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Home My WebLink About0474 '. ,. \. ORDINANCE NO. 474. , ' , AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA RELATING TO AIR RAID PREtcAUTIONS. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. As used in this ordinance the following words and phrases shall mean: "Air raid warning signallt shall mean a signal, by siren, whistle, horn or otber audible device, of two minutes duration oonsisting of either a fluctua1;ing or warbling signal of varying pitch or a succession of intermittent blasts of about five seconds duration separated by a silent period of abelut three seconds. "All clel~ signal" shall mean a continuous signal, by siren, horn or other audible device, of two minutes duration at a steady pitch. "Period e,f air raid alarm" shall lIlllan the interval of time between the giving of the air raid warning siGnal and .the giving of the next succeeding all clear signal. "Blackou1; structure" shall mean any space so enclosed. that any illuminationmaintalned or existing therein is not visible from any point outside such enclos\~e. SECTION 2. The Chief of Police 1s hereby authorized and directed to aause the sounding of an air raid warning signal and of an all clear signal when, and only when, the distriot in which the city is located is notified so to do b:irthe United States Aircraft Warning Service. SECTION ~j. An:;j person who effects or maintains any illumination, or permits any illundnation under his control to be effected or maintained, at any place within the City of Arcadia during any period of air raid alarm in the hours elf darkness, except within a blackout structure, shall be guilty of a misdameanor. SECTION 4. The maintenance or leaving of any illumination, 5~" except within a blackout structure, without prOViSion for its extinguishment~ ~:~~~Within one minute ~fter the commencement of a period of air raid ellarm by ~q~ a competent person over the age of eighteen years attendant at the place where such illumination is controlled, is hereby prohibited. SECTION fie In order to enable the Chief of Police to conform -1- r'9 ~~.;'" cd 1/7/ to the request of the United states Aircraft liarning Service for the obscuration, diminution or extinguishment of any illumination, whether in or out of doors, which increases the vulnerability of the City of Arcadia, or any portion thereof, to air attack, or for the regulation of traffic during the period of air raid alarm, the Chief of Police may adopt and promulgate reasonable rules a~ regulations for such purposes, and s.n;y rules or regulations so adopted by him shall be and remain in effect for thirty (30) days thereafter, but no longer unless approved within said time by resolution of the City Council, provided, however, that s.n;y rule or regulation so adopted by the Chief of POlice may at s.n;y time be rescinded by resolution of the City Council. Violation of s.n;y such rule or regulation so adopted and promulgated is hereby declared to be a misdemeanor. SECTION 6. It shall be unlawful to disobey any lawful direction or order of a peace officer, highway patrolman, or fireman given during a periOd of air raid alarm, which order is reasonably necessary for the maintenance of public order or safety or to effect. the extinguishment or obscuration of light. SECTION :.7. Any illumination contrary to the prOVisions of this ordinance, or to ~r rule or regulation adopted and promulgated in accordance with Section 5 hereof, constitutes a pUblic nuisance, and the same may be summarily abated by any peace officer, highway patrolman, or fireman. Any structure may be entered by s.n;y peace officer, highway patrolman, or firem~, using reasonable force if necessary, for the purpose of abating such a ro~isance by extinguishing suoh illumination. SECTION 13. At the commencement of a period of all' raid alarm, the operator of any motor~hicle shall forthwith bring such vehicle as far as possible to the side of the street, road or highway off the main traveled portion thllreof, and the operator of such motor vehicle, and the operator of s.n;y strllet car, shall bring such motor vehicle or street car to a stop clear of liny crossing, intersection, fire bouse, fire plug, hospital or other emergency depot or area, and during the hours of darkness shall extinguish all lights therein or thereon and said motor , ~, -2- ..~.. '.~ " o..-cd 1/7/ vehicle or street CIW shall remain so situated during the period of air raid ale.rm, unloss directed or ordered to move by a peace officer, higb- way patrolman, or fireman. SECTION 9. The provisions of this ordinance shall not apply to blackout emergen"y vehicles, which shall include the following: 1. All Army and Navy vehicles; 2. All 1Tehicles with United States Government credentials indicating the necessity of emergency movement; 3. All authorized emergency vehicles as defined in Sections 44 and 44.1 of the Vehicle Code of California; 4. All ';rehicles being operated by members of the California state Guard while a,~tually on duty; 5. . All vehicles of volunteer personnel engaged in the operation of the Ai:rcratt Warning Service of the Fourth Interceptor Command while such personnel are actually going to or from their posts of duty; 6. All 'lTehicles certified by sheriffs, district attorneys, the California Stat,e Highway Patrol, police chiefs, iltld 'fire chiefs, when within the respective territorial jurisdictions of the certifying office, as being essential to the preservation of the public peace and safety or to the dissemination of public information or to the national defense; provided, however, that such vehicles shall conform to the uniform lighting regulations approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles and the California State Highway Patrol for blackout emergency vehicles. No certificate shall be issued which conflicts with any regulation or order of the United States Army applicable in the area for which the certificate is issued. SECTION 10. It shall be unlawful for any person without authority, during any air raid alarm, to use, wear, exhibit or possess any uniform, insignia, credential, or other indication of autbority, or any 1m1tation thereof, adopted and issued by any official civilian defense organization. SECTION 11. Any person who shall operate a siren, whistle or other audible de.lTice in such a manner as to simulate an air raid warning signal or an all clear signal, exoept upon order of the Chief .' . /' -3- ..<"" a,~ Lj7~ ~---~- - - of Police or other proper authority, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. SECTION 12. The provisions of every ordinance of this city and every administrative order made pursuant thereto, requiring any illumination to be maintained in conflict with this ordinance or wi th a:rry rule or regula tion made pursuant to Section 5 of this Ord- inance, shall be deemed suspended durirte the period between a:rry air raid warning signal and the next succeeding all clear signal. SECTION 13. Any person who shall violate any provision of this ordinance ~lall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding Three Hundred ($300.00) Dollars, or by imprisonment in the City Jail of said City of Arcadia, or in the County Jail of said County of Los Angele s, State of Califon11a, at the discretion of the Committing Magistrate, for a period not exceeding three (3) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. SECTION 14. This ordinance is required tor the immediate preservation of ~he public peace, health and safety, and the following is the statement of facts constltutinS such urgency: The United States is at war and th~ls City is in great and continuing danger of air and other attack by the enemy. SECTION 15. If a:rry provision of this ordinance or the appli- cation thereof to a:rry person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this ordinance are declared to be sElverable. SECTION 16. The City Clerk. shall certify to the adoption of This Ordinance and shall cause the same to be published in one regular issue of the Arclldia Tribune and Arcadia News, a newspaper of general -4- ad 17/ circulation published and circulated in said City of Arcadia, and thereupon and thereafter the same shall take.effect and be in force. The foregoing Ordinance was adopted at an adjourned regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Arcadia, held on the 22nd day of -1)ecember , 1941, .by the affirmative vote of at least four Councilmen, to-wit: Ayes: Councilmen Adcock, BOlz, Leeper, Orm2by and Perkins Noes: None Absent: None ~.~ C . Clerk. Signed and approved this 22nd day of DeCAmhAr , 1941. ~/C7~.:T Mayor ~p~ . G ty Cle . , -5- ad '/71/