The essence of the Director/Coordinator's job in non-emergency periods is to act on behalf of the chief executive to build readiness for coordinated operations in both peacetime and attack-caused emergencies. This requires working with the operating departments of local government, with non-governmental groups, and with the public. These are primarily staff, not command, functions. During emergencies, the Director/Coordinator acts as principal advisor or aide to the chief executive on local government emergency operations. His major responsibility is to assure coordination among the operating departments of government (and with higher and adjacent governments), primarily by seeing that the Emergency Operating Center functions effectively. He also assists the chief executive in assuring execution of operations, plans, and procedures required by the emergency. (DCPA/DOD, Standards for Local Civil Preparedness (CPG 1-5) April 1978, pp. 9-10)