868,I ,
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ORDINANCE NO. 8'68
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCE BY
ADDING A SECTION ENTITLED "CIVIL DEFENSE"
WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE OFFICE OF CIVIL DEFENSE
COORDINATOR, PROVIDES FOR DEFINITION OF TERMS;
PROVIDES FOR ORGANIZATION OF THE OFFICE OF
CIVIL DEFENSE AND APPOINTMENTS OF PERSONS TO
THAT ORGANIZATION: PROVIDES NECESSARY EMERGENCY
POWERS; PROVIDES FOR A CITY DISASTER PLAN; PROVIDES
FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PRIMARY AND A SECONDARY
EMERGENCY OPERATING CENTER; PROVIDES GENERAL RULES
AND ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION; PROVIDES FOR REPEAL
OF ORDINANCE AND PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT;
PROVIDES AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF EDGEWATER, FLORIDA:
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That the Code of Ordinances of the City of Edgewater, Florida
is, hereby Amended by adding a section, which reads as follows:
CIVIL DEFENSE
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE
(A) This Ordinance shall be known and may be cited and referred
to as the "Civil Defense Ordinance of the City of Edgewater, Florida".
SECTION 2. INTENT AND PURPOSE
(A) It is the intent and purpose of this Ordinance to establish an office
that will insure the complete and efficient utilization of all the City's
facilities and resources to combat threatened or actual disasters whether manmade,
resulting from natural phenonenon, or from enemy actions or any other disasters
or emergencies as defined herein.
(B) The City of Edgewater Office of Civil Defense will be the
Coordinating agency for all activity in connection with Civil Defense; it will
be the instrument through which the City Council and the Mayor may exercise
the authority and discharge the responsibilities vested in them in Chapter 252
of the State of Florida Statutes, and amended as the current Executive Order of
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the Governor, State of Florida, be included in the Charter of the City
of Edgewater, and this Ordinance.
(C) This Ordinance will not relieve any City Department of the
moral responsibilities of Authority given to It in the City Charter or by
Local Ordinance, nor will it adversely affect the work of any Volunteer
Agency organized for the relief in disaster emergencies.
SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS
(A) The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation of
this Ordinance:
1 - CIVIL DEFENSE - "Civil Defense" in its broad meaning is to
carry out the basic government functions of maintaining the public peace,
health and safety during an emergency. This shall include the formulation
of plans and preparation for protection from, and relief, recovery and
rehabilitation from, the effects of a disaster as defined herein and shall
also include the effects of an attack on the City by the forces of an enemy
nation or the agents thereof. It shall not, however, include any activity
that is the primary responsibility of the military forces of the United
States.
2 - DISASTER - "Disaster" includes but is not limited to actual or
threatened enemy attack, sabotage, extraordinary fire, flood, storm,
epidemic or other impending or actual calamity endangering or threatening
to endanger health, life or property or constituted government.
3 - ATTACK - "Attack" shall mean a direct or indirect assault against
the City of Edgewater, its government, its environs, or of the nation, by the
forces of a hostile nation or the agents thereof, including assault by bombing,
radiological, chemical or biological warfare, or sabotage.
4 - CIVIL DEFENSE FORCE - "Civil Defense Force" shall mean
the employees, equipment and facilities of all city departments, boards,
institutions and commissions; and, in addition, it shall include all volunteer
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personnel, equipment and facilities contributed by, or obtained from,
volunteer persons or agencies.
5 - VOLUNTEER - "Volunteer" shall mean contributing a service,
equipment or facilities to the civil defense without remuneration.
6 - CIVIL DEFENSE VOLUNTEER - "Civil Defense Volunteer"shall
mean any person duly requested, identified and appointed by the coordinator
of the Office of Civil Defense and assigned to participate in the civil
defense activity.
7 - DIRECTOR - "Director' shall mean the Mayor of his designated,
and duly appointed alternate.
8 - COORDINATOR - "Coordinator' shall mean the coordinator of
the City of Edgewater, Florida, Office of Civil Defense, appointed as
prescribed in this Ordinance.
9 - REGULATIONS - "Regulations" shall include plans, programs
and any other emergency procedures deemed essential to civil defense
as promulgated by legally constituted authority.
SECTION 4. ORGANIZATION AND APPOINTMENTS
(A) The Mayor is hereby authorized and directed to create an
organization for civil defense utilizing to the fullest extent the existing
agencies within the City. The Mayor shall be the Director of the civil
defense forces of the city and shall be responsible for their organization,
administration and operations.
(B) The organization shall consist of the following:
1 - An office of Civil Defense within the Executive Department
of the City Government, and under the direction of the Mayor. There
shall be an Executive Head of the Office of Civil Defense, and such
assistants and other employees as are deemed necessary for the proper
functioning or the organization. On some occasions the coordinator may
be referred to as the Director, Office of the Civil Defense.
2 - The employees, equipment and facilities of all City Departments,
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boards, institutions and commissions will participate in the civil
defense activity. Duties assigned to a City Department shall be the
same or similar to the normal duties of the department.
