Mutual aid involves sharing resources and services between jurisdictions or organizations. Mutual aid occurs routinely to meet the resource needs identified by the requesting organization.

This assistance can include the daily dispatch of law enforcement, emergency medical services (EMS), and fire service resources between local communities, as well as the movement of resources within a state or across state lines when larger-scale incidents occur. Mutual aid can provide essential assistance to fill mission needs.

Mutual aid agreements and compacts establish the legal basis for two or more entities to share resources. They exist among and between all levels of government. These agreements support effective and efficient resource management.

What Are the Different Types of Agreements?

There are several types of these kinds of agreements, including but not limited to the following:

• Automatic Mutual Aid
• Local Mutual Aid
• Regional Mutual Aid
• Statewide/Intrastate Mutual Aid
• Interstate Agreements
• International Agreements
• Other Agreements