Agenda Item Request
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Authorize the Cumberland County EMA Director and the Board of Commissioners to enter into the 2026 Intercounty Maine Mutual Aid Agreement between Cumberland County EMA and other Maine Counties.
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Background and Purpose of Request
The Maine County Emergency Management Mutual Aid Agreement is a document that authorizes the use of EMA resources between Counties in times of disaster. It lays out the process of providing or receiving assistance as well as some standard language on liability and workers compensation.
The 2026 version of this agreement is near identical to the 2022 agreement which Cumberland County is party to but expired on December 31, 2028.
The only change of substance between versions is in Section C, paragraph 3. The previous version read “The County EMD that agrees to deploy resources shall gain authorization from their County Commissioners to respond to a resource request, unless the County Commissioners have prior delegated this authority to the County EMD.”
The new text allows a County EMD to deploy staff for a single operational period but requires Commissioner approval for subsequent periods. This was done to allow rapid response during disasters. An operational period can typically be anywhere from 6-12 hours.
Requestor
Michael Durkin, EMA Director
Effective Date if Applicable
This agreement becomes effective upon signature and is valid until December 31, 2028.