Placerville Municipal Code Ch. 3 Civil Defense

The declared purposes of this chapter are to provide for the preparation and carrying out of plans for the protection of person and property within the county of El Dorado in the event of a disaster, and to provide for the coordination of the civil disaster functions of the city of Placerville with the city of South Lake Tahoe and the county of El Dorado and all other affected public agencies, corporations and organizations within the county of El Dorado. (Ord. 946, 4-19-1966)

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings herein ascribed to them:

CIVIL DEFENSE: The preparation for the implementation of all emergency functions, other than functions for which military forces are primarily responsible, to prevent, minimize, and repair injury and damage resulting from disasters.

DISASTER: Actual or threatened enemy attack, sabotage, extraordinary fire, flood, storm, epidemic, riot, earthquake or other similar public calamity. (Ord. 946, 4-19-1966)

The El Dorado County civil disaster council is hereby created and shall consist of the following:

(A) Two (2) members appointed by the chairman of the board of supervisors of the county, one of whom shall be a member of the board of supervisors;

(B) Two (2) members appointed by the mayor of each city, one of whom shall be a member of the city council of each city;

(C) The civil defense area coordinator appointed by the board of supervisors with concurrence of the city councils, who shall serve as an ex officio member of the civil disaster council without vote;

(D) The county legal counsel who shall serve as an ex officio member of the civil disaster council without vote;

(E) City manager or other administrative employee of each city as determined by his city council, who shall serve as an ex officio member of the civil disaster council without vote. (Ord. 946, 4-19-1966)

It shall be the duty of the El Dorado County civil disaster council, and it is hereby empowered, to review and recommend for adoption by the county board of supervisors and city councils, civil defense and disaster and mutual aid plans and agreements, and such ordinances and resolutions, and rules and regulations, as are necessary to implement such plans and agreements. The members of the civil disaster council shall elect a chairman, vice chairman, and such other officers as they deem necessary and they shall prescribe their own rules of procedure. The civil disaster council shall meet upon call of the chairman, or in his absence from the county, or inability to call such meeting, upon call of the vice chairman. At least two (2) regular meetings shall be held during each calendar year. (Ord. 946, 4-19-1966)

There is hereby created the position of El Dorado County area coordinator of civil disaster. The area coordinator shall be selected by the civil disaster council, be confirmed by the board of supervisors, and city councils and shall be responsible to the county board of supervisors for the day to day management of the civil disaster program. The area coordinator is hereby empowered:

(A) To request the board of supervisors, to proclaim the existence, or threatened existence of a disaster and the termination thereof;

(B) With the approval of the civil disaster council to request the governor to proclaim a state of extreme emergency when in the opinion of the council the resources of the area or region are inadequate to cope with the disaster;

(C) To control and direct civil disaster activities and efforts for the accomplishment of the purposes of this chapter;

(D) To direct coordination and cooperation between divisions, services and staff of the civil disaster organization, and to resolve questions of authority and responsibility that may arise between them;

(E) To represent the civil disaster organization in all dealings with public or private agencies pertaining to civil defense and disaster;

(F) To appoint service chiefs subject to the approval of the civil disaster council; provided, however, the service chiefs so appointed shall in so far as possible, be employees who hold regular administrative positions with the county and the cities;

(G) To prescribe in writing the duties of any assistants provided him and the duties of chiefs of services, in conformity with the El Dorado County civil disaster plan. Such duties may be changed from time to time by the area coordinator particularly for the purpose of conforming to recommendations of the director of the California disaster office or the federal office of civil defense;

(H) The area coordinator shall develop a civil disaster plan and program for El Dorado County and shall have such other duties as may be assigned. (Ord. 946, 4-19-1966)

In the event of the proclamation of a disaster as herein provided, or the proclamation of a state of disaster by the governor or the director of the California disaster office, the area coordinator is hereby empowered:

(A) To make and issue rules and regulations on matters reasonably related to the protection of life and property as affected by such disaster; provided, however, such rules and regulations must be confirmed at the earliest practicable time by the civil disaster council.

(B) Subject to the approval of the board of supervisors to obtain vital supplies, equipment and such other properties found lacking and needed for the protection of life and property of the people, and bind the county for the fair value thereof, and if required immediately to commandeer the same for public use.

(C) In the event of disaster to exercise complete emergency authority over the county and city or cities, and to exercise all police power vested in the said political subdivisions by the constitution and general laws in the event that governing bodies thereof delegate such authority or are unable to function. (Ord. 946, 4-19-1966)

All officers and employees of the county of El Dorado, the city of Placerville, and city of South Lake Tahoe together with those volunteer forces enrolled to aid them during a disaster, and all groups, organizations and persons including persons commandeered under the provisions of section 2-3-6 of this chapter who may by agreement or operation of law be charged with duties incident to the protection of life and property during such disaster, shall accept and discharge such duties and responsibilities in the El Dorado County civil disaster organization as they may be assigned. (Ord. 946, 4-19-1966)

The functions and duties of the El Dorado County civil disaster organization shall be distributed among such divisions, services and special staff as the El Dorado County civil disaster council shall prescribe by resolution subject to the approval of the board of supervisors and the city councils. (Ord. 946, 4-19-1966)

The cost of the civil disaster program, not otherwise paid for by federal or state agencies, shall be shared by the county and the cities on a pro rata basis based upon population as determined by the most recent state or federal census or state of California department of finance population figures. (Ord. 946, 4-19-1966)