Pennsylvania Code
Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

• No statutes or acts will be found at this website.

The Pennsylvania Bulletin website includes the following: Rulemakings by State agencies; Proposed Rulemakings by State agencies; State agency notices; the Governor’s Proclamations and Executive Orders; Actions by the General Assembly; and Statewide and local court rules.

PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 01-1716

THE GOVERNOR

[31 Pa.B. 5359]

Proclamation of Disaster Emergency

September 11, 2001

   Whereas, on September 11, 2001, major catastrophic events have occurred in New York City, New York, and Washington, D.C.; and

   Whereas, those events may have been intended as acts of terrorism; and

   Whereas, a possible terrorist incident has also occurred in Somerset County, Pennsylvania involving the crash of an airplane with a significant loss of life; and

   Whereas, there may be a concerted effort by foreign enemies or terrorist groups to inflict serious harm and damage upon the United States, and

   Whereas, the emergency situation throughout the United States including Pennsylvania may be of such magnitude and severity as to render essential the Commonwealth's supplementation of emergency resources and mutual aid to other states and to the county and municipal governments of this Commonwealth and to require the activation of all applicable state, county, and municipal emergency response plans;

   Now Therefore, pursuant to the provisions of Subsection 7301(c) of the Emergency Management Services Code (35 Pa.C.S. Section 7101 et seq.), I do hereby proclaim the existence of a disaster emergency in Somerset County, and I direct all Commonwealth departments and agencies to utilize all available resources and personnel as is deemed necessary to cope with the magnitude and severity of this emergency situation;

   Further, I hereby transfer up to $1,000,000.00 in unused appropriated funds to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. The aforementioned funds shall be used for disaster-related expenses incurred by various state agencies and departments. These funds shall be credited to a special account established by the Office of the Budget. All Commonwealth agencies purchasing supplies or services in response to this emergency are authorized to utilize the emergency procurement procedures set forth in Section 516 of the Commonwealth Procurement Code, 62 Pa.C.S. Section 516. This Proclamation shall serve as the written determination of the basis for the emergency under Section 516; and

   Further, I hereby authorize the Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police to use all available equipment, resources and personnel of the Department, in whatever manner he deems necessary, to ensure that the public health, safety, and welfare of the Commonwealth's citizens are protected at this time of emergency; and

   Further, I hereby approve the activation of the Pennsylvania Urban Search and Rescue Team in the event it is needed in either New York City, Washington, D.C. or some other location: and

   Further, pursuant to the powers vested in me by the Constitution and laws of this Commonwealth, I hereby authorize the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania to place on state active duty for the duration of the emergency such individuals and units of the Pennsylvania National Guard, as requested by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, to alleviate the danger to public health and safety caused by the aforementioned emergency; and

   Further, at the request of the Governor of New York State, I hereby authorize the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania, at his discretion, to provide all available forms of heavy equipment and other resources to the emergency response organizations of New York State; and

   Further, I have directed that the emergency response and recovery aspects of the Commonwealth and all applicable county, municipal and other disaster emergency response and recovery plans be activated and that all state, county and municipal actions taken to implement those plans be coordinated through the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency; and

   Still Further, I hereby urge the governing bodies and executive officers of all political subdivisions affected by this emergency to act as necessary to meet the current exigencies as legally authorized under this proclamation, namely: by the employment of temporary workers, by the rental of equipment and by entering into such contracts and agreements as may be required to meet the emergency, all without regard to those time-consuming procedures and formalities normally prescribed by law, mandatory constitutional requirements excepted.

   Given under my hand and the Seal of the Governor, at the city of Harrisburg, this 11th day of September in the year of our Lord, two thousand and one and of the Commonwealth, the two hundred and twenty-sixth.

Ridge Signature

   Governor

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 01-1716. Filed for public inspection September 21, 2001, 9:00 a.m.]


No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.

This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Bulletin full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.