SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Approve the revised Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement and adopt Resolution 18-09.
Body
SUMMARY:
Section 252.40, Florida Statutes, authorizes the governing body of each political subdivision to enter into mutual aid agreements within the State for reciprocal emergency aid and assistance in case of emergencies too extensive to deal with unassisted.
The need for a statewide mutual aid agreement is based on the following conditions: 1) Florida is vulnerable to a range of disasters likely to disrupt essential services and destroy infrastructure needed to deliver those services; 2) disasters are likely to exceed the capability of any one local government to cope with existing resources; 3) disasters also may give rise to unusual technical needs that local governments may not be able to meet with existing resources, but that other local governments may be able to offer; 4) the Emergency Management Act provides local governments the authority to make agreements for mutual assistance in emergencies, and through such agreements to ensure the timely reimbursement of costs incurred by local governments which render such assistance; and 5) under the Act, Florida Department of Community Affairs, through its Division of Emergency Management, has authority to coordinate assistance between local governments during emergencies and to concentrate available resources where needed.
The current Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement is a 2018 revision, and now includes small events. The original was adopted in 1998 and a comprehensive update was completed in 2002.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
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USE OF RESERVE FUNDS:
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