Iowa Code § 29C.22 — IA Code / Title I / Chapter 29C / Section 29C.22
Statewide mutual aid compact.
Status: in_force

This statewide mutual aid compact is entered into with all other emergency management commissions established pursuant to section 29C.9, counties, cities, and other political subdivisions that enter into this compact in substantially the following form:

(1) (a) This compact is made and entered into by and between the participating emergency management commissions established pursuant to section 29C.9, counties, cities, and political subdivisions which enact this compact. For the purposes of this agreement, the term “participating governments” means emergency management commissions, counties, cities, townships, and other political subdivisions of the state which have not, through ordinance or resolution of the governing body, acted to withdraw from this compact. The inclusion of emergency management commissions in the term “participating governments” shall not convey taxing authority or other legal authority to emergency management commissions that is not otherwise granted in this chapter.

(1) (b) The purpose of this compact is to provide for mutual assistance between the participating governments entering into this compact in managing any emergency or disaster that is declared in accordance with a comprehensive emergency plan or by the governor, whether arising from natural disaster, technological hazard, man-made disaster, community disorder, insurgency, terrorism, or enemy attack.

(1) (c) This compact shall also provide for mutual cooperation in emergency-related exercises, testing, or other training activities using equipment and personnel simulating performance of any aspect of the giving and receiving of aid by participating governments during emergencies, such actions occurring outside actual declared emergency periods.

(2) (a) Each participating government entering into this compact recognizes many emergencies transcend political jurisdictional boundaries and that intergovernmental coordination is essential in managing these and other emergencies under this compact. Each participating government further recognizes that there will be emergencies which require immediate access and present procedures to apply outside resources to make a prompt and effective response to the emergency. This is because few, if any, individual governments have all the resources they may need in all types of emergencies or the capability of delivering resources to areas where emergencies exist.

(2) (b) The prompt, full, and effective use of resources of the participating governments, including any resources on hand or available from any source, that are essential to the safety, care, and welfare of the people in the event of any emergency or disaster declared by the governor or any participating government, shall be the underlying principle on which all articles of this compact shall be understood.

(2) (c) On behalf of the participating government in the compact, the legally designated official who is assigned responsibility for emergency management will be responsible for formulation of the appropriate intrastate mutual aid plans and procedures necessary to implement this compact.

(3) (a) It shall be the responsibility of each participating government to formulate procedural plans and programs for intrastate cooperation in the performance of the responsibilities listed in this article. In formulating the plans, and in carrying them out, the participating governments, insofar as practical, shall:

(3) (a) Review individual hazards analyses and, to the extent reasonably possible, determine all those potential emergencies the participating governments might jointly suffer, whether due to natural disaster, technological hazard, man-made disaster, civil disorders, insurgency, terrorism, or enemy attack.

(3) (a) Review the participating governments’ individual emergency plans and develop a plan that will determine the mechanism for the intrastate management and provision of assistance concerning any potential emergency.

(3) (a) Develop intrastate procedures to fill any identified gaps and to resolve any identified inconsistencies or overlaps in existing or developed plans.

(3) (a) Assist in warning communities adjacent to or crossing the participating governments’ boundaries.

(3) (a) Protect and ensure uninterrupted delivery of services, medicines, water, food, energy and fuel, search and rescue, and critical lifeline equipment, services, and resources, both human and material.

(3) (a) Inventory and set procedures for the intrastate loan and delivery of human and material resources, together with procedures for reimbursement or forgiveness.

(3) (a) Provide, to the extent authorized by law, for temporary suspension of any ordinances that restrict the implementation of the above responsibilities.

(3) (b) The authorized representative of a participating government may request assistance of another participating government by contacting the authorized representative of that participating government. The provisions of this compact shall only apply to requests for assistance made by and to authorized representatives. Requests may be verbal or in writing. If verbal, the request shall be confirmed in writing within thirty days of the verbal request. Requests shall provide all of the following:

(3) (b) A description of the emergency service function for which assistance is needed, such as but not limited to fire services, law enforcement, emergency medical, transportation, communications, public works and engineering, building inspection, planning and information assistance, mass care, resource support, health and medical services, and search and rescue.

(3) (b) The amount and type of personnel, equipment, materials, and supplies needed, and a reasonable estimate of the length of time that the personnel, equipment, materials, and supplies will be needed.

(3) (b) The specific place and time for staging of the assisting participating government’s response and a point of contact at that location.

(3) (c) The authorized representative of a participating government may initiate a request by contacting the department of homeland security and emergency management. When a request is received by the department, the department shall directly contact other participating governments to coordinate the provision of mutual aid.

(3) (d) Frequent consultation shall occur between officials who have been assigned emergency management responsibilities and other appropriate representatives of the participating governments with affected jurisdictions and state government, with free exchange of information, plans, and resource records relating to emergency capabilities.

(3) (e) For purposes of this subsection, “authorized representative of a participating government” means a mayor or the mayor’s designee, a member of the county board of supervisors or a representative of the board, an emergency management coordinator or the coordinator’s designee, or the elected chief executive officer of the participating government or the elected chief executive officer’s designee authorized to enter into contracts on behalf of the participating government.

