HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 27741-06-2025ORDINANCE NO. 27741-06-2025
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTERS 2, "ADMINISTRATION,"
AND 11.5 "EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT," OF THE CODE OF THE
CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS (2015), AS AMENDED, TO REVISE
CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE IV "DEPARTMENTS UNDER CONTROL OF
CITY MANAGER" TO ADD RESERVED SECTIONS TO DIVISION 22,
"DEPARTMENT OF OFFICE OF MEDICAL DIRECTOR," TO ADD
DIVISION 23, "DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND
COMMUNICATIONS," AND TO AMEND CHAPTER 11.5, SECTION 11.5-
5, "OFFICE" TO REFLECT THE MOVING OF THE OFFICE OF
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO BE A DIVISION OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND
COMMUNICATIONS AND TO MAKE TECHNICAL CONFORMING
CHANGES; PROVIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE
CUMULATIVE; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE
WHEREAS, Chapter VIII, Section 1 of the City Charter authorizes the City Council, with
input from the City Manager, to establish by ordinance such departments, divisions, and offices as
it deems necessary for the operation of the City's business in addition to those departments
required by the City Charter;
WHEREAS, Chapter VIII, Section 1 of the City Charter authorizes the City Council, with
input from the City Manager, to discontinue any department or office established by ordinance and
to prescribe, combine, consolidate, distribute, or abolish the functions and duties of departments,
divisions, or offices;
WHEREAS, the City, in its ongoing efforts to serve the interests of the public health and
welfare of the people of its jurisdiction, believes it is in the public's best interest to consolidate
certain emergency management and communications structures within a single department;
WHEREAS, consistent with Texas Government Code Section 418.1015, the Mayor of the
City of Fort Worth has served and will continue to serve as the emergency management director
and the governor's designated agent in the administration and supervision of the duties required of
emergency management directors under state law;
WHEREAS, the City believes it is in the best interest of the public health and welfare to
have a consolidated Emergency Management and Communications department;
WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to amend Chapter 2, `Administration," of the City
Code to establish a new department, Department of Emergency Management and
Communications, under the control of the City Manager; and
Ordinance No. 27741-06-2025
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WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to move the Office of Emergency Management from
the Fort Worth Fire Department to the newly created Department of Emergency Management and
Communications.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS THAT:
SECTION 1.
Article IV, Chapter 2 of the City Code of the City of Fort Worth (2015), as amended, shall
be revised so that Sections 2-177.3 "Reserved" and 2-177.4 "Reserved" shall be added to Division
22, "Department of Office of Medical Director."
SECTION 2.
Article IV, Chapter 2 of the Code of the City of Fort Worth (2015), as amended, is hereby
amended to add Division 23 to establish and define the duties for a new "Department of Emergency
Management and Communications" with such division to read as follows:
DIVISION 23: DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND
COMMUNICATIONS
Section 2-177.5 CREATION AND ESTABLISHMENT
The Department of Emergency Management and Communications is herebv established.
The department shall be under the supervision of a director. who shall be subiect to
appointment and removal by the Citv Manager. The salary of the director shall be in
accordance with the compensation plan of the citv.
Section 2-177.6 APPOINTMENT OF EMPLOYEES
In accordance with established personnel procedures and as provided by the citv budget.
the director shall have the power to appoint, emplov and remove such assistants. emplovees
and other personnel as the director deems necessary for the efficient administration of the
affairs of the department. The director shall prescribe the duties of and compensation to
such assistants. emplovees and other personnel in accordance with the citv's compensation
plan. - - -
Section 2-177.7 DUTIES
The director will rep_ ort to the Citv Manager and will carry out their duties under the
direction of the Citv Manager and in support of the Mavor as the emergencv management
director. consistent with Texas Government Code Section 418.1015. The director and his
or her emplovees shall be responsible for directing the activities of the Department of
Emergency Management and Communications. including comprehensive emergencv
management (mitigation. preparedness, response, and recoverv). public safetv
communications (excluding_ fire communications unless otherwise authorized by law). and
operational coordination during emergencv incidents. The director shall also be
Ordinance No. 27741-06-2025
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responsible for ensuring compliance with all anplicable federal, state, and local laws,
regulations. codes. and standards and shall coordinate with the Fort Worth Chief of Police
and Fort Worth Fire Chief to ensure a unified response structure is maintained.
