{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-39b.020","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 39B.020","heading":"Local emergency management director -- Joint appointment of a single","body":"local emergency management director -- Qualifications.\n(1) The county judge/executive of each county, the mayor of each city, consolidated\nlocal government, or urban-county government, or the chief executive of other local\ngovernment, within thirty (30) days of assuming office following their election,\nshall appoint a local emergency management director who meets all qualifications\ncriteria pursuant to KRS Chapters 39A to 39F, and sha ll immediately notify the\ndirector of the Division of Emergency Management of the appointment.\n(2) Except in a county containing a consolidated local government, in lieu of appointing\na separate local emergency management director for each jurisdiction, th e county\njudge/executive of a county and mayors of cities or urban -county governments, or\nthe chief executive of other local government located within the territorial\nboundaries of the same county, or two (2) or more counties acting jointly under the\nprovisions of KRS 39B.010 may jointly appoint a single local emergency\nmanagement director who meets all the qualifications criteria pursuant to KRS\nChapters 39A to 39F. It is the policy of the Division of Emergency Management to\nencourage and support the joint  appointment of a single local director in each\nterritorial county, or counties acting jointly, of the Commonwealth. The duly\nappointed local emergency management director shall direct, control, and manage\nall the affairs of the local emergency management agency and comprehensive\nemergency management program of the jurisdictions wherein appointed.\n(3) A local emergency management director appointed under the provisions of\nsubsection (1) or (2) of this section shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing\nauthority, but shall serve not longer than four (4) years without reappointment and,\nin addition to any local requirements, shall meet the qualification requirements\nlisted in this subsection:\n(a) The local director shall be a high school graduate with an ad ditional three (3)\nyears of experience in business administration, government planning,\nindustrial or commercial planning, public safety, management of emergency\nservices, or related community or governmental service. Management level\nexperience may not be  substituted for high school education. Education at an\naccredited college or university may be substituted for experience on a year -\nfor-year basis.\n(b) The local director shall be a resident of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and a\ncounty served.\n(c) The local director shall hold no partisan elective office, nor file for, seek, or\ncampaign for any partisan elective office while holding the position of local\nemergency management director.\n(d) The local director shall be routinely available to respond to emergency scenes,\ncommand posts, or emergency operations centers to coordinate emergency\nresponse of all local public and private agencies and organizations; to perform\nnecessary administrative, planning, and organizational duties; to complete and\nsubmit required reports, records, emergency operations plans, and documents;\nto attend required training; and to attend meetings convened by the appointing\nauthority or the area manager of the division.\n1. If the local director is also a full -time or part -time employee of the\nfederal or state government, the local director shall have written\nauthorization from the appropriate appointing authority to hold the\nposition of local emergency management director and to fully comply\nwith the provisions of paragraph (d) of this s ubsection. A copy of the\nwritten authorization shall be submitted to the division at the time of\nappointment.\n2. If the local director is also a full -time or part -time employee of a city,\ncounty, urban -county government, or charter county government in\nanother capacity, that government shall enact an official city or county\norder or ordinance specifying that the individual appointed as local\nemergency management director shall fully comply with the provisions\nof paragraph (d) of this subsection. The order o r ordinance shall also\nspecify that the individual, when performing the duties of local\nemergency management director, shall relinquish all authorities and\nresponsibilities associated with any other governmental employment and\nshall indicate another person , by name or position, to assume those\nauthorities and responsibilities until such time as the local director shall\ncease to function as local emergency management director. A copy of\nthe enacted order or ordinance shall be submitted to the division at the\ntime of appointment. The city, county, urban -county government, or\ncharter county government shall not seek reimbursement from the\ndivision for the local director's salary for any time spent in another\ncapacity.\n3. If the local director is also a full -time or part -time employee in the\nprivate sector, the local director shall have a letter from each employer\nstating that the local director shall, without penalty or exception, be\npermitted to fully comply with the provisions of paragraph (d) of this\nsubsection. A copy of the letter from each employer shall be submitted\nto the division at the time of appointment.\n4. If the local director is self-employed, the local director shall certify at the\ntime of appointment, by letter to the director of the division, th at the\nlocal director's schedule shall permit full compliance with the provisions\nof paragraph (d) of this subsection.\n(4) A local director whose salary has been reimbursed by the division prior to January\n1, 1994, shall not be subject to the provisions of  subsection (3)(a) of this section, so\nlong as remaining continuously in that position for the appointing jurisdiction.\n(5) A local director whose salary is reimbursed in part or in full by the Division of\nEmergency Management pursuant to KRS 39C.010 and 39C.020, shall also meet\nany other requirements of KRS Chapters 39A to 39F and any requirements which\nmay be imposed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or its successor.","path":["KRS Chapter 39B"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=43391","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:48:58Z","sha256":"b5afb3f5bbbad65d24129710c784fdcf9011343bab5b8b3770a444d17ffbe798","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-39b.010","next":"us-ky/krs-39b.030"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}