TUSTIN : Emergency Response Procedures Revised

During an emergency, the chain of command among city officials will be headed by the city manager and a newly formed Disaster Council under an ordinance approved by the City Council last week.

The ordinance, approved as part of an effort by city officials to update the city’s emergency response procedures, provides for the formation of a Disaster Council and names the city manager as director of emergency services.

“In an emergency, the first thing to do is figure out who is in charge,” said Katie Pitcher, a city administrative assistant. Pitcher said the old emergency procedures are confusing and don’t clearly delineate the chain of command.

Nearly two decades have passed since the city updated ordinances on emergency response procedures. Officials, following the guidelines of the state Office of Emergency Services, have spent the last year revising the City of Tustin Emergency Plan, a 500-page document that outlines how Tustin will respond to natural disasters or large-scale accidents, such as a plane crash.

Under the revised plan, council members, department heads and residents will form the Disaster Council.

The ordinance, which goes into effect next month, gives the city manager the authority to declare a local emergency and direct emergency operations. The Disaster Council would serve as an adviser and would be responsible for devising plans to deal with the crisis and its aftermath.