§ 14-1-2. Definitions.

(a)

When used in this Article, the following words shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning:

(1)

Emergency services: The preparation for and the carrying out of functions, other than functions for which military forces are primarily responsible, to prevent, minimize and repair injury and damage resulting from natural or manmade disasters; together with all other activities necessary or incidental to the preparation for and carrying out of the foregoing functions. These functions include, without limitation, fire-fighting services, police services, medical and health services, rescue, engineering, warning services, communications, radiological, chemical and other special weapons defense, evacuation of persons from stricken areas, emergency welfare services, emergency transportation, emergency resource management, existing or properly assigned functions of plant protection, temporary restoration of public utility services, and other functions related to civilian protection. These functions also include the administration of approved State and Federal disaster recovery and assistance programs.

(2)

Natural disaster: Any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, earthquake, drought, fire, snowstorm, or other natural catastrophe resulting in damage, hardship, suffering or possible loss of life.

(3)

Man-made disaster: Any condition following an attack by any enemy or foreign nation upon the United States resulting in substantial damage to property or injury to persons in the United States and may be by use of bombs, missiles, shell fire, nuclear, radiological, chemical or biological means or other weapons or overt paramilitary actions; terrorism, foreign and domestic; also any industrial, nuclear or transportation accident, explosion, conflagration, power failure, resource shortage or other conditions such as sabotage, oil spills, or other injurious environmental contaminations that threaten, or cause damage to, property, human suffering, hardship or loss of life.

(4)

Local emergency: The condition declared by the Board of Supervisors when in its judgment the threat or actual occurrence of an emergency or disaster is or threatens to be of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant coordinated local government action to prevent or alleviate the damage, loss, hardship or suffering threatened or caused thereby; provided, however, that a local emergency arising wholly or substantially out of a resource shortage may be declared only by the Governor, upon petition of the Board of Supervisors when he/she deems the threat or actual occurrence of such an emergency or disaster to be of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant coordinated local government action to prevent or alleviate the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering threatened or caused thereby; provided, however, that this should not be construed as prohibiting a local government body from the prudent management of its water supply to prevent or manage a water shortage.

(5)

Resource shortage: The absence, unavailability or reduced supply of any raw or processed natural resource, or any commodities, goods or services of any kind which bear a substantial relationship to the health, safety, welfare and economic well-being of the citizens of the Commonwealth.

(6)

Interjurisdictional agency for emergency management: Any organization established between contiguous political subdivisions to facilitate the cooperation and protection of the subdivisions in work of disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. (2-87-14; 26-00-14; 52-05-14.)