Section 20. Natural and man-made disasters; policy; definitions

1. It shall
  be the policy of the state that:
    a. local government and emergency service organizations continue their
  essential  role  as  the first line of defense in times of disaster, and
  that the state provide appropriate supportive  services  to  the  extent
  necessary;
    b.  local  chief  executives  take  an active and personal role in the
  development and implementation of disaster preparedness programs and  be
  vested  with authority and responsibility in order to insure the success
  of such programs;
    c. state and local natural disaster and emergency  response  functions
  be  coordinated  in order to bring the fullest protection and benefit to
  the people;
    d. state resources be organized and prepared for  immediate  effective
  response   to  disasters  which  are  beyond  the  capability  of  local
  governments and emergency service organizations; and
    e. state and local plans, organizational  arrangements,  and  response
  capability  required  to execute the provisions of this article shall at
  all times be the most effective that current circumstances and  existing
  resources allow.
    2.  As  used  in  this  article  the  following  terms  shall have the
  following meanings:
    a. "disaster" means occurrence or imminent threat of  wide  spread  or
  severe  damage,  injury,  or loss of life or property resulting from any
  natural or man-made causes, including, but not limited to, fire,  flood,
  earthquake,  hurricane,  tornado, high water, landslide, mudslide, wind,
  storm, wave action,  volcanic  activity,  epidemic,  air  contamination,
  blight,  drought,  infestation,  explosion, radiological accident, water
  contamination, bridge failure or bridge collapse.
    b.  "state  disaster  emergency"  means  a  period  beginning  with  a
  declaration  by  the governor that a disaster exists and ending upon the
  termination thereof.
    c. "municipality" means a public corporation as defined in subdivision
  one of section sixty-six of the general construction law and  a  special
  district as defined in subdivision sixteen of section one hundred two of
  the real property tax law.
    d.  "commission"  means  the  disaster preparedness commission created
  pursuant to section twenty-one of this article.
    e. "emergency services organization" means a public or private agency,
  organization or group organized  and  functioning  for  the  purpose  of
  providing  fire,  medical,  ambulance,  rescue,  housing,  food or other
  services directed toward relieving human suffering, injury  or  loss  of
  life  or  damage  to  property  as  a  result of an emergency, including
  non-profit and  governmentally-supported  organizations,  but  excluding
  governmental agencies.
    f. "chief executive" means:
    (1) a county executive or manager of a county;
    (2) in a county not having a county executive or manager, the chairman
  or other presiding officer of the county legislative body;
    (3) a mayor of a city or village, except where a city or village has a
  manager, it shall mean such manager; and
    (4)  a  supervisor  of  a  town, except where a town has a manager, it
  shall mean such manager.