Alpine County Municipal Code Art. XIII Powers and Authority of the County Health Officer

The county health officer may declare a public health emergency in the county or any area in the county when there has been an event as described in Section 2.56.020(I) of this code and/or as defined in Section 101080 of the California Health and Safety Code, and the health officer reasonably determines that the event is an immediate threat to the public health. The local health officer may declare a public health emergency in the county or any area thereof affected by the threat to the public health. (Ord. 719 § 13.1, 2016)

The public health emergency declaration shall not remain in effect for a period in excess of seven days unless the board of supervisors has ratified it. (Ord. 719 § 13.2, 2016)

The board of supervisors shall review, at least every fourteen days until the local health emergency is terminated, the need for continuing the local health emergency and shall proclaim the termination of the local health emergency at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant the termination. They must also terminate the declaration at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant. (Ord. 719 § 13.3, 2016)

Section 101040 of the California Government Code states that the county health officer may take any preventive measure that may be necessary to protect and preserve the public from any public health hazard during any state of war emergency, state of emergency, or local emergency, as defined by Section 8558 of the Government Code, within his or her jurisdiction. “Preventive measure” means abatement, correction, removal, or any other protective step that may be taken against any public health hazard that is caused by a disaster and affects the public health. Funds for these measures may be allowed pursuant to Sections 29127 through 29131, inclusive, and 53021 through 53023, inclusive, of the Government Code, and from any other money appropriated by a county board of supervisors to carry out the purposes of California Government Code Section 101040. The county health officer, upon consent of the county board of supervisors, may certify any public health hazard resulting from any disaster condition if certification is required for any federal or state disaster relief program. (Ord. 719 § 13.4, 2016)

The county health officer shall manage the event in accordance with the standardized emergency management system (SEMS), which is the official statewide method for disaster response management. According to the Emergency Services Act Section 8607(e)(1), “each local agency, in order to be eligible for any funding of response-related costs under disaster assistance programs, shall use the standardized emergency management system to coordinate multiple jurisdiction or multiple agency operations.” (Ord. 719 § 13.5, 2016)

The county health officer shall establish a line of succession for the position of county health officer. (Ord. 719 § 13.6, 2016)

In the absence of a county health officer or designee, the county director of emergency services shall act as and have the authority of the county health officer. (Ord. 719 § 13.7, 2016)