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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.[Renumbered subd 1d]
    Subd. 1c.MS 2004 [Expired]
    Subd. 1d. City. "City" means a statutory or home rule charter city.
    Subd. 1e. Declared emergency. "Declared emergency" means a national security or
peacetime emergency declared by the governor under section 12.31.
    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,
fire-fighting 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. 4d. Facility. "Facility" means any real property, building, structure, or other
improvement to real property or any motor vehicle, rolling stock, aircraft, watercraft, or other
means of transportation. Facility does not include a private residence but may include a licensed
health care facility only when other alternatives are not feasible.
    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. 6a. Medical supplies. "Medical supplies" means any medication, durable medical
equipment, instruments, linens, or any other material that a health care provider deems not
essential for the continued operation of the provider's practice or facility. The term medical
supplies does not apply to medication, durable medical equipment, or other material that is
personal property being used by individuals or that has been borrowed, leased, or rented by
individuals for the purpose of treatment or care.
    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. 9a.MS 2004 [Expired]
    Subd. 10.MS 1994 [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]
History: 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; 2002 c 402 s 2-5,21; 2004 c 279 art
11 s 7; 2005 c 149 s 7; 2005 c 150 s 1,2,14

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes