Authorizing the City's Participation in a Jint Anti-Terrorism Steering Committee & Joint Anti-Terroriam Preparedness and Response Committee

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INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FORMALIZING THE CREATION OF A JOINT TERRORISM STEERING COMMITTEE AND A JOINT TERRORISM PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE COMMITTEE FOR ST. JOSEPH COUNTY AND THE CITIES OF SOUTH BEND AND MISHAWAKA INDIANA I. LEGAL AUTHORITY. This Interlocal Agreement is authorized pursuant to Indiana Code § 36-1 -7 and is an Agreement for St. Joseph County, the City of South Bend and the City of Mishawaka. 2. PURPOSE: The purpose of this Agreement is to integrate terrorism preparedness and response activities and to develop unified and coordinated procedures in the event that a terrorism incident occurs in or near St. Joseph County and the cities of South Bend and Mishawaka. Such a terrorism incident occurring anywhere in or near St. Joseph County would likely impact the cities of South Bend and Mishawaka, and St. Joseph County, especially if the incident involves biological, chemical or radioactive agents. Emergency response organizations from all three (3) political entities would be involved in the response and residents of all three (3) entities would be impacted. The State of Indiana has mandated that there be a coordinated response to terrorism activities that cross jurisdictional boundaries or exceed the response capabilities of the local jurisdiction. There is a need for further coordination among St. Joseph County and the cities of South Bend and Mishawaka to coordinate terrorism preparedness and response activities. These entities and other organizations, under the direction of the St Joseph County Emergency Management Agency, prepared a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. This Plan addresses all types of major emergencies that could impact the communities including biological, chemical and nuclear terrorism incidents. The Plan identifies responsibilities of each organization, with each organization developing procedures for how their responsibilities would be accomplished. 3. TERRORISM STEERING COMMITTEE. St. Joseph County, the City of South Bend and the City of Mishawaka, hereafter referred to as "the Parties ", hereby establish a joint Terrorism Steering Committee, hereafter referred to as "Steering Committee". The Steering Committee shall consist of the Board of Commissioners of St. Joseph County, the Mayor of the City of South Bend and the Mayor of the City of Mishawaka. The Steering Committee will oversee terrorism preparedness activities that need to be coordinated among the Parties and will guide the activities of the Preparedness Committee. The Steering Committee shall meet not less than quarterly to receive reports and address, as deemed appropriate, issues raised by the Preparedness Committee. 4. TERRORISM PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE COMMITTEE. The Parties hereby establish a joint Terrorism Preparedness and Response Committee, hereafter referred to as the "Preparedness Committee" shall consist of not less than six (6) persons; two (2) of which are appointed by the Board of Commissioners of St. Joseph County, three (3) of which are appointed by the Mayor of the City of South Bend, and one (1) of which shall be appointed by the Mayor of the City of Mishawaka, Indiana. The members of the Preparedness Committee shall, at a minimum, include a representative of the South Bend Hazardous Materials Response Te ='- . the St. Joseph County Emergency Management Agency, the St. Joseph County Health Department, and the Mishawaka Fire Department. Additional members may involve other employees of the Parties or other persons or organizations that are involved in terrorism preparedness activities with each Party having the right to appoint up to three (3) members of their governmental entity and one (1) member form non - governmental organizations. The Preparedness Committee shall address non- medical terrorism preparedness and response issues that are common to St. Joseph County, South Bend and Mishawaka. The Preparedness Committee shall participate in regional terrorism preparedness activities where appropriate, and shall continually assess the ability of the communities to respond to a terrorism incident. The Preparedness Committee shall develop