Sec. 674.206. - Disaster emergencies.

(a) The Mayor is responsible for meeting the dangers presented to the City and its people by a disaster. The Mayor may issue executive orders, proclamations and regulations and amend or rescind them in the fulfillment of this responsibility, and these executive orders, proclamations and regulations shall have the force and effect of law during the period for which they are effective. During the continuance of a state of disaster emergency, the Mayor is commander-in-chief of the emergency preparedness forces available for emergency duty. To the greatest extent possible, the Mayor shall delegate or assign command authority by prior arrangement embodied in the emergency preparedness plan or in appropriate executive orders or regulations, but this shall not restrict his authority to do so by orders issued at the time of and during the disaster emergency. (b) A disaster emergency shall be declared by proclamation of the Mayor if he finds that a disaster has occurred or that the occurrence or the threat thereof is imminent. The state of disaster emergency shall continue until the Mayor finds that the threat or danger has been dealt with to the extent that the emergency conditions no longer exist and he terminates the state of disaster emergency by proclamation; but no state of disaster emergency may continue for longer than 30 days unless renewed by the Mayor. The Mayor, in coordination with the Council President, shall convene the Council in special meeting at the same time the state of disaster emergency is declared or as soon thereafter as is reasonably practicable in light of the circumstances surrounding the disaster emergency. At the special meeting the Mayor, or the Mayor's designee, shall report to the Council all the facts and circumstances concerning the disaster and his recommendations in connection therewith. The Council by resolution may terminate a state of disaster emergency at any time, thereby ending the state of disaster emergency. A proclamation or resolution issued under this subsection shall indicate the nature of the disaster, the area or areas of the City threatened by it, and the conditions which have brought it about or which make possible the termination of the state of disaster emergency. A proclamation or resolution issued under this subsection shall be promptly disseminated by means calculated to bring it to the attention of the general public. Unless the circumstances attendant upon the disaster prevent or impede, a proclamation issued under this subsection shall be promptly filed with the Council Secretary. (c) Whenever a mock or practice disaster alert is to be called, for the purpose of training and exercising part or all of the emergency preparedness organization, the proclamation shall clearly state that a mock or practice alert is being called and that no state of disaster emergency actually exists. The Mayor is not required to convene the Council in special meeting for a mock or practice disaster alert, and any proclamations, orders and regulations issued by the Mayor during a mock or practice disaster alert shall not carry the force of law. (Ord. 79-1242-665, § 2; Ord. 83-591-400, § 1; Ord. 95-1272-768, § 4; Ord. 2024-746-E , § 1) Note— Former § 430.206.