster Council.
Section 10. EFFECTIVE DATE. This ordinance is
hereby declared to be an emergency measure necessary for the
immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety,
and shall take effect immediately. The following is a statement
of the facts showing its urgency:
- 6 --
A complete and adequate disaster plan must be
formulated at once by the Disaster Council. The plan will be
based upon plans formulated by the chiefs of divisions and
upon mutual aid agreements. To protect the lives and property
of the citizens of the City of South San Francisco, responsibility
for the formulation of such plans and agreements should be fixed
immediately.
Section ll. This ordinance shall be published
once in The Enterprise, a newspaper of general circulation,
published and circulated in the City of South San Francisco.
Introduced this //~ day of September,
19~8.
Passed and adopted as an ordinance of the City
of South San Francisco at a regular meeting of the City Council of
the City of South San Francisco this 7~ day of~ ,
19&8, by the following vote:
Ayes, Councilmen ~' '~~.. ~ ~~~ ~~ ~~
Noes, Councilmen ~
Absent, Co~cilmen /~ ~~~
Approved: ~
~ayor of ~he CSgy of Sough San
Francisco.
At~es%:
-7-