§ 29:728 — Parish homeland security and emergency preparedness agency

§728. Parish homeland security and emergency preparedness agency
A. Each parish office of homeland security and emergency preparedness thus created
shall have a director who shall be appointed by the parish president of the parish establishing
such organization and each director shall be commissioned by the director of the Governor's
Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. The parish director thus
appointed and commissioned shall serve at the pleasure of the parish president.
B. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prevent the parish president from
serving as the director.
C. The director of the parish office of homeland security and emergency
preparedness shall have direct responsibility for the organization, administration, and
operation of such local organization for homeland security and emergency preparedness
subject to the direction and control of the parish president under the general direction and
control of the governor and the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness.
D. The director of the parish office of homeland security and emergency
preparedness shall take and subscribe to the following oath:
"I _____________________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and
defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Louisiana,
and the territory, institutions, and facilities thereof, both public and private, against all
enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and I
take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that
I will well and faithfully discharge the duties on which I am about to enter and I do further
swear (or affirm) that I do not advocate, nor am I a member of any political party or
organization that advocates, the overthrow of the government of the United States or of this
state by force or violence; and that during such time as I am a member of the
___________________________ (parish) office of homeland security and emergency
preparedness, I will not advocate nor become a member of any political party or organization
that advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States or of this state by force
or violence."
E. The director may appoint an assistant director to administer the provisions of this
Chapter. The assistant director shall have and may exercise such powers and duties of the
director related thereto as the director shall delegate to him.
F. The parish president may authorize the director to employ such professional,
technical, clerical, stenographic, and other personnel and he shall fix their compensation and
may make expenditures from available funds appropriated or authorized by the state for
purposes of homeland security and emergency preparedness as may be necessary to carry
out the purposes of this Chapter. The director and the assistant director, if an assistant
director is appointed, shall be provided with necessary and appropriate office space,
furniture, equipment, supplies, stationery, and printing. The necessary mileage, office
expenses, salaries of personnel, postage, telephone, and expressage shall be chargeable to any
funds available for homeland security and emergency preparedness.
G. The parish president shall designate any parish, municipal, or special district
employees the parish president deems necessary to be dedicated, on a full-time basis, to
emergency preparedness and disaster or emergency response in the parish. The director shall
ensure the employees designated pursuant to this Section and any local officials deemed
necessary by the parish president have received the annual emergency management training
provided for in R.S. 29:726(F)(2).

Legislative History

Acts 1993, No. 800, §1, eff. June 22, 1993; Acts 2003, No. 40, §2, eff. May 23, 2003; Acts 2006, 1 st Ex. Sess., No. 35, §1, eff. March 1, 2006; Acts 2006, No. 442, §3, eff. June 15, 2006; Acts 2022, No. 526, §1, eff. June 16, 2022.