EMERGENCY SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS, TOWNS AND MUNICIPALITIES

OF COUNTY, AND CONTIGUOUS COUNTIES

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
REGARDING MUTUAL AID
Purpose:
To update County’s Mutual Aid Agreement, and come into compliance with new standards
established by the United States Federal Government under the National Incident Management System
(NIMS), by incorporating appropriate regional Fire Department(s), Rescue Squad(s), Police Agencies,
Highway and Public Works Department(s), City(s), Town(s) and Village(s) into said agreement.

Parties:
By and among the Towns and Municipalities of County, and the Emergency Response
Organizations serving the Towns and Municipalities of County, including the Towns of
, and the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC District # ), and also including towns
contiguous to County and those emergency response organizations residing outside
County that may be called on to assist in emergencies in County, or may request the
assistance of the above named towns and emergency response organizations in their own territory,
including the towns of .
 Page 2

Definitions:
Emergency – Any incident, human-caused or natural, that requires responsive action to protect life,
property or environment.
Emergency Response – Activities that address the short-term, direct effects of an incident of emergency.
Response includes immediate actions to save lives, protect property, and meet basic human needs.
Response also includes the execution of emergency operations, plans and of mitigation activities designed
to limit loss of life, personnel injury, property damage and other unfavorable outcomes.
Emergency Response Equipment – Emergency response organization’s vehicles, tools and supplies as
well as town and municipal vehicles and equipment which may be used in an emergency response.
Emergency Response Organization – Any organization approved by a state, county or local governmental
organization to provide emergency response.
Emergency Response Personnel – Persons who are members in good standing of an emergency response
organization, and who are trained and certified to provide specified emergency services, or who are under
the supervision of a trained and certified person.
Fire Department – An emergency response organization with the responsibility of the protection of LIFE
(First Priority), the preservation of PROPERTY (Second Priority) and the ENVIROMENT (Third
Priority). Standards in which constitutes a Fire Department set forth by the
are as follows: One Pumper type truck with 1000 gallon per minute pump or greater (Certified), One tank
truck, 1500 gallon or larger (Vermont State Inspected or Canadian equivalent), a minimum roster of
Twelve Firefighters with full protective gear (with the Basics of Firefighting Vermont/Canadian
approved), and a building to house said equipment.
Incident Command System – A standard, on-scene, all hazards incident management system already in
use by firefighters, law enforcement, hazardous material teams, rescuers and emergency medical teams.
The ICS has been established by the NIMS as the standardized incident organizational structure for the
management of all incidents.
Mutual Aid Emergency – Any emergency which is beyond the capabilities of the local emergency
response organizations to resolve, or which by normal protocol requires the assistance of emergency
response organizations based outside the town, municipality or locale in which the emergency occurs.
National Incident Management System (NIMS) – A comprehensive national approach to incident
management utilizing best practices that have been developed over the years.
Unified Command – A command structure in which the ranking members from multiple emergency
response organizations and/or jurisdictions jointly determine objectives, plans and priorities, and then
work together to execute them.

Release of Personnel and Equipment:

The above named towns, municipalities and emergency response organizations hereby agree to
assist each other as requested in times of emergency, or in times of disaster to the extent of sending
equipment and emergency response personnel at request, or holding equipment or emergency response
personnel in a standby status at request, to the extent that, in the opinion of the sending chief, chief’s
designate, or person in charge, such equipment or personnel can be spared when a call for assistance is
received. Personnel and equipment, cooperatively maintained by County towns,
municipalities and emergency response organizations will be available for mutual aid outside the county
under the same terms and conditions described above in this section.
Request for Personnel and Equipment:
It is further agreed that such request for assistance shall be made by the incident commander at the scene
of an emergency. Request for EMS mutual aid will be made in order designated by the Vermont District #
Backup Plan and the Vermont District # Response List. Request for decontamination trailers to
be used outside of a home territory must be routed through Vermont Emergency Management.

Operational Structure:
It is further agreed that command will be structured in accordance with the Incident Command System
(ICS) of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and that if the emergency/disaster is multi-
jurisdictional, a Unified Command will be employed when practical.
It is further agreed that when any personnel or equipment are sent under the terms of this agreement, the
ranking officer of the requested organization shall report to the requesting organization’s incident
commander. Emergency responders will respond with full turnout gear and personal protective equipment
consistent with accepted practices of their respective disciplines Orders by the incident commander will
be given to the visiting ranking officer, his designee or person in charge who will then give orders to
his/her personnel and then remain in communication with the incident commander. The visiting personnel
may be under the direct control of an officer of the requesting organization. The visiting ranking officer,
his designee or person in charge shall have the right and responsibility to ensure that visiting personnel are
asked to perform only those tasks or operations that are consistent with their training, and in accordance
with their home protocols and accepted safe practices. Such personnel shall remain under the control of
“command” until the organization requesting assistance releases said personnel and equipment, or until
said personnel and equipment are recalled by the organization providing assistance. Such personnel and
equipment shall be released as soon as is reasonably possible and returned to the sending organization.

