Nebraska § 81-829.39 - Terms, defined.

§ 81-829.39. Terms, defined.

For purposes of the Emergency Management Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) Civil defense emergency means an emergency declared by the President of the United States or Congress pursuant to applicable federal law finding that an attack upon the United States has occurred or is anticipated and that the national safety therefor requires the invocation of the emergency authority provided for by federal law. Civil defense emergency also means an enemy attack or other hostile action within the State of Nebraska or a determination by the President of the United States that any attack has been made upon or is anticipated within a designated geographic area which includes all or a part of the State of Nebraska. Any such emergency shall terminate in the manner provided by federal law or by proclamation of the Governor or resolution of the Legislature terminating such emergency;

(2) Disaster means any event or the imminent threat thereof causing widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property resulting from any natural or manmade cause;

(3) Emergency means any event or the imminent threat thereof causing serious damage, injury, or loss of life or property resulting from any natural or manmade cause which, in the determination of the Governor or the principal executive officer of a local government, requires immediate action to accomplish the purposes of the Emergency Management Act and to effectively respond to the event or threat of the event;

(4) Emergency management means the preparation for and the carrying out of all emergency functions, other than functions for which military forces are primarily responsible, to mitigate, prevent, minimize, respond to, and recover from injury and damage resulting from disasters, emergencies, or civil defense emergencies. Emergency management functions include, but need not be limited to, firefighting services, police services, medical and health services, search and rescue services, engineering services, communications and warning systems, radiological preparedness, hazardous materials response, evacuation of persons from stricken areas, emergency welfare services, emergency transportation services, restoration of public utility services, and other functions related to civilian protection, together with all other activities necessary or incidental to the preparation for and carrying out of the functions listed in this subdivision;

(5) Emergency management worker includes any full-time or part-time paid, volunteer, or auxiliary employee of this state or other states, territories, or possessions of the federal government or any neighboring country or of any political subdivision thereof, of the District of Columbia, or of any agency or organization performing emergency management services at any place in this state subject to the order or control of or pursuant to a request of the state government or any political subdivision thereof and also includes instructors and students in emergency management educational programs approved by the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency or otherwise under the provisions of the Emergency Management Act;

(6) Hazard mitigation means measures which will eliminate or reduce the potential for damage to an area or facility from the effects of a future disaster, emergency, or civil defense emergency;

(7) Local government means a county, village, or city of any class;

(8) Political subdivision means a city, village, county, school district, public power district, natural resources district, and any other unit of government below the state level, including any entity created pursuant to the Interlocal Cooperation Act or the Joint Public Agency Act;

(9) Principal executive officer means the mayor in a city of any class or the elected chairperson of the governing body of a village or county;

(10) State emergency response team means an organization for emergency management established in accordance with the provisions of sections 81-829.52 to 81-829.54 by state authority to supplement city, village, county, or interjurisdictional emergency management organizations in a stricken area; and

(11) Technological hazard means a hazard emanating from the manufacture, transportation, and use of such substances as radioactive materials, chemicals, explosives, flammables, agricultural pesticides, herbicides, disease agents, oil spills, and debris from space.

A snow emergency declaration, the purpose of which is to notify citizens about snow removal activities and the need to refrain from parking on designated routes, does not rise to the level of an emergency under the Emergency Management Act. Stinson v. City of Lincoln, 9 Neb. App. 642, 617 N.W.2d 456 (2000).