American Samoa § 26.0106 - Office of Territory Emergency Management Coordination.

§ 26.0106. Office of Territory Emergency Management Coordination.

(a) An Office of Territory Emergency Management Coordination is established in the Department of Homeland Security. The office is under the supervision and control of the Director of Homeland Security or his designee who is the disaster assistance coordinator. The office has a disaster assistance planner and other professional, technical, secretarial, and clerical employees necessary for the performance of its functions. (b) The office shall prepare and maintain a territorial disaster assistance plan and keep it current, which includes: (1) prevention and minimization of injury and damage caused by disaster; (2) prompt and effective response to disaster; (3) emergency relief; (4) identification of areas particularly vulnerable to disasters; (5) recommendations for zoning, building, and other land use controls, safety measures for securing mobile homes or other nonpermanent or semipermanent structures, and other preventive and preparedness measures designed to eliminate or reduce disasters or their impact; (6) assistance to local official in designing local emergency actions plans; (7) authorization and procedures for the erection or other construction of temporary works designed to protect against or mitigate danger, damage, or loss from flood, conflagration, or other disaster; (8) identification of federal, territory, and private assistance programs; (9) organization of manpower and chains of command; (10) coordination of the territorial disaster plan with the disaster plans of the federal government; and (11) other necessary matters. (c) The office shall take an integral part in the development and revision of territory wide disaster plans. To this end it shall employ or otherwise secure the services of professional and technical personnel capable of providing expert assistance. These personnel shall consult with the office on a regularly scheduled basis and shall make examinations of the areas, circumstances and conditions to which the disaster plans are intended to apply and may suggest or require revisions. (d) In preparing and revising the Territorial disaster plan, the office shall seek the advice and assistance of local government, business, labor, industry, agriculture, and volunteer organizations and community leaders. (e) The Territorial Disaster Assistance Plan or any part thereof maybe incorporated in rules of the office or executive orders which have the force and effect of law. (f) The office shall: (1) with the assistance of the political subdivisions, determine requirements of each village for food, clothing, and other necessities in the event of an emergency or disaster; (2) adopt standards and requirements for the Territorial Disaster Assistance Plan; (3) annually review the Territorial Disaster Assistance Plan; (4) establish and assist political subdivisions, to operate training programs and programs of public information; (5) make surveys and industries, resources, and facilities, within the Territory both public and private, as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter; (6) plan and make arrangement for the availability and use of any private facilities, services, and property and, if necessary and if in fact used, provide for payment for use under terms and conditions agreed upon; (7) establish a register of persons with types of training and skills important in emergency prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery; (8) establish a register of mobile and construction equipment and temporary housing available for use in a disaster emergency; (9) prepare, for issuance by the Governor, executive orders, proclamations, and regulations as necessary or appropriate in coping with disasters; (10) cooperate with the federal government and any public or private agency or entity in achieving any purpose of this chapter and in implementing programs for disaster prevention, preparation, response, and recovery; and (11) do other things necessary, incidental, or appropriate for the implementation of this chapter. Amendments: 1983 Title of the office amended to Territory Emergency Management Coordination.