Does your community
need help?
Mutual aid resources are available to assist:
- Immediate response after a disaster
- Conducting building inspections and damage assessments
- Issuing emergency permits for temporary repairs and shelters
- Enforcing building codes and hazard mitigation measures
Find mutual aid resources
Benefits of Mutual Aid
Rapid Response
Cost-Effective Solution
Reduced Strain on Staff
Consistency in Implementation
Increased Surge Capacity
Mutual aid significantly boosts a jurisdiction’s capacity to respond to large-scale incidents by bringing in additional trained personnel and equipment. This expanded workforce allows communities to meet urgent needs without overwhelming local resources—ensuring critical services continue without interruption.
Knowledge Transfer & Best Practices
Mutual aid deployments often bring in subject matter experts from other jurisdictions. This not only helps get the job done, but also allows your local staff to learn new techniques, tools, and approaches that can improve future operations.
Examples of How Communities Can Use Mutual Aid
Mutual aid from nearby counties helps residents assess hurricane damage quickly
After a severe hurricane, a mid-sized city finds its building department overwhelmed with inspection requests for damaged structures.
The city activates its mutual aid agreement with neighboring counties, bringing in additional certified inspectors to help clear the backlog.
This allows residents to quickly determine if their homes are safe to occupy and expedites the start of repair work, significantly reducing the time people spend in temporary housing.
State assistance helps small town recover after tornado damage
A small, rural town with limited resources is hit by a tornado, damaging numerous buildings.
The town's single part-time building inspector is unable to handle the volume of work needed for rebuilding.
Through a state-wide mutual aid program, the town receives assistance from building officials from larger cities, who help process permits and conduct inspections. This support ensures that rebuilding efforts comply with current safety standards and progress swiftly.
Experts from other states assist urban neighborhood after flood
A flash flood damages many older homes and small businesses, overwhelming the already understaffed local building department that lacks expertise in flood-related repairs.
Through a mutual aid agreement, the city brings in floodplain management experts and additional permit processors from other states to address the community's needs.
This targeted assistance speeds up the recovery process and helps implement flood-resistant building practices, improving the neighborhood's long-term resilience.