Other examples of cooperation can be found in the efforts of private associations, citizen groups, and governmental organizations. Cooperative agreements facilitate interagency fire protection work across jurisdictional boundaries by incorporating interagency conventions determined through federal, state, and local coordinating groups and supported by individual agency laws and authorities. Developing Cooperation Cooperation is accomplished through partnerships. Following the six step process outlined in this publication will help establish partnerships in a cooperative approach to wildfire protection. The specific result of the process is the establishment of a cooperative fire protection agreement with related sub-agreements.
Fire protection means much more than just fire fighting.
Those things that are also included in fire protection are fire prevention and pre-suppression. Pre-suppression includes training, dispatching, equipment needs and location of equipment. These are the kind of things that need to be taken care of well in advance through a cooperative process before the incident begins. Community groups and non-fire organizations are now being integrated better into wildfire protection and may also be signatory to new cooperative agreements. The need to come together is greater than it ever has been.