Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This page offers answers to frequently asked questions about mutual aid assistance for local building department officials.

General Questions About Mutual Aid

Mutual aid is a straightforward concept where state and local governments step in to assist each other in the wake of a catastrophic event. Typically, mutual aid provides personnel or resources to affected communities in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The main goal is to accelerate community recovery and reduce future risks. While mutual aid resources are often provided without charge, it's worth noting that specific arrangements can vary depending on the agreements in place between jurisdictions.

Mutual aid is assistance exchanged directly between states, localities, or international partners—based on agreements like EMAC or intrastate compacts. It is fast, flexible, and based on trust and pre-negotiated terms. In contrast, federal assistance is coordinated through agencies like FEMA and often requires a formal request, federal disaster declaration, and additional layers of review and approval. While both forms of support are valuable, mutual aid is typically the first line of response when local or state resources are overwhelmed.

Authorized officials at the local, state, tribal, territorial, or provincial level can request mutual aid through the appropriate channels and agreements, such as EMAC or intrastate compacts.

In general, almost any resource could be shared through mutual aid unless prohibited by law.

For example, some states are not able to share private sector resources through mutual aid.

Common resources include emergency responders (fire, EMS, law enforcement), public health teams, incident management personnel, utilities crews, search and rescue teams, building inspectors, and more. Learn more.

Intrastate: Within a single state (e.g., county helping county)
Interstate: Between U.S. states and territories (e.g., via EMAC)
International: Between countries or provinces/states across borders (e.g., via IEMAC or PNEMA)

Learn more.

For national response, EMAC, or the Emergency Management Assistance Compact is the go-to for states, territories, and the district to share resources with one another.

In some cases.

Formal mutual aid agreements—like EMAC, intrastate compacts, IEMAC, and PNEMA—include provisions that protect assisting personnel from liability while deployed if they are acting in good faith.

For example, under EMAC, deployed personnel are considered agents of the Requesting State and are granted the same liability protections and immunities as if they were operating within their home state. This means they cannot be held personally liable for actions taken in good faith while performing authorized duties. However, intentional misconduct or gross negligence is not protected.

Liability coverage is a critical reason why people should not deploy outside of existing mutual aid agreements like EMAC.

While some mutual aid, like automatic aid doesn't have costs, the costs vary depending on the type and length of assistance.

Most mutual aid is designed to be reimbursable when provided through formal agreements like EMAC or state intrastate compacts. If your community requests help through a recognized mutual aid system, you’ll typically sign a mission agreement (or similar document) that outlines all expected costs—such as personnel time, equipment use, travel, and lodging. For planned events or non-disaster missions, your community may cover the costs directly. In federally declared disasters, costs may be reimbursed through FEMA public assistance, provided all documentation and eligibility requirements are met and assistance is granted.

The key takeaway: Mutual aid is not free, but it is cost-controlled, transparent, and often reimbursable—especially when handled under official agreements.

It depends on the type of mutual aid agreement.

For EMAC (Emergency Management Assistance Compact), yes—a Governor’s emergency or disaster declaration is required to request assistance.
For intrastate mutual aid within a state (e.g., local-to-local support), many agreements do not require a formal emergency declaration to activate.
For international mutual aid agreements like IEMAC or PNEMA, the requirements vary but often allow assistance without a formal declaration.

Even when a declaration isn’t required, having one can help with cost recovery, liability protections, and access to broader support networks.

It depends on the agreement.

Under formal mutual aid agreements like EMAC, eligible costs typically include:

Personnel time (regular and overtime wages)
Travel expenses (mileage, flights, rental vehicles, etc.)
Lodging and per diem (in accordance with state or federal rates)
Equipment use (based on hourly/daily rates)
Supplies and materials used during the mission

To be reimbursed, all costs must be reasonable, necessary, and well-documented.

A signed mission agreement or mutual aid request form must clearly outline the scope of work and cost expectations. If the event is federally declared, FEMA may reimburse some or all costs under the Public Assistance program—as long as FEMA’s documentation and eligibility rules are followed and federal assistance has been approved by the President.

Reimbursement between communities in the same state can vary by state, as each state, district, and territory has its own specific regulations and procedures. Typically, the requesting community (the one that received aid) is responsible for reimbursing the assisting community for eligible costs. This usually follows a "neighbor helping neighbor" principle, where the community benefiting from the assistance bears the financial responsibility. Some states have established funds or mechanisms to help cover these costs, especially in cases of larger emergencies or disasters. In such instances, the state might step in to reimburse the assisting communities directly or provide funds to the requesting community for this purpose.

Under the Emergency Mutual Aid Compact (EMAC), which facilitates interstate assistance, the requesting state is responsible for reimbursing the assisting state, but this is often eligible for federal disaster reimbursement. However, it's important to note that while the immediate deployment may not have an upfront cost, your community may need to budget for potential reimbursements or cost-sharing depending on the specific agreement and disaster declaration status. For example, the standard cost-share for FEMA Public Assistance is typically 75% federal and 25% non-federal, though this can sometimes be adjusted for catastrophic events. The requesting state would be responsible for the non-federal share, which they may pass on to the local jurisdiction that received the aid.

It allows jurisdictions to share trained personnel and equipment during emergencies instead of each maintaining expensive standby capacity. It’s efficient, fast, and cost-effective.

Disasters often exceed local capacity. Mutual aid ensures that communities can quickly get the help they need from trusted, trained partners without delays.

It gives small communities access to a broad network of help, enabling them to scale up during emergencies without permanent investments in staff or infrastructure.

Local governments go through their state emergency management agency to request mutual aid under EMAC or intrastate agreements. Some states also allow direct local-to-local mutual aid under intrastate compacts.

General Questions about EMAC

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