P.R. Laws tit. 25, § 172l
Every municipality of Puerto Rico is hereby directed to establish a municipal emergency management and disaster administration Office, in accordance with the standards established by the Director for such a purpose.
Every municipal office shall be directed by a municipal director appointed by the mayor. The appointment of the municipal director shall be approved by the municipal legislature. The municipal director shall be responsible for:
(a) Developing and implementing the Emergency Management and Disaster Administration Plan.
(b) Fulfilling the requirements established in the Commonwealth Response Plan.
(c) Undertaking the initial response to emergencies and disasters and coordinating with the pertinent municipal and Commonwealth agencies the actions and resources needed for the speediest recovery.
(d) The mitigation, preparation, response and recovery efforts required for disaster control in his municipality by performing these functions to minimize or prevent the loss of lives and properties.
(e) The emergency management municipal office of every municipality shall exercise its functions within the jurisdictional boundaries of the municipality, but may also exercise those functions necessary to comply with the purposes of this subchapter or required by the Commonwealth Director or the Governor beyond the municipal boundaries.
(f) Every municipality of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall have the power to:
(1) Appropriate and use the necessary funds, enter into contracts, and obtain and distribute the equipment, materials and supplies needed for municipal emergency management operations.
(2) Establish a main control center and several secondary centers to direct municipal emergency management operations.
(3) Provide assistance to the personnel or to the property and equipment of any other municipality that may request assistance and that for any meritorious reason should receive the same.
(g) Every Municipal Emergency Management Office (OMME, Spanish acronym) shall draft and update a municipal emergency and disaster management plan and submit a copy thereof to the Executive Director.
(h) The Municipal Plan shall be coordinated, to the extent possible, with the Commonwealth Plan.
(i) The mayor may accept donations for the purposes of the AEME-AD, of personal and real property, equipment, materials, services, supplies and money from any government entity, in or outside of Puerto Rico, and from private natural or juridical persons in or outside of Puerto Rico.
(j) Corps of Volunteers of the AEME-AD.— All the municipalities of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are hereby authorized to organize a Corps of Volunteers of the AEME-AD including specialized technical groups in accordance [with] the directives established by the Executive Director, as provided in this subchapter.
(k) The Corps of Volunteers of the AEME-AD shall render, among others, auxiliary police, firefighting, medical, engineering, communications, administrative, social services, transportation, public works, and specialized technical refrigeration, plumbing, electricity and construction services, among others.
(l) The Municipal Director of the OMME shall be responsible for organizing and administering the Municipal Corps of Volunteers, subject to the supervision and advi[c]e of the Commonwealth Agency Zone Director.
(m) When the Governor decrees a state of emergency or disaster and the Corps of Volunteers of the AEME-AD have been activated by the Executive Director, the members of said entities, after being in active duty for a term of forty-eight (48) hours or more, may receive compensation from the Emergency Fund, at the rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury.
This shall not apply to those volunteers employed by government entities of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Upon petition of the Commonwealth Agency, the Administrator of the State Insurance Fund shall extend the insurance coverage to the members of the Corps of Volunteers of the AEME-AD, subject to the conditions established in the laws that regulate work-related accident compensation rates, and shall conduct the annual liquidation of the insurance on the basis of the expenses incurred.
(n) The benefits granted to the members of the Corps of Volunteers of the AEME-AD shall be extended to the members of the AEME-AD corps from outside of Puerto Rico who render services in our territory.
History —Aug. 2, 1999, No. 211, § 14; Dec. 28, 2000, No. 447, § 7; Sept. 23, 2004, No. 447, § 3.