(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), as used throughout this chapter:
(1) “emergency” means the imminent threat or occurrence of any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, drought, fire, explosion, or other emergency including an emergency occasioned by a threat to homeland security in any part of the Territory which, in the determination of the Governor or the Director requires an integrated and coordinated emergency response from various Territorial Government agencies to save lives and protect public property, public health and safety or to avert or lessen the threat of a major disaster, which may require an emergency declaration by the President or other Federal assistance, but does not cause damage of such severity and magnitude that the Governor requests major disaster assistance from the President pursuant to the Stafford Act.
(2) “major disaster” means the imminent threat or occurrence of any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, drought, fire, explosion, or other catastrophe including a catastrophe occasioned by a threat to homeland security in any part of the Territory which, in the determination of the governor or the Director requires a coordinated emergency response from various Territorial Government agencies and which causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude for the Governor to request major disaster assistance from the President pursuant to the Stafford Act, to supplement the efforts and available resources of the Territorial Government and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby.
(3) “state of emergency” means a public declaration by the Governor to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, or recover from an emergency or major disaster. Such public declaration shall be in the form of an executive order or proclamation pursuant to section 1005 of this chapter.
(4) “Director” means the Director of VITEMA, who shall also serve as the Territorial Coordinating Officer.
(5) “VITEMA” means the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency.
(6) “VITEMP” means the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Plan.
(7) “Stafford Act” means the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Pub. Law 100-707, as may be amended, any successor act thereto, or other federal laws applicable to emergency management.
(8) “FEMA” means to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
(9) “VITEMHS Council” means the council established under section 1007 of this title.
(10) “VING” means the Virgin Islands National Guard established under Chapter 19 of this title.
(11) “SAA” means the State Administrative Agent eligible to receive grants from the United States Department of Homeland Security, who shall be selected by the Director, and approved by the Governor.
(12) “EOC” means emergency operation center.
(13) “Homeland security” means the development, coordination, and implementation of a Territorial policy to secure the people and property of the Virgin Islands from terrorist threats or attacks. The term includes efforts to detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, share intelligence where applicable, respond to, and recover from terrorists' attacks within the Virgin Islands.
(14) “Joint Terrorism Task Force” or “JTTF” means the established regional coordinating body of both federal and local law enforcement agencies under the stewardship of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for sharing of information and intelligence, as well as the coordination of resources for the mitigation of weapons of mass destruction and response to terrorism throughout the country.
(b) When the terms “emergency” or “major disaster” are used in this chapter in the context of a declaration or determination by the President, pursuant to the Stafford Act that such conditions do exist or that assistance for such conditions is required, then such terms, with respect to such declaration or that assistance for such conditions is required, then such terms, with respect to such declaration or determination only, shall not have the meanings set forth in subsection (a) of this section, but rather shall have the meanings set forth in the Stafford Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.