SECTIONS 8607-8608 - California Statutes

GOVERNMENT CODE

SECTION 8607-8608

8607. (a) The California Emergency Management Agency, in
coordination with all interested state agencies with designated
response roles in the state emergency plan and interested local
emergency management agencies shall jointly establish by regulation a
standardized emergency management system for use by all emergency
response agencies. The public water systems identified in Section
8607.2 may review and comment on these regulations prior to adoption.
This system shall be applicable, but not limited to, those
emergencies or disasters referenced in the state emergency plan. The
standardized emergency management system shall include all of the
following systems as a framework for responding to and managing
emergencies and disasters involving multiple jurisdictions or
multiple agency responses:
(1) The Incident Command Systems adapted from the systems
originally developed by the FIRESCOPE Program, including those
currently in use by state agencies.
(2) The multiagency coordination system as developed by the
FIRESCOPE Program.
(3) The mutual aid agreement, as defined in Section 8561, and
related mutual aid systems such as those used in law enforcement,
fire service, and coroners operations.
(4) The operational area concept, as defined in Section 8559.
(b) Individual agencies' roles and responsibilities agreed upon
and contained in existing laws or the state emergency plan are not
superseded by this article.
(c) The California Emergency Management Agency, in coordination
with the State Fire Marshal's office, the Department of the
California Highway Patrol, the Commission on Peace Officer Standards
and Training, the Emergency Medical Services Authority, and all other
interested state agencies with designated response roles in the
state emergency plan, shall jointly develop an approved course of
instruction for use in training all emergency response personnel,
consisting of the concepts and procedures associated with the
standardized emergency management system described in subdivision
(a).
(d) All state agencies shall use the standardized emergency
management system as adopted pursuant to subdivision (a), to
coordinate multiple jurisdiction or multiple agency emergency and
disaster operations.
(e) (1) Each local agency, in order to be eligible for any funding
of response-related costs under disaster assistance programs, shall
use the standardized emergency management system as adopted pursuant
to subdivision (a) to coordinate multiple jurisdiction or multiple
agency operations.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), local agencies shall be
eligible for repair, renovation, or any other nonpersonnel costs
resulting from an emergency.
(f) The California Emergency Management Agency shall, in
cooperation with involved state and local agencies, complete an
after-action report within 120 days after each declared disaster.
This report shall review public safety response and disaster recovery
activities and shall be made available to all interested public
safety and emergency management organizations.

8607.1. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that a statewide
system for fire hydrants be adopted so that all firefighters can
respond to emergencies calling for the use of water at any location
in the state. Without this statewide standardized system, the lives
of firefighters and those they serve would be put in serious jeopardy
in a mutual aid fire response effort stretching across city and
county boundaries.
(b) By January 1, 1994, the State Fire Marshal shall establish a
statewide uniform color coding of fire hydrants. In determining the
color coding of fire hydrants, the State Fire Marshal shall consider
the national system of coding developed by the National Fire
Protection Association as Standard 291 in Chapter 2 on Fire Flow
Testing and Marking of Hydrants. The uniform color coding shall not
preempt local agencies from adding additional markings.
(c) Compliance with the uniform color coding requirements of
subdivision (b) shall be undertaken by each agency that currently
maintains fire hydrants throughout the state as part of its ongoing
maintenance program for its fire hydrants. Alternatively, an agency
may comply with the uniform color coding requirements by installing
one or more reflector buttons in a mid-street location directly
adjacent to the fire hydrant in the appropriate color that would
otherwise be required for the hydrant and a curb marking as near to
the hydrant as practicable in that same color.
(d) By July 1, 1994, the State Fire Marshal shall develop and
adopt regulations establishing statewide uniform fire hydrant
coupling sizes. The regulations adopted pursuant to this section
shall include provisions that permit the use of an adapter mounted on
the hydrant as a means of achieving uniformity. In determining
uniform fire hydrant coupling sizes, the State Fire Marshal shall
consider any system developed by the National Fire Protection
Association, the National Fire Academy, or the Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
(e) By December 1, 1996, each local agency, city, county, city and
county, or special district in order to be eligible for any funding
of mutual aid fire response related costs under disaster assistance
programs, shall comply with regulations adopted pursuant to this
section. Compliance may be met if at least one coupling on the
hydrant is of the uniform size.
(f) Subdivision (d) shall not be applicable to the City and County
of San Francisco due to the existing water system.

8607.2. (a) All public water systems, as defined in subdivision (f)
of Section 116275 of the Health and Safety Code, with 10,000 or more
service connections shall review and revise their disaster
preparedness plans in conjunction with related agencies, including,
but not limited to, local fire departments and the California
Emergency Management Agency to ensure that the plans are sufficient
to address possible disaster scenarios. These plans should examine
and review pumping station and distribution facility operations
during an emergency, water pressure at both pumping stations and
hydrants, and whether there is sufficient water reserve levels and
alternative emergency power, including, but not limited to, onsite
backup generators and portable generators.
(b) All public water systems, as defined in subdivision (f) of
Section 116275 of the Health and Safety Code, with 10,000 or more
service connections following a declared state of emergency shall
furnish an assessment of their emergency response and recommendations
to the Legislature within six months after each disaster, as well as
implementing the recommendations in a timely manner.
(c) The California Emergency Management Agency shall establish
appropriate and insofar as practical, emergency response and recovery
plans, including mutual aid plans, in coordination with public water
systems, as defined in subdivision (f) of Section 116275 of the
Health and Safety Code, with 10,000 or more service connections.

8608. The California Emergency Management Agency shall approve and
adopt, and incorporate the California Animal Response Emergency
System (CARES) program developed under the oversight of the
Department of Food and Agriculture into the standardized emergency
management system established pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section
8607.