3. Emergency evacuations policy revision

A local disaster or emergency or mandatory evacuation order may be declared only by the principal executive officer of the county or city. It may not be continued or renewed for a period in excess of seven days except by or with the consent of the governing board of the county or city. Any order or proclamation declaring a local disaster or emergency must be given prompt and general publicity and must be filed promptly with the county or city auditor. The effect of a declaration of a local disaster or emergency or mandatory evacuation order is to activate the response and recovery aspects of any and all applicable local disaster or emergency operational plans and to authorize the furnishing of aid and assistance there under. Evacuation Timing Citizens of Cass County should be provided evacuation warnings as soon as information exists that indicates that a condition is imminent that will threaten the safety and life of those that may be in an affected area. This will allow individuals time to evacuate in the safest manner. Spontaneous evacuation will occur by a large number of residents when there is sufficient warning of the threat. Evacuation Requests Chain of Command The request for evacuation can originate with the Incident Commander at the scene in charge of a specific incident, who is well aware of the potential consequence to lives and property of the local citizens. The request for evacuation is forwarded to the EOC, (if it is activated), or to the proper channels. The County Emergency Manager, or EOC staff member if the Emergency Manager is absent, contacts the appropriate chief elected official (CEO) of the jurisdiction requested to be evacuated to obtain authority for evacuation. The Emergency Manager notifies the State Emergency Operations Center. Requests are made at this time, through the CEO, for the jurisdictions' elected officials to report to the EOC to assist with decision making and emergency planning. The Incident Commander (IC) will be in charge of the evacuation until an Evacuation Coordinator is in place at the EOC. This Evacuation Coordinator will be a member of the EOC staff and work in coordination with the CEO, their commission members, and the Emergency Manager. The Emergency Manager will work with the SEOC regarding a Governor's evacuation order and state support. Evacuation Notices: (re: Cass County Commission Policy Manual 16.50) If an evacuation is necessary, Cass County Commission Chair or Vice -Chair will issue one of the following evacuation notices: 1. Voluntary Evacuation: Residents are encouraged to evacuate when there is a significant potential threat of flooding to life or property. This will be issued when the expected time frame for the threat is six to 48 hours. Notification will be through CodeRED and media outlets. A voluntary evacuation may target specific populations, such as nursing home residents or hospital patients or specific geographical locations. 2. Mandatory Evacuation: 4