§ 5-7. Emergency operations plan.

The emergency services director shall develop a comprehensive emergency operations plan which shall be adopted by resolution of the Carteret County Board of Commissioners. The emergency operations plan shall identify all possible threats to the county, and prescribe procedures to respond to and mitigate the consequences of any all-hazards incident. It is intended that the emergency operations plan be consistent with all applicable state and federal emergency management laws. It is further intended that the services, equipment, facilities, and personnel of all departments and agencies of the county and municipal government be utilized to the fullest extent in the plan. It shall be the duty of the emergency services director to coordinate, maintain, and amend the plan, and of all departments and agencies to perform the functions assigned under the plan, and to maintain their areas of responsibility in a current state of readiness at all times. All provisions of this plan shall have the effect of law whenever a state of emergency has been declared.

The director shall prescribe in the plan those positions within the organization, in addition to his/her 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 persons as successors to his/her position. This list will be in order of succession and will nearly as possible designate persons best capable of carrying out all assigned duties and functions.

Each plan support function lead and county department head assigned responsibility in the plan shall be responsible for carrying out all duties and functions assigned therein. Duties will include the organization and training of assigned personnel and, and where needed, volunteers. Each lead and department head shall formulate a standard operating procedure to implement the specific plans for carrying out their assigned area of responsibility.

Amendments to the plan shall be submitted to the director. If approved, the director will then include and amend plan as needed. Such amendments shall take effect 30 days from the date of incorporation into the plan.

When personnel requiring specialized competency or skill for a plan function are not available within government, the director is authorized to seek assistance from persons outside of government. The assignment of duties, when of a supervisory nature, shall also include the granting of authority for the persons so assigned to carry out such duties prior to, during, and after the occurrence of any all-hazards incident. Such services from persons outside of government may be accepted by local government on a volunteer basis. Such citizens shall be enrolled as emergency management volunteers.

The plan shall provide for the establishment of the Carteret County Control Group, who shall work collectively to make timely decisions regarding implementation of the plan in response to actual or imminent all-hazards incident and states of emergency. The membership of the control group shall include the Chairman of the Carteret County Board of Commissioners or the chairman's designee, the county manager, the mayors, or their designees, of all incorporated municipalities within Carteret County, the Carteret County Emergency Services Director, the Carteret County Sheriff, and the Carteret County Superintendent of County Schools. The plan shall provide for specific functions, duties, and authorities of the control group. All proclamations issued by the control group, or by the chairman of the control group, shall have the same force and effect of law as other provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. of 7-21-14(1))