Legal Issues & Responsibilities
Legal Responsibilities of Public Employees during an Emergency
The
Government Code of the State of California (Title 1, Division 4, Chapter 8,
Section 3101) has defined the term “public employees” to include all persons
employed by the state or any county, city, city and county, state agency or
public district, excluding aliens legally employed. It also defines the term
“disaster service worker” to include all public employees.
State of
California, Government Code Title 1, Division 4, Chapter 8, Section 3100:
It is hereby
declared that the protection of the health and safety and preservation of the
lives and property of the people of the state from the effects of natural,
man-made, or war-caused emergencies which result in conditions of disaster or in
extreme peril of life, property, and resources is of paramount state importance
requiring the responsible efforts of public and private agencies and individual
citizens. In furtherance of the exercise of the police power of the state in
protection of its citizens and resources, all public employees are hereby
declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service
activities as may be assigned to them by superiors or by law.
CIVILIAN EMERGENCY COMMAND POST
The Civilian
Emergency Command Post, from which the superintendent /president will direct
operations, will be dictated by safety considerations and the
superintendent’s/president’s choice as any one of the following: Administration
Building, Campus Safety Office, or other location necessitated by the emergency
situation.
ASSIGNMENT OF DUTIES
Every staff
member has a responsibility for performing certain duties in times of emergency.
Specific assignments are outlined and additional assignments may be given via
the chain of command.
The
superintendent/president
of the Santa
Clarita Community College District is responsible for the control and welfare of
its students. The superintendent/president (or designee in the absence of the
superintendent/president) directs the college staff in the implementation of
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES and the assignment of duties as outlined. The
superintendent/president is the overall commander of any and all operations on
the campus during normal and emergency operations. After the people present on
campus have evacuated to an appropriate evacuation assembly area, the
superintendent/president will instruct the assistant superintendents/vice
presidents, director of campus safety and director of public and governmental
relations (public information officer) to meet him/her at the location of the
Civilian Command Post where he/she will be briefed by them on their findings
from their personnel after which he/she will give them direction for further
activities. He/she will brief the Board of Trustees as necessary and to the
extent possible on the state of affairs as the situation permits.
The
administrator on duty
will direct
the college staff in the implementation of Emergency Procedures and the
assignment of duties as outlined until the superintendent/president or his or
her designee assumes control of the emergency situation. The administrator on
duty will be contacted immediately and apprised of the emergency situation by
Campus Safety and will, in turn, report this information directly to the
superintendent/president or his or her designee and to the director of public
and governmental relations (public information officer).
The
Government Code of the State of California (Title 1, Division 4, Chapter 8,
Section 3101) has defined the term “public employees” to include all persons
employed by the state or any county, city, city and county, state agency or
public district, excluding aliens legally employed. It also defines the term
“disaster service worker” to include all public employees.
State of
California, Government Code Title 1, Division 4, Chapter 8, Section 3100:
It is hereby
declared that the protection of the health and safety and preservation of the
lives and property of the people of the state from the effects of natural,
man-made, or war-caused emergencies which result in conditions of disaster or in
extreme peril of life, property, and resources is of paramount state importance
requiring the responsible efforts of public and private agencies and individual
citizens. In furtherance of the exercise of the police power of the state in
protection of its citizens and resources, all public employees are hereby
declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service
activities as may be assigned to them by superiors or by law.
The
assistant superintendents/vice presidents
will
instruct the deans and directors to meet them at the location of the Civilian
Emergency Command Post where the assistant superintendents/vice presidents will
be briefed by their respective deans and directors of any students, staff
members, and/or visitors whose presence was not accounted for at their
evacuation assembly area and the names of students, staff members, and visitors
whose presence was noted at other than their evacuation assembly area. The main
objective will be to determine who may be trapped or injured so severely that
they cannot reach an evacuation assembly area and require rescue. The assistant
superintendents/vice presidents will give the deans and directors instructions
for further activities.
Deans and
directors
will proceed
to the evacuation assembly areas designated for their personnel and confer with
them to determine who may need rescue and the last known location(s) of the
missing. The deans and directors will assign their personnel further activities
which may include providing assistance to the injured, relocating groups of
people, or responding to the Civilian Emergency Command Post to assist as
necessary.
Faculty
members, managers, and supervisors
will escort
their students, personnel, and visitors to their designated evacuation assembly
areas and determine who did not arrive as well as seek medical attention for the
injured and note any additional people who may be present in their evacuation
assembly area. They will report this information and the last known location of
the missing to their deans and directors. They will also report to their deans
and directors other information they deem important such as hazards noted in
their areas during their egress.
Quadrant
Chiefs and their teams
will report
to the Emergency Command Post after completing any other duties outlined herein.
They may then be directed to perform a variety of activities including, but not
limited to, the following:
1. Conduct
search and rescue operations.
2. Evacuate
and escort any remaining personnel from affected building(s)
3. Survey
buildings for damage and re-entry.
4. Perform
first aid.
5. Establish
long-term care priorities.
Campus
Safety and the Facilities Department personnel
will be
responsible for the use of emergency equipment, the handling of emergency
supplies, and the safe use of available utilities. They will:
1. Survey
the campus and report damage through their chain of command.
2. Assist in
rescue operations as directed (examples: rig and operate lifting equipment and
cutting torches to liberate victims trapped by or beneath structural
components).
3. Assist in
disaster fire suppression activities if trained and directed to do so.
4. Assist in
controlling main shut-off valves for gas, water, and electricity.
5. Disburse
emergency equipment as needed.
Clerical
staff
will help
provide for the safety of essential school records and documents, operate
telephones, and act as messengers and couriers when directed.
Blackboard
Canyons