652                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                     [CH. 200

exercise of the police power of the State to provide adequate control
over persons and conditions during such periods of impending or
actual public crisis or disaster. The provisions of this Act shall be
broadly construed to effectuate this purpose.

(b)    Definitions. The following terms are defined for the pur-
poses of this subtitle.

(1)     "Crisis," "disaster," "rioting," "catastrophe" and "or simi-
lar public emergency" shall refer to a situation in which three or
more persons are, contemporaneously, both as to time and place,
engaged in tumultous conduct which tends to the commission of un-
lawful acts which disturb the public peace or which tend to precipi-
tate the unlawful destruction or damage of public or private prop-
erty.

(2)     "Orders," "rules" and "regulations" shall mean directives
reasonably calculated effectively to control and terminate the crisis,
disaster, rioting, catastrophe or similar public emergency.

(3)     "Promulgate" shall mean to announce publicly.

(4)    "Any action" shall mean such measures as shall be reasonably
calculated effectively to control and terminate the crisis, disaster,
rioting, catastrophe or similar public emergency.

(5)     "Militia" shall mean the organized and unorganized militia
as defined by Article 65, Section 5 of the Annotated Code of Mary-
land (1957 Edition).

(c)    Procedure and executive proclamations. During times of
public crisis, disaster, rioting, catastrophe or similar public emer-
gency within the State, and when public safety is imperiled, or upon
reasonable apprehension of immediate danger thereof, the Governor
may proclaim a state of emergency and designate the area involved
upon his own volition; or upon the application of the chief executive
officer of a county, city or local municipality; or upon the application
of the governing body of a county, city or local municipality; or upon
the application of the Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
Following such proclamation, the Governor may promulgate such
reasonable orders, rules and regulations as he deems necessary to
protect life and property, or to bring the emergency situation within
the affected area under control, after reasonable notice of such orders,
rules and regulations is given in a paper of general circulation or
through television or radio serving the affected area or by circulating
notices or by posting signs at conspicuous places within the affected
area. Such orders, rules and regulations, by way of enumerated
example rather than limitation, may provide for the control of traffic,
including public and private transportation, within the affected
area; designation of specific zones within the area in which, under
necessitous circumstances, the occupancy and use of buildings