3 - Volunteer persons and agencies offering service to, and accepted
by, the City.
(C) The Civil Defense Director (Mayor) shall appoint a coordinator
of the City of Edgewater, Florida, Office of Civil Defense who shall be a
person well versed and trained in planning operation involving the
activities of many different agencies which will operate to protect the public
health, safety and welfare in the event of danger from disaster or attack as
defined in this Ordinance.
(D) The Civil Defense Director shall designate and appoint Deputy
Directors to assume the emergency duties of the Director in event of his
absence or inability to act.
SECTION 5. EMERGENCY POWERS AND DUTIES
(A) The Mayor (Civil Defense Director)
1 - The Civil Defense Director may exercise the emergency power
and authority necessary to fulfill his general powers and duties as defined
in the City Charter. The judgment of the Civil Defense Director shall be
the sole criteria necessary to invoke emergency powers provided in the
City Charter, the Ordinance Code and other appropriate authorities. The
City Council may convene to perform its legislative and administrative powers
as the situation demands, and shall receive reports relative to Civil Defense
activities. Nothing in this Ordinance shall be construed as abridging or
curtailing the powers or restrictions of the City Council as defined in the
City Charter.
2 - During any period when disaster threatens or when the City has
been struck by disaster, within the definitions of this Ordinance, the Mayor
may promulgate such regulations as he deems necessary to protect life and
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property and preserving critical resources. Such regulations may
include, but shall not be limited to the following:
(a) Regulations prohibiting or restricting the movement of
vehicles in order to facilitate the work of Civil Defense Forces or
to facilitate the mass movement of persons from critical areas within
or without the City.
(b) Regulations pertaining to the movement of persons from
areas deemed to be hazardous or vulnerable to disaster.
(c) Such regulation necessary to preserve public peace, health
and safety or to conserve petroleum products, food, medical supplies,
hardware and equipment and any other commodity or resource required
to combat the emergency or to aid in the restoration of normalcy.
(d) Regulations promulgated in accordance with the authority
alone will be given widespread circulation by proclamations published
and uttered by newspaper and radio. These regulatiorewill have the force
of Ordinance when duly filed with the City Clerk and violations will be
subject to the penalties provided in the City Charter.
3 - The Civil Defense. Director shall order civil defense forces
to the aid of other communities when required in accordance with mutual
aid agreements or applicable State Statutes, and he may require, through.
Volusfa County Civil Defense additional aid (to the City of Edgewater)
in case of disaster when conditions in the City of Edgewater are beyond
the control of the local Civil Defense Forces.
4 - The Civil Defense Director may obtain vital supplies, equipment
and other properties found lacking and needed for the protection of health,
life and property of the people, and bind the City for the fair value thereof.
5 - The Civil Director may require emergency services of any City
officer or employees. If regular City forces are determined inadequate, the
Director may require the services of such other personnel as he can obtain
that are available, including citizen volunteers. All duly authorized persons
rendering emergency services shall be entitled to the privileges and immunities
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as are provided by State Statute, the City Charter and Ordinances for
regular City employees and other registered and identified Civil Defense
and disaster workers and upon demand, may receive appropriate compensation
for their emergency employment.
6 - The Civil Defense Iirector will cause to be prepared the
Basic Plan herein referred to and to exercise his ordinary powers as Mayor,
all the special powers conferred upon him by the City Charter and the
Ordinance Code of the City of Edgewater, Florida, all powers conferred
upon him by a statute, or any other lawful authority.
(B) COORDINATOR OF THE OFFICE OF CIVIL DEFENSE
1 - The Coordinator of the Office of Civil Defense shall be responsible
to the Director in regard to all phases of the Civil Defense activity. Under
the supervision of the Director, he shall be responsible for the planning,
coordination and operation of the civil defense activity in the City. Under
the supervision of the Director, he shall maintain liaison with the state and
federal authorities and the authorities of other nearby political subdivisions
through normal administrative channels so as to insure the most effective
operation of the civil defense plan. His duties shall include, but not be
limited to, the following:
(a) Development and coordination of plans for the immediate use of
all the facilities, equipment, manpower and other resources of the City for
the purpose of minimizing or preventing damage to persons or property; and
protecting and restoring to usefulness governmental services and public
utilities necessary for the public health, safety and welfare.
(b) Coordination the recruitment of volunteer personnel and agencies
to augment the personnel of the City for civil defense. purpose.
(c) Negotiating and concluding agreements with owners or persons In
control of buildings or other property for the use of such buildings or other
property for civil defense purposes and designating suitable buildings as
public shelters. -6-
(d) Coordinating the activity of all other public and private
agencies engaged in any civil defense activity.
(a) Through public informational program, educating the civilian
population as to actions necessary and require for the protection of their
persons or property in the event of disaster or attack, as defined herein,
either impending or present.
(f) Conducting public practice alerts to insure the efficient operation
of the civil defense forces and to familiarize residents with civil defense
regulations, procedures and operations.
