The Maple Valley City Council is considering an ordinance that city officials say would help better define and clarify how the city would respond to an emergency.

City Manager David Johnston said the city currently has an interlocal agreement with King County Emergency Management Department. The agreement, however, which was approved in 1999, said the city would be responsible for all areas located within the Tahoma School District, some of which are located in unincorporated King County and outside the city’s jurisdiction. The new ordinance would be more compliant with federal guidelines for national incident management systems (NIMS), which are required for cities to have if they seek federal reimbursement for damage done during emergencies.

“Whenever the governor issues an emergency or president issues an emergency our requirement for meticulous record keeping is critical,” Johnston said.

The local emergency management organization would handle emergency functions and operate within the city limits. The LEMO would be run by a director of emergency management who would implement the city’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) through the organization.

The proposed ordinance would also give the city manager broad powers in the event of an emergency, such as a storm or earthquake. These powers include the authority to take command of the police department if the mayor issued a proclamation of emergency or disaster. The city manager would be also be able to issue executive orders related to the emergency or disaster, as well as require all businesses to close.

Johnston said that at present the city manager has those powers under such a scenario, but the new ordinance defines those powers more clearly and what they are limited to. He also stated the ordinance also acknowledges existing networks in Washington

“We did understand that there is a local and county responsibility, but we’re also a part of Area Three communities,” he said. “We meet regularly to make sure we’re all on same the page and we know who we’re going to be working with. That network wasn’t really recognized (before). We were an island unto ourselves.”

Additionally, the ordinance sets out a chain of command in response to the injury or death of the mayor and city manager. The deputy mayor would assume the mayor’s responsibilities, and the finance director would take over as city manager. If the deputy mayor were also injured, the council member with the longest tenure would take over as mayor. If the finance director is unable to fill the city manager position, the public works director would do so.

City documents which outline the new emergency management plan states in the event of a disaster or emergency, Maple Valley residents should be prepared to operate on their own for at least three days without any government assistance.

“It is the policy of the City of Maple Valley to make effective preparation for and use of available personnel, resources and facilities necessary for dealing with any proclaimed emergency or disaster that may occur,” the documents stated. “Disasters and emergencies, by their very nature, may disrupt or destroy existing public systems as well as the capability of the City to provide public services, protect life, public health and public property.”

Johnston said the three days is a national standard.

“After three days after an event there’s an assumption that the true damage from that event will be understood by that time,” he said. “And then you’ll see things mobilized like the American Red Cross. Things will have settled down, but during those three days you have to be responsible for yourself.”