Statewide Mutual Aid Support System

Statewide Mutual Aid Support System (SMASS)
Participation in South Carolina Mutual Aid System is voluntary. Signing the agreement allows your city or town to receive or provide assistance to another community. Each municipality may decline to provide assistance when resources are needed for their residents.

When a disaster strikes, a city or town may request help if it determines its own resources are inadequate. Requests can be made to the Director of the County Emergency Management Agency or their Authorized Representative. Request for assistance may also be communicated either to SCEMD or directly to an Assisting Party (This is explained on Page 4, Section 2 of the Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement (http://www.scemd.org/resources/library/113-statewidemutual-aid).

Requesting Help
Two Ways to Request Help
1. Direct – Local communities may call another city or County Emergency Management Agency or their Authorized Representative directly to request additional equipment or personnel. All coordination is done by the participating agencies and logistics and reimbursements are specified in the Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement. This is the most common form of mutual aid.
2. State-coordinated – Communities overwhelmed by a catastrophe may ask the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) to coordinate its aid. They may contact the State Warning Point (SWP) or send an Email to providing the information listed below. The request then will then emailed to County Emergency Management Directors and/or their designee (up to 4 per county).

Requesting Jurisdictions

Jurisdictions Requesting Help Should Provide:

·  Description of conditions – What is the emergency/disaster that has happened, damages, related information

·  Type of assistance needed (Scope of work)– including amounts and type of personnel, equipment, materials and supplies

·  Estimated length of time assistance is needed and location it is needed

·  Point of contact – who to contact for more information or to offer assistance

·  Other information related to the request (must be self sufficient, meals and fuel will be provided, etc.)

Jurisdictions Requesting Help Must:

·  Be prepared to provide basic needs of employees from the assisting jurisdiction, unless otherwise specified (including providing food, housing, and fuel)

·  Coordinate requests for state or federal assistance through local emergency management agency

·  Reimburse provider for all documented costs and expenses, including personnel,equipment and materials if requested.

·  Provide directions and assistance in record keeping to provider

·  Notify the SWP or SCEMD Logistics that a request for assistance has been filled or canceled

·  Provide daily status updates to assisting county and SCEMD Logistics

Assisting Jurisdictions
Jurisdictions Receiving Request Should Provide:

·  Agree or decline to provide assistance;

·  Description of available personnel, equipment and other resources

·  Length of time assistance is available

·  Date and time assistance will arrive

·  Supervisor's name of the personnel being sent

·  If reimbursement will be expected or not

Jurisdictions Providing Help must provide:

·  Direct supervision of all personnel and equipment

·  Adequate communications equipment among own personnel

·  Maintain daily records for staff time, materials and equipment hours

·  Report regularly on work progress

·  Pay its own employees as usual but maintain records for reimbursement if applicable

It is worth noting, that all activities performed under the mutual aid agreement are declared government functions. Each Participating Government shall bear the risk of its own actions, as it does with its day-to-day operations, and determine for itself what kinds of insurance, and in what amounts, it should carry. (Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement, p. 12) To the extent permitted by law, and without waiving sovereign immunity, each Party to this Agreement shall be responsible for any and all claims, demands, suits, actions, damages, and causes of action related to or arising out of or in any way connected with its own actions, and the actions of its personnel (Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement, p. 13)

As the coordinating agency, the Division of Emergency Management will:

·  Keep executed State Mutual Aid agreements

·  Maintain a list and contact information of current participants and update list annually.

·  Upon request coordinate requests for assistance

·  Keep records of aid requests and responses

·  Report when appropriate on status of mutual aid provision

·  If a SMASS Request has not been filled within 2 hours, SCEMD will attempt to find a resource to assist the requesting county.

All parties that participate in the Statewide Mutual Aid Program should consider revisiting the signatories of the agreement every four years to ensure that current leadership is aware and approves participation.

Bibliography

Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2015, from SCEMD: http://www.scemd.org/resources/library/113-statewidemutual-aid