Exhibit_E_-_25-8398.pdf

CMA # 5900

CESSATION OF NORMAL GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES, PERSONNEL ROLES AND

RESPONSIBILITIES DURING EMERGENCIES AND EMERGENCY PAY

[Effective Date: October 1, 2003 (Revised: May 10, 2006; July 31, 2006; June 5, 2009; April 18, 2018; August 16, 2019; May 26, 2023; August 7, 2024; May 7, 2025)]

§ 5900-1. Purpose; scope.

The purpose of this Instruction is to provide for the County’s practice to establish roles and responsibilities for all employees under the Board of County Commissioners Agency and the cessation of normal government activities during emergencies, as well as to outline the pay practices during these emergencies. This practice shall apply during the potential or actual occurrence of a severe weather event, natural hazards event, technological hazards event or homeland security concern which may impact the safety of the residents and visitors to Collier

County.

A. County Employees: General Policies:

(1) The County is responsible for protecting the public's health and safety during emergencies. As such, all regular full- and part-time employees are considered essential personnel and are expected to participate as assigned during the emergency period and accept duty assignments in order to prepare and/or respond to the emergency situation.

(a) All regular full- and part-time employees will be provided with an emergency assignment by their Division Director or designee which will fall into one of the following categories:

1. Primary Agency Responder – employees who provide services before, during and/or after a declared emergency that protect the health, safety and welfare of residents and visitors or the County’s assets. These functions include, but are not limited to:

(i) Building/facility/utility maintenance and preparation

(ii) Childcare services for agency employees

(iii) County Phone Bank/Emergency Call Center

(iv) Special Needs Clients Call Center

(v) Emergency Medical Services

(vi) Emergency Operations Center assignments

(vii) Logistics/staging

(viii) Shelter operations

2. Secondary Agency Responder – employees who will be on standby status to respond as needed before and during the declared emergency and are expected to provide services immediately following an event, as soon as the employee can safely travel to the work location. These functions include, but are not limited to:

(i) Safety or damage assessments

(ii) Department/Division response, as initiated by Division Directors, based on the need

(iii) Point of distribution assistance

(iv) Volunteer coordination

3. Reserve Responders – employees not in either category above will be on standby status for an emergency assignment or reassignment to any area of need across the organization.

(b) Division Managers/Supervisors will ensure that they communicate to employees, in writing, to provide emergency assignments and copy the

Director of Emergency Management for EOC staff coordination each May.

Employees will also be reminded of their assignment in writing by their

Division prior to any storm or emergency event.

(c) Temporary (job bank) employees and/or staff from temporary employment services agencies may be given an emergency assignment based on Division or organization needs, and assignments are given only after permanent employees have been deployed in support of the activation or emergency.

These temporary employees should not be utilized in place of permanent staff.

(d) The general nature of these responsibilities will be based on the emergency roles or temporary emergency needs assigned to County Departments and

Divisions in the Collier County Comprehensive Emergency Management

Plan, associated standard operating guidance documents, Continuity of

Government plans or by the County Manager as needed. Assignments are likely to vary during the emergency, and employees could be asked to work in areas or positions other than those to which they are normally assigned.

(2) County Department Heads, Division Directors, Managers, or Supervisors shall ensure the availability of employees to protect, secure, and recover County property, equipment, and services from the effects of an emergency and make ready all available resources to respond to the event as requested by an Incident Commander or the County Emergency Operations Center.

(3) Department Heads have the discretion to provide emergency duty assignments to staff. Employees are required to report as assigned during a declared emergency.

(a) Requests to be excused from designated emergency duty assignments must be submitted for consideration each year in May on the agency’s Disaster

Exemption Request Form. These will be considered and if approved, approval will be provided in writing by the Division Director. Exemptions may be for an extended period or specific to a single activation event.

(b) If the exemption is unknown in May, a request can be submitted at the time an emergency is imminent or has been declared; these will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Division Director.

i. If approved, the exemption will be communicated to necessary parties, including HR

ii. If an exemption is approved, the employee shall use available vacation, sick, personal, or compensatory time, as appropriate for the reason for the leave (in accordance with CMA 5360) or be placed on leave without pay status.

iii. It is the responsibility of the employee to immediately report any changes that may invalidate the exemption request.

iv. If the employee transfers to another Division, it is their responsibility to submit a new exemption request for approval by the new Division

Director.

(c) If an approved disaster exemption is no longer needed, it is the responsibility of the employee to notify their Division Director and Human Resources to cancel the exemption request. This will place them in an eligible status to receive an emergency duty assignment.

