GOHSEP Elected_Officials_Manual_2015

GOHSEP Louisiana Elected Officials Emergency Management Manual
Prepare + Prevent + Respond + Recover + mitigate
Upon a declaration of emergency, powers of the
Parish President are the same as the Governor, but
limited to the Parish jurisdiction.
• Declare states of emergency for the Parish.
• Issue evacuation orders and impose curfews.
• Request assistance from GOHSEP when
disaster response and recovery are beyond the
capability of the Parish to address.
• Form a Parish Emergency Management
Advisory Committee (PEMAC) and serve as its
chairperson or delegate it to the Parish OHSEP.
• Enter into interjurisdictional homeland security
and emergency preparedness agreements.
Parish OHSEP Director
The OHSEP Director is appointed by the Parish
President and has direct responsibility for the
organization, administration and operation of the
Parish OHSEP, subject to the direction and control
of the Parish President and the general direction of
the Governor and GOHSEP. A detailed discussion
of his/her duties is included in the OHSEP Director
Responsibilities section of this Manual.
Municipality CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
In the event of an emergency or disaster that
threatens the public peace, health or safety within
the municipality, the Chief Executive Officer may also
declare a state of emergency for the municipality. The
declaration of a state of emergency grants the chief
executive officer similar powers to that of the Governor
and Parish President, but limited to the municipality to
respond to the emergency or disaster.
When the Chief Executive Officer of a municipality
undertakes emergency response measures, he/she is
to immediately notify the Parish President. When the
disaster or emergency is beyond the capabilities of the
municipality, the municipality requests assistance from
GOHSEP (LRS 29:737) or through the Parish OHSEP.
OTHER ROLES +
RESPONSIBILITIES OF
INTEREST
Regional Coordinators (RCs)
Louisiana is divided into nine (9) emergency
management and homeland security planning
Regions, which GOHSEP uses in conjunction with its
Regional Support Program. Each Region has a State
Regional Coordinator (RC), a GOHSEP employee who
acts as a liaison between the Parishes within the Region
and GOHSEP. RCs work closely with Regional OHSEP
Directors as well as Parish OHSEP Directors. A list of RCs
is included in the Contact Directory of this Manual.
Regional OHSEP Directors
Each of the nine (9) Louisiana emergency management
and HLS planning Regions is represented by a Parish
OHSEP Director. Regional Directors provide leadership
for the Parishes within the Region and serve as a
voice for the Region, raising homeland security and
emergency management-related issues to the State
level.
Regional Directors Subcommittee
The Regional Directors Subcommittee ensures
that Parish OHSEP Directors always have a formal
direct line of communication with the Director of
GOHSEP. The Subcommittee is composed of one (1)
Parish OHSEP Director from each of the nine (9)
GOHSEP Regions and the Director of GOHSEP or his/
her designee. Representatives are selected amongst
their peers and represent their Region. The Regional
Directors Subcommittee’s purpose is planning and
advising on strategic emergency management issues
from a regional perspective.
1.3 Authorities + Responsibilities Page 3 of 6
Revised: December 21, 2014