(g) Assuming such authority and conducting such activity as the
Director may direct to promote and execute the civil defense plan.
SECTION 6. CIVIL DEFENSE AND DISASTER BASIC PAIN
(A) A comprehensive civil defense and disaster Basic Plan shall
be adopted and maintained by resolution of the City Councilmen upon the
recommendations of the Mayor. In the preparation of this plan as it pertains to
City Organization, it is the intent that the services, equipment, facilities
and personnel of all existing departments, agencies, boards and councilmen shall
he utilized to the fullest extent. When approved, it shall be the duty of all
Municipal departments, agencies, boards and councilmen to perform this
function assigned by the plan and to maintain their portion of the plan in a
current state of readiness at all times. The basic plan shall be considered
supplementary to this section and have the effect of law whenever a disaster
or attack, as defined herein, has been proclaimed.
(B) The Director shall prescribe in the Basic Plan those positions
within the disaster organization, in addition to his own, for which lines of
succession are necessary. In each instance, the responsible person will
designate and keep on file with the Director a current list of three (3) persons
as successors to his position. The list will be in order of succession and will
as nearly as possible designate persons by joint title best capable of carrying
out all assigned duties and functions.
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(C) Each service chief and department head assigned responsibility
in the Basic Plan shall be responsible for carrying out all duties and functions
assigned therein. Duties will include the organization and training of assigned
city employees and volunteers. Each Chief shall formulate the operational
plan for his service which, when approved, shall be an annex to and a part
of the Basic Plan.
(D) Amendments to the Basic Plan shall be submitted to the Mayor.
If approved, the Mayor (Director) will submit amendments to the City
Councilmen with his recommendations for approval. Such amendments shall
take effect thirty (30) days from the date of adoption by the City Councilmen.
In the event an amendment is pending at the time that a disaster is proclaimed
under provisions of this Section, the amendment will be considered approved
immediately and will remain effective unless specifically revoked by the
Councilmen.
(E) When a required competency or skill for a disaster function
is not available within the City Government, the Director is authorized
to seek assistance from persons outside of government. The assignment of
duties, when of a supervisory nature, shall also grant authority to the persons
so assigned to carry out such duties prior to, during, and after the occurrence
of disaster. Such services from persons outside of government may be accepted
by the City on a volunteer basis. Such citizens shall be enrolled as civil
defense volunteers in cooperation with the heads of City Departments affected.
(F) Some of the duties ascribed to the Director in this Section will
ordinarily be handled as a matter of routine by the Coordinator, but the
responsibility and authority accrue from and remain with the Director.
SECTION 7.
(A) In accordance with Chapter 252, Florida Statutes, Section 252.09,
the City of Edgewater hereby establishes the City Hall of the City of Edgewater,
Florida as the primary emergency operating center and the fire station of the
City of Edgewater, Florida as the secondary emergency operating center.
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SECTION 8. NO MUNICIPAL OR PRIVATE LIABILITY
(A) This Ordinance is an exercise by the City of its governmental
functions for the protection of the public peace, health, and safety, and
neither the City nor agents or representatives of said City of any
individual or trustee, or any of the agents thereof, in good faith carrying
out, complying with or attempting to comply with any order, rule or regulation
promulgate pursuant to the provisions of this Ordinance shall be liable for
any damage sustained to persons or property as the result of said activity.
(B) Any person owning or controlling real estate or other premises who
voluntarily and without compensation grants the City the right to inspect,
designate and use the whole or any part or parts of such real estate or
premises for the purpose of sheltering persons during an actual, impending
or practice disaster or enemy attack shall not be civilly liable for the death of,
or injury to, any persons on or about such real estate or premises under such
license, privilege or other permission, or for loss or damage to, the property
of such person.
SECTION 9. VIOLATION OF REGULATIONS
It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any of the provisions of
this Ordinance or of the regulations or plans issued pursuant to the authority
contained herein, or to willfully obstruct, hinder or delay any member of the
civil defense organization as herein defined in the enforcement of the provisions
of this Ordinance or any regulation or plan issued thereunder.
SECTION 10. PENALTY
Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this Ordinance,
or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder, upon conviction thereof, shall
be punished by fine of not more than five :hundred ($500) dollars, and cost of
prosecution, or imprisonment in jail for a period of not more than sixty (60) days,
or both such fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the Court.
No
SECTION 11. That all Ordinances or parts of Ordinances and all
Resolutions or parts of Resolutions in conflict herewith be and the same
are hereby repealed.
SECTION 12. That this Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its
adoption by the City Council and approval by the Mayor at second reading.
SECTION 13. The City Clerk is hereby directed to advertise this Ordinance
as required by law.
The first reading of the above Ordinance was read in full and passed
by vote of the City Council of the City of Edgewater, Florida, at a ragiil ar
meeting of said Council held on the 21 st day of January
A.D., 1974, roll call vote being as follows:
ATTEST:
l
FIRST READING
Approved this 1Sth day of
February A,D., 1974.
ayor
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