<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 12-31. - Declaration; restrictions authorized.</div>
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            <p class="incr0">
               (a)
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               A state of emergency shall be deemed to exist whenever during times of public crisis,
               disaster, rioting, catastrophe, or similar public emergency, for any reason, public
               safety authorities are unable to maintain public order or afford adequate protection
               for lives, safety or property, or whenever the occurrence of any such condition is
               imminent.
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            <p class="incr0">
               (b)
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            <p class="content1">
               In the event of an existing or threatened state of emergency endangering the lives,
               safety, health and welfare of the people within the county or any part thereof, or
               threatening damages to or destruction of property, the chairperson of the county board
               of commissioners is hereby authorized and empowered under G.S. 14-288.13 and 166A-8
               to issue a public proclamation declaring to all persons the existence of such a state
               of emergency, and, in order to more effectively protect the lives and property of
               people within the county, to place in effect any or all of the restrictions hereinafter
               authorized.
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            <p class="incr0">
               (c)
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               The chairperson is hereby authorized and empowered to limit by the proclamation the
               application of all or any part of such restrictions to any area specifically designated
               or described within the county and to specific hours of the day or night, and to exempt
               from all or any part of such restrictions, while acting in the line of and within
               the scope of their respective duties, law enforcement officers, firemen and other
               public employees, rescue squad members, doctors, nurses, employees of hospitals and
               other medical facilities, on-duty military personnel, whether state or federal, on-duty
               employees of public utilities, public transportation companies, and newspaper, magazine,
               radio broadcasting, and television broadcasting corporations operated for profit,
               and such other classes of persons as may be essential to the preservation of public
               order and immediately necessary to serve the safety, health and welfare needs of people
               within the county.
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            <p class="historynote0">
               (Code 1984, Â§ 6-21; Ord. of 7-1-1987, Â§ 1)
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