Yolo County Municipal Code Art. 31 Yolo County Disaster Council

The declared purposes of this article are to provide for the preparation and carrying out of plans for the protection of persons and property within this County in the event of an emergency; the direction of the emergency organization; and the coordination of the emergency functions of this County with all other public agencies, corporations, organizations, and affected private persons. (Ord. 1112, eff. December 20, 1990)

As used in this article, “emergency” shall mean the actual or threatened existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within this County caused by such conditions as severe air pollution, fire, flood, storm, epidemic, riot, or earthquake, or other conditions which are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of this County, requiring the combined forces of other political subdivisions for effective response. “Emergency” shall not include conditions resulting from a labor controversy. (Ord. 1112, eff. December 20, 1990)

The Yolo County Disaster Council, “Council,” is hereby created and shall consists of the following:

(a) The Chairperson of the Board of Supervisors of the County, who shall be the chairperson of the Council.

(b) The Deputy Director of Emergency Services who shall be the vice chairperson of the Council.

(c) Such chiefs of emergency services as are provided for in a current emergency plan of this county, adopted pursuant to this article.

(d) Such representatives of civic, business, labor, veterans, professional, or other organizations having an official emergency responsibility, as may be appointed by the Board of Supervisors. (Ord. 1112, eff. December 20, 1990)

It shall be the duty of the Yolo County Disaster Council, and it is hereby empowered, to develop and recommend for adoption by the Board of Supervisors, emergency 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 Disaster Council shall meet upon call of the Chairperson or, in the Chairperson’s absence from the County or inability to call such meeting, upon call of the Vice Chairperson. (Ord. 1112, eff. December 20, 1990)

(a) There is hereby created the office of Director of Emergency Services. The Chairperson of the Board of Supervisors shall be the Director of Emergency Services.

(b) There is hereby created the office of Deputy Director of Emergency Services. The County Administrative Officer shall be the Deputy Director of Emergency Services. (Ord. 1112, eff. December 20, 1990)

(a) The Director is hereby empowered to:

(1) Request the Board of Supervisors to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a “local emergency” if the Board of Supervisors is in session, or to issue such proclamation if the Board of Supervisors is not in session. Whenever a local emergency is proclaimed by the Director, the Board of Supervisors shall take action to ratify the proclamation within seven (7) days thereafter or the proclamation shall have no further force or effect.

(2) Request or recommend that the County Administrative Officer request the Governor to proclaim a “state of emergency” when, in the opinion of the Director, the locally available resources are inadequate to cope with the emergency.

(3) Control and direct the effort of the emergency organization of this county for the accomplishment of the purposes of this article.

(4) Direct cooperation between and coordination of services and staff of the emergency organization of this County and resolve questions of authority and responsibility that may arise between them.

(5) Represent this County in all dealings with public or private agencies on matters pertaining to emergencies as defined herein.

(6) In the event of the proclamation of a “local emergency” as provided herein, the proclamation of a “state of emergency” by the Governor or the Director of the State Office of Emergency Services, or the existence of a “state of war emergency,” the Director is hereby empowered:

(i) To make and issue rules and regulations on matters reasonably related to the protection of life and property as affected by such emergency; provided, however, that such rules and regulations must be confirmed at the earliest practicable time by the Board of Supervisors;

(ii) To obtain vital supplies, equipment, and such other properties found lacking and needed for the protection of life and property and to bind the County for the fair value thereof and, if required immediately, to commandeer the same for public use;

(iii) To require emergency services of any County officer or employee and, in the event of the proclamation of a “state of emergency” in the County or the existence of a “state of war emergency,” to command the aid of as many citizens of this County as he/she deems necessary in the execution of duties; such persons shall be entitled to all privileges, benefits, and immunities as are provided by state law for registered disaster service workers;

(iv) To requisition necessary personnel or material of any County Department or agency; and

(v) To execute all of his/her ordinary powers as Chairperson of the Board of Supervisors, all of the special powers conferred upon him/her by this article or by resolution or emergency plan pursuant hereto adopted by the Board of Supervisors, all powers conferred upon him/her by any statute, by any agreement approved by the Board of Supervisors, and by any other lawful authority.

(b) The Deputy Director of Emergency Services shall be granted the same powers as the Director of Emergency Services, to take effect in the event the Director is unavailable to attend meetings and otherwise perform his/her duties during an emergency. An order of succession to the positions of Director/Assistant Director of Emergency shall be designated; such order of succession shall be approved by the Board of Supervisors.

(c) The Deputy Director of Emergency Services shall, under the supervision of the Director and with the assistance of the emergency service chiefs, develop emergency plans and manage the emergency programs of this County and shall have such other power and duties as may be assigned by the Director. (Ord. 1112, eff. December 20, 1990)

All officers and employees of this County, together with those volunteer forces enrolled to aid them during an emergency, and all groups, organizations, and persons who may by agreement or operation of law, including persons impressed into service under the provisions of Section 2-2.3106(a)(6)(iii) of this article, who are charged with duties incident to the protection of life and property in this County during such emergency, shall constitute the emergency organization of the County of Yolo. Day-to-day emergency management program support will be provided by the Emergency Services Coordinator assigned to the Office of Emergency Services within the Yolo County Communications Emergency Service Agency. During time of emergency, the Emergency Services Coordinator will serve as staff to the Director/Assistant Director of Emergency Services. (Ord. 1112, eff. December 20, 1990)

The Yolo County Disaster Council shall be responsible for the development of the County of Yolo Emergency Plan, which plan shall provide for the effective mobilization of all of the resources of this County, both public and private, to meet any condition constituting a local emergency, state of emergency, or state of war emergency. The plan shall provide for the organization, powers and duties, services, and staff of the emergency organization and shall take effect upon adoption by resolution of the Board of Supervisors. (Ord. 1112, eff. December 20, 1990)

Any expenditures made in connection with emergency activities, including mutual aid activities, shall be deemed conclusively to be for the direct protection and benefit of the inhabitants and property of the County of Yolo. (Ord. 1112, eff. December 20, 1990)

It shall be a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not to exceed Five Hundred and no/100ths ($500.00) Dollars, or by imprisonment not to exceed six (6) months, or both, for any person during a state of war emergency, state of emergency, or local emergency, to:

(a) Willfully obstruct, hinder, or delay any member of the emergency organization in the enforcement of any lawful rule or regulation issued pursuant to this article, or in the performance of any duty imposed upon him or her by virtue of this article.

(b) Do any act forbidden by any lawful rule or regulation issued pursuant to this article, 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 inhabitants of this County, or to prevent, hinder, or delay the defense or protection thereof.

(c) Wear, carry or display, without authority, any means of identification specified by the emergency agency of the State or County. (Ord. 1112, eff. December 20, 1990)