(d) An employee who is designated to work an emergency duty assignment but does not report for assigned duties during a declared emergency will receive no pay and will not be eligible to use accrued leave time for the period of the scheduled assignment. Additionally, they may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

(5) If the County is closed during a declared emergency, employees without emergency duty assignments prior to or during the emergency or who have been excused from emergency duty are subject to recall at a later time in support of the emergency.

a) During the period when Collier County remains closed for normal business operations, these employees must call in, contact their supervisor, or report to work to the designated Division representative in accordance with Division plans no later than 24 hours after the occurrence of the incident/emergency.

b) If not assigned at that time, the employee must continue to call or contact their supervisor in each twenty-four-hour period to see if their services are needed.

c) Employees must provide a telephone number(s) where they can be reached before, during, and after the declared emergency.

(6) Provisions will be made at the Division level to give employees sufficient time prior to an emergency event to prepare themselves and/or their families and protect their personal property. Directors and Supervisors will coordinate work schedules to make reasonable accommodations for personal and/or family protection.

(7) Shelter at various locations will be made available to employees who are scheduled to work during an emergency. In some cases, employees’ pets may be permitted at the County facility to which they are assigned. Shelter staff should come prepared with bedding, changes of clothing, toiletries, medications, food, drink, and snacks, communication device(s), chargers, and any assigned safety gear to cover a period of 72 hours. At these locations, there are no guarantees of the availability of back-up power or food services.

(8) When deployed in support of a declared emergency and/or activation event, County employees are, at a minimum, required to wear their ID badge in a visible location above their waist. If available, staff are encouraged to wear County logo attire. At all times, staff members should be dressed suitably for their assignment, including proper safety gear.

(9) County Department Heads/Division Directors shall submit an internal emergency/activation response plan or Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) that complements the County's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan to the

Bureau of Emergency Services or the designated COOP on-line planning application on May 1 of each year, as directed by Emergency Management. These plans will include provisions for employee communications that meet the requirements of Subsection A(5) above including contingencies for telephone service outages, impassable road conditions, etc.

B. Policy on Closing Down or Adjustments to County Operations:

(1) The County Manager may limit or cancel all or portions of County operations based on direction from the Collier County Board of County Commissioners or recommendation from the Collier County Bureau of Emergency Services Division.

a) The County Manager's Office will communicate this decision and effective closure time to the County Constitutional Officers, the County Court

Administrator, the County Health Department, school officials, Deputy

County Managers, Department Heads, and Division Directors. Deputy County

Managers, Department Heads and/or Division Directors will be responsible for communicating this information to staff.

b) This local determination will be based on best available information to continue essential government services for Collier County residents and visitors but may not align with decisions made by the Governor to declare a state of emergency for Florida, or communications from other officials about recommendations for citizens to evacuate.

(2) Hurricanes/tropical storms usually occur with advanced warning. The County

Manager may limit or cancel all or portions of County operations when a storm warning is issued for Collier County and may exercise this authority if additional time is needed to carry out emergency preparedness. The County Manager will base this decision on recommendations from the Emergency Management Director or their designee.

(3) During emergency situations, the following factors will be considered:

(a) The nature of the threat;

(b) The uncertainty inherent in the threat;

(c) The amount of time needed to notify County employees given the time of day and day of the week that the decision is made to limit or cancel County operations;

(d) The amount of time needed to close down County offices/facilities or to discontinue service; and

(e) The amount of time needed to notify, make protective action recommendations, complete preparedness efforts, mobilize personnel, and shelter or evacuate the general public. In the event of a hurricane threat, these actions must be completed before the arrival of sustained 40 mph winds.

(4) Other emergency situations may occur that dictate the need to adjust normal governmental operations including a partial activation of the Emergency Operations

Center in order to meet the safety concerns and respond to the emergent needs of the public including preparedness work, response work, recovery and mitigation work and activities posed by the event.

C. Emergency Pay Provisions:

(1) Emergency pay provisions will be in effect when any natural, technological, or other emergency or activation event triggers a state of local emergency declaration by the

Board of County Commissioners or Level 2 activation.

(2) Level 2 activation may be declared when any natural, technological, or other emergency requires a state of local emergency declaration, or as indicated by the

Board of County Commissioners, County Manager, Deputy County Managers or

Emergency Services Director. Examples of Level 2 activation include:

(a) Emergency Services Division personnel have activated the Emergency

Operations Center (EOC) or mobile command outside the regularly scheduled workday.

(b) Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) in addition to Emergency Services

Division personnel are working in the EOC or mobile command center.

(c) County Phone Bank (information hotline) has been partially or fully activated.

(d) A request by the State Director of Emergency Management and or the

Governor to provide support to the State or surrounding counties.

(3) These pay provisions apply to employees regardless of their exempt or non-exempt status, except for the County Manager, Deputy County Managers, bargaining-unit personnel, or as otherwise stipulated. These provisions also apply to the County’s temporary (job bank) employees as well as staff from contract employment agencies if they are required and assigned to work during a Level 2 activation. Overtime rules apply according to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Shift differential may apply according to CMA 5341 . It is the Department Head’s responsibility, through the Division Directors or their designee(s), to verify any emergency hours worked

1 Editor's Note: See CMA 5341, Compensation Administration.

and approve all payments.

