Regional Mutual Aid Agreement
A
Regional Master Mutual Aid Agreement has been proposed that would cover any
participating jurisdictions in the region.
This concept could be expanded between Councils of Governments, as there
are specialized services and expertise that exist only in the larger urban
areas, such as bomb squads and hazardous materials units.
Revising and Improving Local Mutual Aid
The Mutual Aid Agreements will need to have the
ability to overcome the local problem of liability. There is a need for legislative intervention to alleviate
this problem.
Strategies and Priorities for addressing deficiencies
Goals
are as follows:
A. Create a Regional Mutual Aid Agreement.
Training for First Responders
Training
for emergency responders depends on a variety of factors.
When the individual is employed in a first responder career
- law enforcement, career fire, disaster response or career EMS –
training is part of the work environment. For
first responders from volunteer agencies, this training is highly dependent on
availability and individual motivation to obtain the training.
It is recognized that both career and volunteer responder training is
highly dependent on access to training, training program funding, and local
administrative support.
The
level of first responder training is highly dependent on which field the first
responder is involved in. Most
first responders in this region have a basic level of training that prepares
them for responding to terrorist events, but this training is often not
terrorism specific. Many agencies
and local departments offer training so that a fire responder has a basic level
of training, including 12 hours of Hazardous Materials Awareness level,
Introduction to Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Training, SCBA training,
Radio communications, Emergency Vehicle Operations, Extrication, Incident
Command System, ECA, and Blood borne pathogens.
Training resources include TEEX, local community college, TML, Law Enforcement Training Network, Emergency Education Network, Department of Emergency Management, Texas Department Health, Texas Forestry Service, American Railroad Association, American Red Cross, and Chemical Manufacturers Association. These sources can provide community based training to develop and enhance community
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