2001 Minnesota Statutes

     12.03 Definitions. 

    Subdivision 1.    Scope.  For the purposes of this 
 chapter, each term defined in this section has the meaning 
 ascribed to it. 

    Subd. 1a.    Activated.  "Activated" means engaged in 
 emergency management activities listed in this chapter and 
 authorized by the state director of the division of emergency 
 management. 

    Subd. 1b.    City.  "City" means a statutory or home 
 rule charter city. 

    Subd. 2.    Disaster.  "Disaster" means a situation that 
 creates an actual or imminent serious threat to the health and 
 safety of persons, or a situation that has resulted or is likely 
 to result in catastrophic loss to property or the environment, 
 and for which traditional sources of relief and assistance 
 within the affected area are unable to repair or prevent the 
 injury or loss. 

    Subd. 2a.    Division.  "Division" means the division of 
 emergency management in the department of public safety. 

    Subd. 2b.    Dry cask storage facility.  "Dry cask 
 storage facility" means a high-level radioactive waste facility 
 for storage of spent nuclear fuel produced by a nuclear reactor 
 at Prairie Island nuclear generating plant. 

    Subd. 3.    Emergency.  "Emergency" means an unforeseen 
 combination of circumstances that calls for immediate action to 
 prevent a disaster from developing or occurring. 

    Subd. 4.    Emergency management.  "Emergency management"
 means the preparation for and the carrying out of emergency 
 functions, other than functions for which military forces are 
 primarily responsible, to prevent, minimize and repair injury 
 and damage resulting from disasters, from acute shortages of 
 energy, or from incidents occurring at nuclear power plants that 
 pose radiological or other health hazards.  These functions 
 include, without limitation, firefighting services, police 
 services, medical and health services, rescue, engineering, 
 warning services, communications, radiological, chemical and 
 other special weapons defense, evacuation of persons from 
 stricken areas, emergency human services, emergency 
 transportation, existing or properly assigned functions of plant 
 protection, temporary restoration of public utility services, 
 implementation of energy supply emergency conservation and 
 allocation measures, and other functions related to civilian 
 protection, together with all other activities necessary or 
 incidental to preparing for and carrying out these functions. 

    Subd. 4a.  Renumbered subd 4c 

    Subd. 4b.    Emergency response personnel.  "Emergency 
 response personnel" means an individual, organization, or team 
 authorized by the state to supplement state or local resources 
 for emergency response in a stricken area. 

    Subd. 4c.    Energy supply emergency.  "Energy supply 
 emergency" means a state of emergency declared by the executive 
 council or the legislature pursuant to section 216C.15 and rules 
 adopted under that section. 

    Subd. 5.    Federal government.  "Federal government" 
 means the United States of America. 

    Subd. 5a.  Renumbered subd 5c 

    Subd. 5b.    Hazard mitigation.  "Hazard mitigation" 
 means an action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk 
 to human life and property from natural and other types of 
 hazards. 

    Subd. 5c.    Imminent.  "Imminent" means clear and 
 present danger to life or property rights as a result of an 
 emergency or disaster. 

    Subd. 6.    Local organization for emergency management. 
  "Local organization for emergency management" means an 
 organization created in accordance with this chapter by the 
 state or a political subdivision to perform local emergency 
 management functions. 

    Subd. 7. Repealed by amendment, 1996 c 344 s 3 

    Subd. 7a.    Person.  "Person" includes an individual, 
 firm, corporation, association, limited liability company, 
 partnership, limited liability partnership, and other business 
 organizations. 

    Subd. 8.  Renumbered subd 10 

    Subd. 9.    Political subdivision.  "Political 
 subdivision" means a county, city, town, or a metropolitan 
 airports commission organized and existing under sections 
 473.601 to 473.679. 

    Subd. 10.  Renumbered subd 5a 

    Subd. 10.    Specialized equipment.  "Specialized 
 equipment" means equipment and supplies essential for emergency 
 management in excess of equipment and supplies provided for 
 normal operation of the state or a political subdivision, to the 
 acquisition of which the state or federal government may 
 contribute. 

    Subd. 11.  Renumbered subd 4a 

    HIST: 1951 c 694 s 3; 1953 c 745 s 3; 1963 c 660 s 1; 1963 c 
 678 s 1; 1973 c 123 art 5 s 7; 1976 c 266 s 1; 1979 c 65 s 1; 
 Ex1979 c 2 s 2,3; 1980 c 611 s 1; 1981 c 356 s 248; 1Sp1981 c 4 
 art 1 s 2; 1987 c 312 art 1 s 10 subd 1; 1996 c 344 s 3,33