Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutBIL 195 Draft 01 2020-2022 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 7, OF THE HAWAI‘I COUNTY CODE 1983 (2016 EDITION, AS AMENDED), RELATING TO DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I: SECTION 1. Purpose. The purpose of this ordinance is to: 1. Clarify the duties and responsibilities of an emergency management agency within the County of Hawaiʻi to ensure complete, efficient, and effective utilization of resources to address emergencies resulting from natural causes, civil disturbances, or enemy attacks. The agency shall be called the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency; 2. Set forth authority and responsibilities of local government in prevention of, preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural or man-made disasters or emergencies, and to recognize the emergency powers conferred upon the local government by chapters 127A (Emergency Management) and 128A (Homeland Security) of the Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes; and 3. Provide for the coordination of activities and aid relating to mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery among agencies and officials in the County of Hawaiʻi, with the State and Federal governments, and with other private and quasi-official organizations to ensure all available resources are assembled and utilized to deal with any disaster or emergency that may occur. SECTION 2. Chapter 7 of the Hawaiʻi County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as amended) is amended by renaming the chapter “Disaster and Emergency Management” to read as follows: “CHAPTER 7  [CIVIL DEFENSE] DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT” SECTION 3. Chapter 7, article 1, of the Hawaiʻi County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as amended) is repealed in its entirety and replaced with the following: “Article 1. Disaster and Emergency Management. Section 7-1-1. Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless it is apparent from the context that a different meaning is intended: “Administrator” means the civil defense administrator with delegated authority from the mayor who is responsible for the administrative and operational functions of the civil defense agency during emergency management and non-emergency periods. “Alerting organization” means an organization with the designated authority to alert and warn the public when there is an impending natural or human-made disaster or threat. “Authorized persons” means a person approved or assigned by the civil defense agency to perform a specific type of duty or duties or to be at a specific location or locations. “Civil defense agency” means the agency responsible for performing emergency management and homeland security functions within the County and outside the County, as may be required pursuant to chapter 127A and chapter 128A of the Hawai‘i Revised Statutes. “Comprehensive emergency management plan” means a plan for managing all types of emergencies and disasters by coordinating the actions of numerous agencies. “Continuity of operations plan” means a plan that addresses an organization’s or agency’s capacity to carry out its essential duties while providing resources for emergency response in the event of an emergency. “Disaster” means any emergency, or imminent threat, that results or may likely result in loss of life or property and that requires, or may require, assistance from other Counties or States or from the Federal government. “Emergency” means any occurrence, or imminent threat, which results or may likely result in substantial injury or harm to the population or substantial damage to or loss of property. “Emergency management” means a comprehensive integrated system at all levels of government, and also in the private sector, which develops and maintains an effective capability to prevent, prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and recover from emergencies or disasters. “Integrated preparedness plan” means a comprehensive plan designed to develop and maintain core capabilities in the County  “Land mobile radio system” means a system that facilitates routine and emergency wireless communication between first responders in the field, other field units, and dispatch centers. “Loitering” means to stand or wait around idly or without apparent purpose. “Mitigation” means sustained actions designed to reduce or eliminate risk of hazards and impacts of disaster events on people and property. “Multi-hazard mitigation plan” means a County-wide plan that identifies risks, vulnerabilities, and ways to minimize damage and losses from natural and manmade disasters. “Prevention” means to avoid or stop an imminent, threatened, or actual natural or manmade disaster.  “Protection” means to take necessary actions to avoid or minimize damage, injury, or destruction to residents, visitors, property, and assets.  “Recovery” means the process of returning to a normal state of affairs including timely restoration, strengthening and revitalization of infrastructure, housing and a sustainable economy, as well as the health, social, cultural, historic, and environmental fabric of communities affected by natural and manmade disasters. “Response” means actions designed to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs in the aftermath of an emergency or disaster. “Stakeholder preparedness review” means a three-step self-assessment of a community’s capability levels based on the core capability targets established in the threat hazard identification risk assessment.  The stakeholder preparedness review identifies any change (lost, sustained, or built) in capabilities from the previous year, any gaps between the target and current capability, actions to take to close gaps or maintain the capability, and how funding sources (County, State, and Federal grants) have affected the capability. “State of disaster or emergency” means an occurrence that requires efforts by local, State, or Federal government to protect property, public health, welfare, or safety in the event of a disaster or emergency, or to reduce the threat of a disaster or emergency. “Threat and hazard identification and risk assessment” means an assessment process that helps communities understand risks and how to address those risks. “Warning point” means receiving and disseminating emergency and non-emergency information to and from State partners, first responders, and local governments in a timely manner.” Section 7-1-2. Agency organization; appointments. The civil defense agency shall perform emergency management functions pursuant to chapter 127A and chapter 128A of the Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes and shall consist of the following: (1) The head of the civil defense agency shall be the mayor of the County. (2) A full-time civil defense administrator shall be responsible for administrative functions and emergency management operations during non-emergency periods and, within the delegated scope of authority, have all the duties and responsibilities of the mayor during declared emergencies.  The administrator shall be hired according to the provisions of chapter 76 of the Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes.   (3) Sufficient staff to carry out the duties and functions of the agency.