2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 28 - Civil Preparedness and Emergency Services
Chapter 517 - Civil Preparedness, Emergency Management and Homeland Security
Section 28-5 - Preparation for civil preparedness. Subpoenas. Comprehensive plan and program for civil preparedness. Training programs. Cooperation by other state agencies. Orders and regulations.

(a) The commissioner may make studies and surveys of the manpower, industries, resources and facilities of the state to ascertain the capabilities of the state for civil preparedness and to plan for their most efficient use in time of emergency. The commissioner may apply to the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford, or to a judge of said court if the court is not in session, for a subpoena to compel the attendance of such witnesses or the production of such books, papers, records or documents of individuals, firms, associations or corporations as may be necessary to the effective preparation of the civil preparedness of the state. The court or judge shall, before issuing such subpoena, provide adequate opportunity for the commissioner and the party against whom the subpoena is requested to be heard. No such subpoena shall issue unless the court or judge certifies that the attendance of such witness or the production of such books, papers, records or documents is reasonably necessary to the effective preparation of the civil preparedness of the state and that the commissioner has made reasonable efforts to secure such attendance or such books, papers, records or documents without recourse to compulsory process.

(b) The commissioner shall direct the preparation of a comprehensive plan and program for the civil preparedness of the state and integrate and coordinate that plan and program to the fullest extent possible with the civil preparedness plans of the federal government and of other states. When the plan and program has been prepared, the commissioner shall present it to the Governor for his or her approval. When the Governor approves the plan, all government agencies, state or local, all civil preparedness forces in the state and all public service companies, as defined in section 16-1, shall carry out the duties and functions assigned by the plan and program as approved. The plan and program may, from time to time, be amended or modified in like manner. The commissioner shall coordinate the civil preparedness activities of the towns and cities of the state to the end that they shall be fully integrated with the state civil preparedness plan and program.

(c) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall, within available appropriations and in consultation with the Commissioners of Social Services, Public Health, Children and Families, Mental Health and Addiction Services and Education, and the Commission on Women, Children and Seniors, update and amend the state civil preparedness plan and program established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section to address the needs of children during natural disasters, man-made disasters and terrorism. The plan may also be amended in consultation with parents, local emergency services and child care providers. The amended plan shall include, but not be limited to, a requirement that all schools and licensed and regulated child care services, as defined in section 19a-77, have written multihazard disaster response plans that address (1) the evacuation and removal of children to a safe location, (2) notification of parents in the event of a disaster or terrorism, (3) reunification of parents with their children, and (4) care for children with special needs during a disaster or terrorism.

(d) In accordance with the state civil preparedness plan and program, the commissioner shall institute such training programs and public information programs, shall take all other preparatory steps, including the partial or full mobilization of civil preparedness forces in advance of actual disaster, as may be necessary to the prompt and effective operation of the state civil preparedness plan in time of emergency and may, from time to time, conduct such practice blackouts or radio silences as may be authorized by the United States Army or its duly designated agency, and such practice air raid alerts or other civil preparedness exercises as the commissioner may deem necessary.

(e) The commissioner shall utilize the personnel, services, equipment, supplies and facilities of existing departments, offices and agencies of the state to the maximum extent possible. The head of each such department, office or agency, in cooperation with and under the direction of the commissioner, shall be responsible for the planning and programming of such activities in the civil preparedness programs as will involve the utilization of the facilities of his or her department, office, institution or agency and shall implement and carry out such activities whenever necessary for the welfare and safety of the state, including participation in planning, training and exercises, as directed by the commissioner.

(f) In order to accomplish the purposes of this chapter, the commissioner may make such orders and such regulations as may be necessary to develop and implement the civil preparedness plan and program. Subject to the provisions of chapter 54, all such orders and regulations shall have the full force and effect of law.

(g) On and after October 1, 2019, the state civil preparedness plan and program established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall consider the most recent sea level change scenario updated pursuant to subsection (b) of section 25-68o.

(June, 1951, S. 1909d; 1972, P.A. 294, S. 28; P.A. 73-544, S. 5; P.A. 78-280, S. 6, 127; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; 88-317, S. 88, 107; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-12, S. 3, 10; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4–6; P.A. 99-190, S. 3, 9; P.A. 04-219, S. 15; P.A. 05-288, S. 191; P.A. 11-51, S. 134; 11-66, S. 2; P.A. 12-148, S. 1, 2; P.A. 13-179, S. 5; P.A. 15-227, S. 25; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3, S. 160; P.A. 18-82, S. 10.)

History: 1972 act substituted “joint committee on legislative management” for “legislative council”; P.A. 73-544 substituted “civil preparedness” for “civil defense” throughout; P.A. 78-280 substituted “for the judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” for “for Hartford county” following “superior court”; P.A. 88-230 replaced “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” with “judicial district of Hartford”, effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 88-317 amended reference to Secs. 4-168 to 4-173 in Subsec. (e) to include new section added to Ch. 54, effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to all agency proceedings commencing on or after that date; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-12 amended Subsec. (e) to authorize commissioner of public safety to make regulations in lieu of director; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 99-190 amended Subsec. (e) by substituting “Adjutant General” for “Commissioner of Public Safety”, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 04-219 substituted commissioner for director throughout, required commissioner to direct the preparation of comprehensive plan and program for the civil preparedness of the state and made a technical change in Subsec. (b), made technical changes in Subsec. (c), and eliminated references to authorization of the Adjutant General to make regulations and to “sections 4-168 to 4-173, inclusive”, added reference to chapter 54, and eliminated procedures re suspension of conflicting orders or regulations in Subsec. (e), effective January 1, 2005; P.A. 05-288 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 11-66 added new Subsec. (c) re amending state civil preparedness plan and program to address the needs of children, redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) to (e) as Subsecs. (d) to (f) and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Commissioner of Emergency Management and Homeland Security” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection” in Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-148 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re public service companies and amended Subsec. (e) to add provision re participation in planning, training and exercises as directed by commissioner, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 13-179 added Subsec. (g) re state civil preparedness plan and program to consider sea level change scenarios; pursuant to P.A. 15-227, “child day care services” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “child care services” in Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 2015; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3 amended Subsec. (c) to replace “Commission on Children” with “Commission on Women, Children and Seniors”, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 18-82 amended Subsec. (g) by replacing “October 1, 2013” with “October 1, 2019”, and replacing reference to sea level change scenarios published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration technical report with reference to most recent sea level change scenario updated pursuant to Sec. 25-68o(b), effective June 6, 2018.