Interagency relationships help solidify the infrastructure of small communities
Date Published: Jul 26, 2021
Original Author: John Metzger
Source: FireRescue1.com
Mutual aid agreements hold a very valid place in the daily operations of many fire departments across the country – both in rural and even some urban settings. Some of the common points outlined in this article should ring a bell for every fire department, but here’s a few expanded considerations that may drive home the point that mutual aid should certainly remain “mutual.”
- Mutual aid should be a supplement – a showing of support – not equating to automatic aid … and not always one-sided. It should also not cause you to empty your entire community of its resources for the sake of providing services to another (some states have laws prohibiting this).
- Communications are key … if your neighboring (mutual aid) departments can’t simply change their radio to another zone/bank or channel – if they need an entirely separate radio in order to communicate – then there’s a problem with the system that needs to be addressed before the next call for aid is made.
- If you fight fires mutually, that means you should train mutually!
Comments by Tim Nowak
Mutual aid agreements hold a very valid place in the daily operations of many fire departments across the country – both in rural and even some urban settings. Some of the common points outlined in this article should ring a bell for every fire department, but here’s a few expanded considerations that may drive home the point that mutual aid should certainly remain “mutual.”
Mutual aid should be a supplement – a showing of support – not equating to automatic aid … and not always one-sided. It should also not cause you to empty your entire community of its resources for the sake of providing services to another (some states have laws prohibiting this).
Communications are key … if your neighboring (mutual aid) departments can’t simply change their radio to another zone/bank or channel – if they need an entirely separate radio in order to communicate – then there’s a problem with the system that needs to be addressed before the next call for aid is made.
If you fight fires mutually, that means you should train mutually!
Comments by Tim Nowak