Operating Protocols and/or Guidelines:

It is further agreed that each assisting emergency response organization will operate in accordance with its
home district protocols and/or guidelines, and each emergency response person will operate according to
the protocols and/or guidelines of his/her own organization, and within the scope of his/her own training
and certification, or under the supervision of a person with the appropriate training and certification. In no
event shall visiting personnel be required to perform in a way inconsistent with their home protocols
and/or guidelines, or inconsistent with accepted safe practices.

No Compensation:
It is further agreed that there will be no compensation for providing mutual aid, unless other contractual
agreements for services exist and/or become established; however, where a party or parties responsible for
causing the emergency are liable for coverage of expenses, coverage of such expenses may be pursued
from such parties. It is further agreed that during prolonged operations emergency response organizations
receiving assistance may provide assisting organizations with fuel and lubricants or reimbursement for
said items.
Hold Harmless:
Each of the parties hereto further agree to be responsible for their own personnel and equipment and agree
to indemnify, protect, and save harmless each other, in the absence of gross negligence or willful
misconduct, from any and all claims, demands, and liability for loss, damage, injury, or any other casualty
to personnel and/or equipment.

Annual Review and Revision:

It is further agreed that the Local Emergency Planning Committee, (LEPC) District # , will be the holder
and caretaker of this agreement, and on an annual basis will notify and request each party of this
agreement to review said agreement and report in writing any recommended updates or revisions by
.

Duration of Agreement:
This agreement shall be a continuing agreement and shall remain in effect until terminated by giving
ninety (90) days of written notice of termination. Emergency response organizations electing not to
participate in this agreement, or who at any time terminate their participation in this agreement, may be
subject to a fee for service charge from mutual aid providers. Said fee structure, attachments A and B, will
be as set by the separate disciplines/associations of the and/or as established under
FEMA guidelines.

Attachment (A) Fee Structure set by the .

Attachment (B) Fee Structure set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
 ATTACHMENT (A)

Fee Schedule

Assistance is to be supplied to all participating (Due Paying) members of the without

charge, unless the department requesting assistance is under contract with a Town other than their own, in
which the emergency exists. The fees per hour, or any part thereof, will be as follows:

Engine (Pumper)…………………….. $250.00

Aerial (Ladder Truck)……………….. $400.00
Heavy Rescue………………………... $200.00
Tanker w/pump……………….……… $150.00
Tanker without pump………………... $100.00
Support Vehicle (Utility Truck)……... $ 50.00
Boat…………………………...............$ 50.00

All fees are per hour (U.S. Funds), with a 1 hour minimum charge. Personnel will receive an hourly rate of
$20.00/hour (U.S. Funds) per person. Charges will be at the next highest quarter hour that all vehicles are back in
service.

Reasonable amounts and usage: If a tanker only was used as a personnel hauler and was not used for it’s purpose,
it should not be charged as such. The above mentioned fees will also pertain to Haz-Mat situations within the
County for comparative pricing. The above fees will also pertain to any Mutual Aid Plans adopted by the
 ATTACHMENT (B)

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Schedule of Equipment Rates
“18 Page Document”
 MASTER LIST

Represented Organization Name Title Date

Town of
Town Highway Department.
Volunteer Fire Department

First Response Team

Town Of
Town Highway Department.
Volunteer Fire Department
First Response Team

Town of
Town Highway Dept.
Village of
Village Public Works Dept.
Fire Department
Ambulance Service

Town of
Town Highway Department.
Fire Department
Rescue Squad

Town of
Town Highway Department.
Volunteer Fire Department

Town of
Town Highway Department.

Town of
Town Highway Department.
Volunteer Fire Department
Rescue Squad

Town of
Town Highway Department.
Fire Department
First Response Team
Town of
Town Highway Department.
Volunteer Fire Department

Town of
Town Highway Department.
Volunteer Fire Department
Rescue Squad

Town of
Town Highway Department.
Fire Department
Ambulance Service

Town of
Town Highway Department.
Volunteer Fire Department
First Response Team

Town of
Town Highway Department.
Town Fire Department.

City of
City Public Works Department.
City Fire Department
City Police Department
Ambulance Service

Town of
Town Highway Department.

Village of
Village Public Works Department.
Village Fire Department
Village Police Department
Rescue Squad

County Sheriff’s Department

Town of
Town Highway Department.
Fire Department
Rescue Squad
Town of
Town Highway Department.
Rescue Squad

Fire Department

Fire Department
Rescue Squad

Fire Department

Fire Department

Fire Department

Fire Department
Rescue Squad

Fire Department

Rescue Squad

EMS,

Municipality of
Municipality of
Fire Department.

Municipality of
Fire Department.

Town of.
Fire Department.

Town of
Fire Department.

Municipality of
Fire Department.
 Page 10

ANNUAL REVISION/SIGNATURE PAGE

FOR
EMERGENCY SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS, TOWNS AND MUNICIPALITIES
OF COUNTY, AND CONTIGUOUS COUNTIES
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
REGARDING MUTUAL AID

In witness whereof, parties to this agreement have SIGNED AND DATED:

Agency/Department/Organization Name: .

Authorized Representative’s Signature: .

Print Name of Authorized Representative: .
Print Title of Authorized Representative: .
Dated: .

Authorized Witness’s Signature: .

Dated: .

Recommended Revisions:

Please complete, copy for your records, and mail back the original document with a copy of
the Governing Board’s minutes authorizing participation in this agreement, by :

LEPC District # , In Care of