39B.020 Local emergency management director -- Joint appointment of a single local emergency management director -- Qualifications. (1) The county judge/executive of each county, the mayor of each city, consolidated local government, or urban-county government, or the chief executive of other local government, within thirty (30) days of assuming office following their election, shall appoint a local emergency management director who meets all qualifications criteria pursuant to KRS Chapters 39A to 39F, and shall immediately notify the director of the Division of Emergency Management of the appointment. (2) Except in a county containing a consolidated local government, in lieu of appointing a separate local emergency management director for each jurisdiction, the county judge/executive of a county and mayors of cities or urban-county governments, or the chief executive of other local government located within the territorial boundaries of the same county, or two (2) or more counties acting jointly under the provisions of KRS 39B.010 may jointly appoint a single local emergency management director who meets all the qualifications criteria pursuant to KRS Chapters 39A to 39F. It is the policy of the Division of Emergency Management to encourage and support the joint appointment of a single local director in each territorial county, or counties acting jointly, of the Commonwealth. The duly appointed local emergency management director shall direct, control, and manage all the affairs of the local emergency management agency and comprehensive emergency management program of the jurisdictions wherein appointed. (3) A local emergency management director appointed under the provisions of subsection (1) or (2) of this section shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority, but shall serve not longer than four (4) years without reappointment and, in addition to any local requirements, shall meet the qualification requirements listed in this subsection: (a) The local director shall be a high school graduate with an additional three (3) years of experience in business administration, government planning, industrial or commercial planning, public safety, management of emergency services, or related community or governmental service. Management level experience may not be substituted for high school education. Education at an accredited college or university may be substituted for experience on a year- for-year basis. (b) The local director shall be a resident of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and a county served. (c) The local director shall hold no partisan elective office, nor file for, seek, or campaign for any partisan elective office while holding the position of local emergency management director. (d) The local director shall be routinely available to respond to emergency scenes, command posts, or emergency operations centers to coordinate emergency response of all local public and private agencies and organizations; to perform necessary administrative, planning, and organizational duties; to complete and submit required reports, records, emergency operations plans, and documents; to attend required training; and to attend meetings convened by the appointing authority or the area manager of the division. 1. 2. 3. 4. If the local director is also a full-time or part-time employee of the federal or state government, the local director shall have written authorization from the appropriate appointing authority to hold the position of local emergency management director and to fully comply with the provisions of paragraph (d) of this subsection. A copy of the written authorization shall be submitted to the division at the time of appointment. If the local director is also a full-time or part-time employee of a city, county, urban-county government, or charter county government in another capacity, that government shall enact an official city or county order or ordinance specifying that the individual appointed as local emergency management director shall fully comply with the provisions of paragraph (d) of this subsection. The order or ordinance shall also specify that the individual, when performing the duties of local emergency management director, shall relinquish all authorities and responsibilities associated with any other governmental employment and shall indicate another person, by name or position, to assume those authorities and responsibilities until such time as the local director shall cease to function as local emergency management director. A copy of the enacted order or ordinance shall be submitted to the division at the time of appointment. The city, county, urban-county government, or charter county government shall not seek reimbursement from the division for the local director's salary for any time spent in another capacity. If the local director is also a full-time or part-time employee in the private sector, the local director shall have a letter from each employer stating that the local director shall, without penalty or exception, be permitted to fully comply with the provisions of paragraph (d) of this subsection. A copy of the letter from each employer shall be submitted to the division at the time of appointment. If the local director is self-employed, the local director shall certify at the time of appointment, by letter to the director of the division, that the local director's schedule shall permit full compliance with the provisions of paragraph (d) of this subsection. (4) A local director whose salary has been reimbursed by the division prior to January 1, 1994, shall not be subject to the provisions of subsection (3)(a) of this section, so long as remaining continuously in that position for the appointing jurisdiction. (5) A local director whose salary is reimbursed in part or in full by the Division of Emergency Management pursuant to KRS 39C.010 and 39C.020, shall also meet any other requirements of KRS Chapters 39A to 39F and any requirements which may be imposed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or its successor. Effective: July 15, 2014 History: Amended 2014 Ky. Acts ch. 99, sec. 4, effective July 15, 2014. -- Amended 2002 Ky. Acts ch. 346, sec. 9, effective July 15, 2002. -- Created 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 226, sec. 30, effective July 15, 1998.