Monday, June 21, 2010

What is a State of Emergency?

A lot of people have been asked what they think of Chester's State of Emergency but I'm not sure many people can define a State of Emergency...including me.


A Delcotimes.com online reader states:
First off, this is NOT marshall law. No military troops are going through the streets of Chester. "State of Emergency" doesn't necessarily mean there is an emergency. What it means is that a local government (state or city) is seeking state or federal resources to temporarily do something it doesn't normally do. State of Emergencies can be declared when there is an emergency (natural disaster or civil unrest) or because the government needs assistance for other situations (i.e. when Bush and Obama were Inaugurated, DC declared a state of emergency to use federal funds for more security).


Wikipedia gives a few clues:
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government, alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale for suspending civil liberties. Such declarations usually come during a time of natural disaster, during periods of civil disorder, or following a declaration of war (in democratic countries, many call this martial law,mostly with non-critical intent). 
In the United States, there are several methods for government response to emergency situations. A state governor or local mayor may declare a state of emergency within his or her jurisdiction. This is common at the state level in response to natural disasters.
President Barack Obama extended George Bush's Declaration of Emergency regarding terrorism on September 10, 2009 and later declared a National Emergency on October 24, 2009 for the 2009 Swine Flu pandemic, aiming to increase abilities for hospitals and medical centers to handle "swine flu" cases, responding to CDC reports stating that swine flu has become widespread in 46 of 50 U.S. states.

Can anyone else help us clarify Chester's State of Emergency?

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