City of Chicopee, MA Chapter 9 Emergency Management, Department of

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Aldermen (now City Council) of the City of Chicopee 7-7-2004 by Ord. No. 04-71.[1]Amendments noted where applicable.]

GENERAL REFERENCES

Police Department — See Ch. 77.

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch. 9, Civil Defense Department, which consisted of Art. I, General Provisions, adopted as Ch. 45 of the 1976 Code, as amended, and Art. II, Emergency Ration and Resource Management Board, adopted as Ch. 46 of the 1976 Code, as amended.

§ 9-1 Functions.

It shall be the function of the Department of Emergency Management to have charge of emergency management and preparedness activities for the City of Chicopee as defined in Section 1, Chapter 639, Acts of 1950, and to perform emergency management functions as authorized or directed by said chapter or by any and all executive orders or general regulations promulgated thereunder and to exercise any authority delegated to it by the Governor under said Chapter 639. The Department will also perform emergency management functions as authorized by Chapter 9 of the City Code of Chicopee or by any and all executive orders or general regulations promulgated thereunder and will exercise any authority delegated to it by the Mayor of the City of Chicopee.

§ 9-2 Appointment and duties of Director of Emergency Management.

A. The Department of Emergency Management shall be under the direction of the Director of Emergency Management (hereinafter called the "Director of Emergency Management") who shall be appointed by the Mayor. Upon appointment the Director of Emergency Management will be administered an oath of service to the City of Chicopee and State of Massachusetts by the City Clerk. The Director of Emergency Management shall have direct responsibility for the organization, administration and operation of the Department of Emergency Management and Emergency Operations Center (EOC), shall act as commander of the EOC in time of emergency, will be subject to the direction and control of the Mayor, and may receive such salary as may be fixed from time to time by the City Council. The Director of Emergency Management may, within the limits of the amount appropriated therefor, appoint such experts, clerks and other assistants as the work of the Department may require and may remove them and may make such expenditures as may be necessary to execute effectively the purposes of Chapter 639, Acts of 1950. The Director of Emergency Management shall also have authority to appoint district coordinators and may accept and may receive, on behalf of the City of Chicopee, services, equipment, supplies, materials or funds by way of gift, grant or loan, for purposes of emergency management, offered by the federal government or any agency or officer thereof or any person, firm or corporation, subject to the terms of the offer and the rules and regulations, if any, of the agency making the offer. The Director of Emergency Management shall cause appropriate records to be kept of all matters relating to such gifts, grants or loans.

[Amended 9-1-2009]

B. Duties and responsibilities of the Director of Emergency Management. The Director of Emergency Management shall be responsible for the following duties as listed below.

(1) Coordinates the City's overall emergency preparedness activities.

(2) Advises the Mayor on emergency management and local declaration of emergency.

(3) Informs the Mayor of all emergency management activities through regular memos, briefings, etc.

(4) Works collaboratively with the Chief of Fire and Chief of Police and/or their designees to ensure effective implementation of emergency management goals.

(5) Works with City Fire, Police, Health, and Public Works departments to coordinate City-wide emergency planning.

(6) Works with City departments, private industry, and nongovernmental organizations on emergency preparedness issues.

(7) Works as the liaison between the City of Chicopee and private industry and nongovernmental organizations on emergency preparedness issues.

(8) Performs all day-to-day administrative duties of the Department of Emergency Management.

(9) Maintains an up-to-date Hazardous Materials Emergency Plan.

(10) Maintains an up-to-date City Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.

(11) Maintains an up-to-date filing system for chemical inventories submitted by City industry.

(12) Acts as a liaison for the City to other local, state, and federal emergency management agencies.

(13) Coordinates resources from surrounding communities in the event of an emergency.

(14) Acts as the City's Community Emergency Response Coordinator.

(15) Acts as the City's Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) Director.

(16) Attends local, state, and federally sponsored meetings, conferences, and workshops in the field of emergency management and public safety.

(17) Participates in state or federal professional development courses in emergency management and public safety.

(18) Serves as Chairman of the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

(19) Establishes, develops, or maintains an emergency shelter system.

(20) Establishes, develops, or maintains an emergency operations center (E.O.C.).

(21) Prepares and submits grants for the purpose of securing state or federal money, equipment, etc., to meet the City's emergency preparedness needs.

(22) Coordinates public outreach and education in preparing for local emergencies.

(23) Coordinates regular exercises for the purpose of testing emergency plans and procedures, and for the promotion of interdepartmental cooperation, and cooperation between City, state, regional, and federal agencies, as well as private industry and citizens' groups.

(24) Coordinates emergency preparedness training for City employees as needed.

(25) The Director or, in his absence, the acting director shall be available on a twenty-four-hour basis for matters concerning City emergency management.

(26) Prepares and submits an annual Emergency Management Department budget.

(27) Keeps the City Council informed on emergency management activities through briefing and written reports.

[Amended 9-1-2009]

§ 9-3 Emergency Management Department Advisory Commission.

An Emergency Management Department Advisory Commission consists of five members who shall serve without pay. Said commission shall consist of three permanent members who shall be: Director of Emergency Management, Chief of Fire, Chief of Police. Two other persons shall be named by the Mayor to serve as Commissioners. The Mayor shall appoint one member to serve as Chairman who shall be either the Police Chief or Fire Chief. Said Commissioners shall serve subject to the direction and control of the Mayor and shall advise the Mayor and the Director of Emergency Management on matters pertaining to emergency management within the City of Chicopee. In the absence of the Director of Emergency Management, his duties shall be performed by the Chairman of the Emergency Management Department Advisory Commission.

§ 9-4 Police aid to other cities and towns.

The Police Department is hereby authorized to go to aid another city or town at the request of said city or town in the suppression of riots or other forms of violence therein.

§ 9-5 Duration of provisions.

This chapter shall remain in force during the effective period of Chapter 639, Acts of 1950, any act in amendment to or continuation thereof or substitution therefor.

§ 9-6 References to statute.

All references to Chapter 639, Acts of 1950, as now in force, shall be applicable to any acts in amendment to or continuation of or substitution for said Chapter 639.