Section 2-177.8 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
Emergencv Communications is herebv created as a division of the Department of
Emergency Management and Communications. The division shall be overseen by an
administrator under the supervision and direction of the director and is charged with
carrving out the responsibilities outlined herein.
The administrator's duties shall include oversight of the Citv's Emergencv
Communications and 911 center, including all non -fire call takers, in compliance with
applicable state and local law. To the extent Fort Worth EMS call takers are designated as
firefighters under Texas law or local agreement, thev shall remain under the authoritv of
the Fort Worth Fire Chief. but operational coordination, facilities oversight, and sv_ stem -
wide communications protocols shall remain the responsibility of this Department.
Section 2-177.9 OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
The Office of Emergencv Management. as described by Section 11.5-5 of Chapter 11.5 of
the Code, shall be a division within the Department of Emergencv Management and
Communications and report to the director.
Section 2-177.10 EMERGENCY OPERATIONS AUTHORITY
The Department of Emergency Management and Communications is in operational control
of the Emergencv Operations Center (EOC). and. upon a local emergencv declaration. the
director shall serve as the Citv's lead coordinating official for all emergencv response and
recovery activities in support of the Mavor as the Citv's emergencv management director
consistent with Texas Government Code Section 418.1015. All communications to the
public and external partners from public safetv agencies shall be coordinated through the
EOC and Joint Information Center (JIC). under the oversight of this Department.
The director shall ensure that all Citv personnel. including but not limited to Police. Fire.
and Emergencv Medical Services. integrate their response efforts through the EOC
structure and in alignment with the Citv's adopted emergencv management plans and
protocols.
Section 2-177.11 INTERDEPARTMENTAL AND EXTERNAL COORDINATION
The Department shall serve as the Citv's primary point of coordination for all emergencv
preparedness. response. and recovery efforts involving external partners, including but not
limited to Countv governments, the North Central Texas Council of Governments
(NCTCOG). the State of Texas. and neighboring units of local government.
The Department shall be responsible for maintaining and executing mutual aid agreements
and interaeencv coordination frameworks to support public safety and continuitv of
operations during emergencies.
Ordinance No. 27741-06-2025
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Section 2-177.12-.14 "Reserved."
SECTION 3.
Section 11.5-5 of Chapter 11.5 of the Code of the City of Fort Worth (2015), as amended,
is hereby revised to reflect the moving of the Office of Emergency Management to the newly
created Department of Emergency Management and Communications with such section to read as
follows:
There is hereby created an office of emergency management as a division of the fire
depaAmeat Department of Emergencv Management and Communications, which shall
have a coordinator under the supervision and direction of the ehie f f the fife depaft "'�^*
director of the Emerp-encv Management and Communications Department to carry out the
responsibilities of the office.
SECTION 4.
This ordinance shall be cumulative of all provisions of ordinances and of the Code of the
City of Fort Worth, Texas (2015), as amended, except where the provisions of this ordinance are
in direct conflict with the provisions of such ordinances and such Code, in which event conflicting
provisions of such ordinances and such Code are hereby repealed.
SECTION 5.
It is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that the sections, paragraphs,
sentences, clauses and phrases of this ordinance are severable, and, if any phrase, clause, sentence,
paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared unconstitutional by the valid judgment or
decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the
remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of this ordinance, since the same
would have been enacted by the City Council without the incorporation in this ordinance of any
such unconstitutional phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section.
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SECTION 6.
This ordinance shall be in full force and effect following its adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY:
B
Y:
Taylor C. Paris,
Senior Assistant City Attorney
ADOPTED: June 10, 2025
EFFECTIVE: June 10, 2025
Jannette S. Goodall,
City Secretary
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