(a) Each town or city of the state shall establish a local organization for civil preparedness in accordance with the state civil preparedness plan and program, provided any two or more towns or cities may, with the approval of the commissioner, establish a joint organization for civil preparedness. The authority of such local or joint organization for civil preparedness shall not supersede that of any regularly organized police or fire department. In order to be eligible for any state or federal benefits under this chapter, not later than January 1, 2017, and biennially thereafter, each town or city of the state shall have a current emergency plan of operations that has been approved by the commissioner. The plan shall be submitted to the commissioner after it has been approved by the local emergency management director and the local chief executive. Such plan may be submitted with a notice stating that the plan remains unchanged from the previously submitted version. The emergency plan of operations of every town or city situated on the shoreline of the state shall contain provisions addressing an emergency caused by any existing liquefied natural gas terminal located on the Long Island Sound and every town or city situated on the shoreline of the state shall submit such plan to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public safety and security, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, and the commissioner to obtain approval. The committee shall hold a public hearing regarding such plan not later than thirty days after receiving the plan. Not later than five days after the hearing, the committee shall (1) hold a roll-call vote to approve or reject the plan, and (2) forward the plan and a record of the committee’s vote to the General Assembly. Such emergency plan of operations shall not be approved by the commissioner unless the commissioner determines that the plan proposes strategies that address all the activities and measures of civil preparedness identified in subdivision (4) of section 28-1, including, for any plan submitted on or after January 1, 2025, a domestic terrorism prevention strategy, as described in a domestic terrorism prevention plan annex, in accordance with any standards provided by the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Each town or city of the state shall consider whether to include in such plan provisions for the nonmilitary evacuation of livestock, horses, pets and service animals, and the temporary sheltering of pets, service animals and animals trained to assist first responders.

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(b) Each local organization for civil preparedness shall consist of an advisory council and an emergency management director appointed by the chief executive officer. The advisory council shall contain representatives of city or town agencies concerned with civil preparedness and representatives of interests, including business, labor, agriculture, veterans, women’s groups, local and state animal humane organizations and others, which are important to the civil preparedness program in the particular community. The emergency management director shall be responsible for the organization, administration and operation of such local organization, subject to the direction and control of the commissioner. The chief executive officer may remove any local emergency management director for cause.

(c) Each local or joint organization shall perform such civil preparedness functions in the territorial limits within which it is organized as the commissioner prescribes. In addition, such local or joint organization shall conduct such functions outside such territorial limits as are prescribed by the state civil preparedness plan and program or by the terms of any mutual aid agreements to which the town is a party.

(d) The emergency management director of each local or joint organization may, with the approval of the commissioner, collaborate with other public and private agencies within the state and develop or cause to be developed mutual aid agreements for civil preparedness aid and assistance in case of disaster too great to be dealt with unassisted. The emergency management director of such joint or local organization may, with the approval of the commissioner, enter into such mutual aid agreements with civil preparedness agencies or organizations in other states. Such agreements shall be consistent with the state civil preparedness plan and program and, in time of emergency, each local or joint organization shall render assistance in accordance with the provisions of such agreements to which it is a party unless otherwise ordered by the commissioner.

(e) Each town or city shall have the power to make appropriations for the payment of salaries and expenses of its local or joint organization or any other civil preparedness agencies or instrumentalities.

(f) In the event of a serious disaster or of a sudden emergency, when such action is deemed necessary for the protection of the health and safety of the people, and upon request of the local chief executive authority, the Governor or the commissioner, without regard to the provisions of section 22a-148, may authorize the temporary use of such civil preparedness forces, including civil preparedness auxiliary police and firemen, as the Governor deems necessary. Personnel of such civil preparedness forces shall be so employed only with their consent. The provisions of section 28-14 shall apply to personnel so employed.

(g) The state shall reimburse any town or city rendering aid under this section for the compensation paid and actual and necessary travel, subsistence and maintenance expenses of employees of such town or city while rendering such aid, and for all payments for death, disability or injury of such employees in the course of rendering such aid and for all losses of or damage to supplies or equipment of such town or city incurred in the course of rendering such aid.

(h) Whenever, in the judgment of a local emergency management director, with prior approval of the commissioner, it is deemed essential to authorize the temporary assignment, with their consent, of any members of civil preparedness forces who are not paid employees of the state or any political subdivision thereof, for a temporary civil preparedness mission, the provisions of section 28-14 shall apply. A complete written record of the conditions and dates of such assignment shall be maintained by the local director concerned and such record shall be available for examination by the commissioner and the Attorney General. The commissioner shall establish the necessary procedures to administer this section.