(4) Any participating government requested to render mutual aid or conduct exercises and training for mutual aid shall take the necessary action to provide and make available the resources covered by this compact in accordance with the terms of the compact. However, it is understood that the participating government rendering aid may withhold resources to the extent necessary to provide reasonable protection for the participating government. Each participating government shall afford to the emergency forces of any other participating government, while operating within its jurisdictional limits under the terms and conditions of this compact, the same powers, except that of arrest unless specifically authorized by the receiving participating government, duties, rights, and privileges as are afforded forces of the participating government in which the emergency forces are performing emergency services. Emergency forces shall continue under the command and control of their regular leaders, but the organizational units shall come under the operational control of the emergency services authorities of the participating government receiving assistance. These conditions may be activated, as needed, only subsequent to a declaration of a state of emergency or disaster by the governor or by competent authority of the participating government that is to receive assistance, or commencement of exercises or training for mutual aid, and shall continue so long as the exercises or training for mutual aid are in progress, the state of emergency or disaster remains in effect, or loaned resources remain in the receiving jurisdiction, whichever is longer.

(5) If a person holds a license, certificate, or other permit issued by any participating government to this compact evidencing the meeting of qualifications for professional, mechanical, or other skills, and when the assistance is requested by another participating government, the person shall be deemed licensed, certified, or permitted by the participating government requesting assistance to render aid involving the skill to meet a declared emergency or disaster, subject to the limitations and conditions as the governor may prescribe by executive order or otherwise.

(6) Officers or employees of a participating government rendering aid in another participating government jurisdiction pursuant to this compact shall be considered agents of the requesting participating government for tort liability and immunity purposes and a participating government or its officers or employees rendering aid in another jurisdiction pursuant to this compact shall not be liable on account of any act or omission in good faith on the part of the forces while so engaged or on account of the maintenance or use of any equipment or supplies in connection with the aid. Good faith in this article shall not include willful misconduct, gross negligence, or recklessness.

(7) Because it is probable that the pattern and detail of the machinery for mutual aid among two or more participating governments may differ from that among other participating governments, this compact contains elements of a broad base common to all political subdivisions, and this compact shall not preclude any political subdivision from entering into supplementary agreements with another political subdivision or affect any other agreements already in force between political subdivisions. Supplementary agreements may include, but shall not be limited to, provisions for evacuation and reception of injured and other persons and the exchange of medical, fire, police, public utility, reconnaissance, welfare, transportation and communications personnel, and equipment and supplies.

(8) Each participating government shall provide for the payment of workers’ compensation and death benefits to injured members of the emergency forces of that participating government and representatives of deceased members of the emergency forces in case the members sustain injuries or are killed while rendering aid pursuant to this compact, in the same manner and on the same terms as if the injury or death were sustained within their own jurisdiction.

(9) Any participating government rendering aid in another jurisdiction pursuant to this compact shall be reimbursed by the participating government receiving the emergency aid for any loss or damage to or expense incurred in the operation of any equipment and the provision of any service in answering a request for aid and for the costs incurred in connection with the requests. However, an aiding political subdivision may assume in whole or in part the loss, damage, expense, or other cost, or may loan the equipment or donate the services to the receiving participating government without charge or cost, and any two or more participating governments may enter into supplementary agreements establishing a different allocation of costs among the participating governments. Article VIII expenses shall not be reimbursable under this provision.

(10) Plans for the orderly evacuation and reception of portions of the civilian population as the result of any emergency or disaster shall be worked out and maintained between the participating governments and the emergency management or services directors of the various jurisdictions where any type of incident requiring evacuations might occur. The plans shall be put into effect by request of the participating government from which evacuees come and shall include the manner of transporting the evacuees, the number of evacuees to be received in different areas, the manner in which food, clothing, housing, and medical care will be provided, the registration of the evacuees, the providing of facilities for the notification of relatives or friends, and the forwarding of the evacuees to other areas or the bringing in of additional materials, supplies, and all other relevant factors. The plans shall provide that the participating government receiving evacuees and the participating government from which the evacuees come shall mutually agree as to reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred in receiving and caring for the evacuees, for expenditures for transportation, food, clothing, medicines and medical care, and like items. The expenditures shall be reimbursed as agreed by the participating government from which the evacuees come. After the termination of the emergency or disaster, the participating government from which the evacuees come shall assume the responsibility for the ultimate support of repatriation of such evacuees.

(11) (a) This compact shall become operative July 1, 2009.

(11) (b) Any participating government may withdraw from this compact by adopting an ordinance or resolution repealing the same, but a withdrawal shall not take effect until thirty days after the governing body of the withdrawing participating government has given notice in writing of the withdrawal to the director of the department of homeland security and emergency management who shall notify all other participating governments. The action shall not relieve the withdrawing political subdivision from obligations assumed under this compact prior to the effective date of withdrawal.

(11) (c) Duly authenticated copies of this compact and any supplementary agreements as may be entered into shall be deposited, at the time of their approval, with the director of the department of homeland security and emergency management who shall notify all participating governments and other appropriate agencies of state government.

(12) This compact shall be construed to effectuate the purposes stated in article I. If any provision of this compact is declared unconstitutional, or the applicability of the compact to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the constitutionality of the remainder of this compact and the applicability of this compact to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected.

2002 Acts, ch 1117, §55, 56; 2003 Acts, ch 179, §157; 2008 Acts, ch 1032, §201; 2009 Acts, ch 67, §1 – 4; 2011 Acts, ch 69, §12; 2013 Acts, ch 29, §26, 27; 2020 Acts, ch 1100, §1