(a) If County offices are open for normal operations, employees reassigned to assist in emergency preparedness/response during regular work schedules will be paid at their regular hourly rate. Employees will receive pay at the rate of time and one-half for each hour worked outside their normal work schedule in preparation for or direct response to a declared emergency, regardless of whether they have worked 40 regular hours during that week.

(b) If County offices are closed for normal operations, inclusive of partial operational shutdowns, all employees who are available to work but are not assigned emergency duties will be compensated for all hours regularly scheduled on the day(s) the County is closed at their straight-time hourly rate of pay, including shift differentials, (if applicable to the position). Employees must call in/report to work in accordance with Subsection A(5) to qualify for pay. See Subsection C(4)(a-d), Other Pay Provisions (below), for additional clarification.

(c) If County offices are closed to the public for normal operations, employees assigned to work emergency duty assignments in preparation for or direct response to a declared emergency will be paid as follows:

1. At the rate of time and one-half for the first forty (40) hours worked in that working week.

2. If an employee exceeds forty (40) hours in a working week during the closure period only, pay will be at two (2.0) times their hourly rate of pay.

3. If an employee is released prior to the end of a regular working day, any scheduled hours an employee does not work will be paid at their regular straight-time rate of pay, including shift differentials (if applicable to the position).

(4) Other Pay Provisions:

(a) Based on operational needs, Department Heads, Division Directors or their respective designees may amend work schedules (which must be communicated in writing to employees) before, during, or after the emergency period. Employees will be provided emergency pay based on their assigned schedule for a particular workday, which may differ from their regularly scheduled day(s) or shift(s).

(b) Employees will be paid time and one-half or double time pay during the period the County is closed, even if they have had a non-productive absence during the same working week.

(c) Employees who are called to respond on behalf of the County and are given an assignment before, during, and/or after the declared emergency will be compensated for the entire period they are scheduled and are performing those assigned duties, regardless of on-the-job work/rest breaks given during the period of the assignment. Standard rest period provisions outlined in

CMA 5341, Compensation Administration, are not applicable during the declaration period.

(d) Compensatory time in lieu of overtime will not be permitted, no exceptions.

(e) Employees will not be eligible for additional on-call payments during the period the County is closed to the public for normal operations. Hourly employees assigned to a regular on-call rotation will be paid as scheduled.

Divisions should assign on-call staff based solely on business needs, and assignments should not include the entire division staff.

(f) Employees who submitted and have approved leave slips to take time off (not related to the emergency/activation event) prior to the event declaration and are already off work using paid leave time (sick, vacation, etc.) will not receive any additional paid time off and will be paid according to their original leave request. If an employee cancels leave to respond, they will be compensated based on the criteria outlined above based on actual hours worked.

(g) During the period following a declared emergency, emergency pay provisions will continue to apply until County offices reopen for normal business operations, as determined by the County Manager. Employees, with the exception of those listed in section C(3), will be paid at the rate of time and one-half for each hour worked regardless of whether they have worked over

40 hours during that week, provided the time is in response to the declared emergency.

(h) Employees who return to work during the period when the County is closed for normal operations but perform only their regular work assignment will be paid their regular rate of pay for worked hours.

(i) These provisions also apply when Collier County government furnishes manpower to other jurisdictions that participate in the Statewide Mutual Aid

Agreement or Emergency Management Assistance Compact.

D. Emergency organization: The command structure that Collier County will utilize for major emergencies is shown in the Basic Plan to the Collier County Comprehensive

Emergency Management Plan (CEMP).

E. Emergency responsibilities:

(1) Emergency responsibilities for the County Division and Department offices are listed in the Collier County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.

(2) Safety Concerns: Response to major emergency events may require the use of volunteers. Staff, contractors, and volunteers shall receive the appropriate safety briefing commensurate with the task assigned. Care will be taken to ensure that the emergency-related task is affiliated with the routine work skill possessed by the individual. Paid and volunteer personnel are encouraged to maintain a safe work environment and immediately report unsafe conditions to their Supervisor and or the EOC as needed. All reasonable efforts shall be made to ensure communications with the County by having available cell phones and two-way radios in working condition if assigned.

F. Emergency Response: The Collier County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan identifies activities to be carried out before and during an emergency by key personnel or agencies. Either posted Time Delineated Schedules (TDS) or Incident Action Plans (IAP) under the Incident Command System will initiate emergency response actions.

§ 5900-2. Currency.

The Bureau of Emergency Services Division is responsible for maintaining the currency of this

Instruction.

§ 5900-3. Reference.

Collier County Personnel Ordinance, Ordinance No. 2001-50: It is the policy of the County to provide the establishment of roles and responsibilities for all agencies under the Board of

County Commissioners and the cessation of normal government activities during emergencies.