Emergency Management Assistance Compacts and Mutual Aid
Agreements
The Issue: A WIPP transportation incident may occur near state borders or
exceed state and local emergency response capabilities. Affected state and
local officials must be able to access the closest, available emergency response
resources, whether they are in an adjoining state or part of a federal agency.
The Objective: Ensure a swift response by capable responders, regardless of
jurisdiction.
The Approach: An emergency management assistance compact or a mutual
aid agreement helps ensure the availability of adequate resources and the
necessary protocols to call upon those resources to accomplish an efficient and
effective response. All western states have entered into some type of
emergency management assistance compact and/or mutual aid agreement.
These emergency management assistance compact and/or interstate mutual aid
agreements would most likely be used when the incident is in an area near a
state border. Assistance may be requested of an adjoining Western state
because the adjoining state’s available resources may be closer to the incident
A request for assistance may also be made when a neighboring state’s or local
jurisdiction’s own resources are exceeded.
Emergency management assistance compacts and/or interstate mutual aid
agreements may be used to supplement existing local-to-local agreements.
Many local agencies along state borders already have formal or informal
agreements to assist across state lines. Since these responders are more likely
to handle the initial response to an incident, a good working relationship at the
local level is crucial. Western states encourage the establishment of strong local
relationships across state lines.
Evaluation: Existing mutual aid agreements will be reviewed periodically. The
lead states will also periodically review the model mutual aid agreement to
ensure it accurately reflects current conditions and requirements.
The most effective method