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HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 1Ch. 7Art. 10§ 8610 Local Emergency Planning Councils

§ 8610 Local Emergency Planning Councils

Government Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 8610 Local Emergency Planning Councils

Key Takeaways

  • •Cities and counties can create disaster teams to plan for emergencies like earthquakes or wildfires.
  • •These teams can ask for help from regular people during big emergencies if needed.
  • •The state checks some of these emergency plans every year to make sure they’re good enough.
  • •Places with high wildfire risk get their plans checked first.

Example

A big earthquake hits a city, and roads are blocked.

The city’s disaster team can ask regular people to help clear roads or deliver supplies if they need extra hands.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 8610 Local Emergency Planning Councils

(a) Counties, cities and counties, and cities may create disaster councils by ordinance. A disaster council shall develop plans for meeting any condition constituting a local emergency or state of emergency, including, but not limited to, earthquakes, natural or manmade disasters specific to that jurisdiction, or state of war emergency; those plans shall provide for the effective mobilization of all of the resources within the political subdivision, both public and private. The disaster council shall supply a copy of any plans developed pursuant to this section to the Office of Emergency Services. The governing body of a county, city and county, or city may, in the ordinance or by resolution adopted pursuant to the ordinance, provide for the organization, powers and duties, divisions, services, and staff of the emergency organization. The governing body of a county, city and county, or city may, by ordinance or resolution, authorize public officers, employees, and registered volunteers to command the aid of citizens when necessary in the execution of their duties during a state of war emergency, a state of emergency, or a local emergency. (b) Counties, cities and counties, and cities may enact ordinances and resolutions and either establish rules and regulations or authorize disaster councils to recommend to the director of the local emergency organization rules and regulations for dealing with local emergencies that can be adequately dealt with locally; and further may act to carry out mutual aid on a voluntary basis and, to this end, may enter into agreements. (c) (1) The Office of Emergency Services shall annually review, at a minimum, 10 emergency plans submitted to the office. (2) The Office of Emergency Services shall determine if a plan reviewed pursuant to this subdivision substantially conforms to or exceeds the recommendations described in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101, or other successor emergency operations planning guidance. (3) The Office of Emergency Services shall prioritize, in complying with paragraph (1), a plan submitted from a county determined to be at high risk of wildfire disaster. (Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 254, Sec. 1. (AB 2386) Effective January 1, 2021.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

ordinanceresolutionemergency servicesdirectordisasterfireagreementregulation

Related Statutes

  • § 8614 Local Emergency Authority Limits
  • § 6700 California State Holidays
  • § 6704 Saturday Public Office Holidays
  • § 8585 Emergency Services Office Structure
  • § 8588.15 Disability Inclusion In Emergency Committees

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 8610.
View Official Source