39B.050 Local disaster and emergency services organization -- Membership -- Responsibility. (1) Each local emergency management director shall establish and maintain a local disaster and emergency services organization in accordance with a city or county or city/county or joint counties emergency operations plan required pursuant to KRS Chapters 39A to 39F. The local disaster and emergency services organization shall be comprised of the following members and participants: (a) The county judge/executive, or chief executive officers when counties are acting jointly under KRS 39B.010, and mayors, or the chief executive of other local governments; (b) Elected legislative officials of the county and cities; (c) The local emergency management director and all local emergency management agency staff members and workers, or emergency management agency-supervised operating units or personnel; (d) All regular or volunteer public safety or emergency services department heads or agency chiefs in the cities or county; (e) All regular or volunteer public safety or emergency services department or agency members in the cities or county; (f) All districts, corporations, public agencies, groups, or political subdivisions of the state and special districts within the county or the cities thereof, which are organized under the laws of the Commonwealth to provide an emergency response service or related function in the interest of public safety; and (g) All private sector personnel, agencies, organizations, companies, businesses, or individuals and citizens who agree to provide their assets, resources, talents, services, or supplies in aid to the local disaster and emergency services organization of the cities or county in accordance with the approved local emergency operations plan of the city, county, or counties acting jointly under KRS 39B.010, urban-county government, or charter county government. (2) The local disaster and emergency services organization shall have responsibility for the performance of all disaster and emergency response functions contemplated in KRS 39A.010, 39A.020, or 39A.030 and as listed or assigned in the city, county, or counties acting jointly under KRS 39B.010, or city/county emergency operations plan, except that the Division of Forestry of the Energy and Environment Cabinet shall have primary responsibility for directing the implementation of all forest fire emergency responses consistent with KRS Chapter 149. Disaster and emergency response functions may be assigned within the local disaster and emergency services organization to existing agencies and organizations, public and private. It shall not be necessary for the local disaster and emergency services organization to create, provide, or maintain an additional or auxiliary capability for any existing function or service deemed adequate to local needs. (3) The local disaster and emergency services organization shall be the primary disaster and emergency response force of city, county, or counties acting jointly under KRS 39B.010, urban-county government, or charter county government and an organizational component of the integrated emergency management system of the Commonwealth. The local emergency management director shall have primary responsibility for the coordination of all disaster and emergency response of the local disaster and emergency services organization for an emergency, declared emergency, disaster, or catastrophe. Effective: July 15, 2014 History: Amended 2014 Ky. Acts ch. 99, sec. 6, effective July 15, 2014. -- Amended 2010 Ky. Acts ch. 24, sec. 30, effective July 15, 2010. -- Created 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 226, sec. 33, effective July 15, 1998.