PWMAA Home
Agreement
Becoming a Member Agency
Procedures Guide
Document Library
Member Agencies
Links
F.A.Q.
Contact Us
|
Frequently Asked Questions
As a member agency, am I obligated to provide my resources?
PWMAA establishes procedures to more quickly share and receive critical assistance during a major disaster if needed. Member agencies are under no obligation to provide or exhaust their own resources. Assistance is voluntary.
Is mutual aid free?
No. Requesting agencies are required to fully reimburse the assistance provided by the member agencies. The cost incurred may be reimbursable by FEMA and OES. Jurisdictions should reasonably commit their own resources prior to requesting mutual aid.
Can a jurisdiction invoke PWMAA without a proclamation of a local emergency?
No. In order to request mutual aid, a local proclamation is necessary.
Does the PWMAA cover public works equipment and personnel? What if a public works agency has building inspectors, are they part of the PWMAA?
The PWMAA can cover both the traditional public works equipment and personnel AND building inspectors. Since some member agencies do not have the same services, it was purposely left up to each jurisdiction to determine what public works services included under the Agreement.
Is my city able to join the PWMAA if we do not own heavy equipment or fleet vehicles? How would the PWMAA benefit my city?
As a member to the PWMAA, your city would be able to ask for public works assistance. With your extensive knowledge of the infrastructure in your city, you would know what resources are best needed for the public works facilities affected by the disaster (i.e., roadway damage, sewer/water damaged facilities).
The PWMAA states that besides equipment, personnel are also an available resource. Is this correct?
Yes. Each signatory determines what equipment, personnel and supplies are available under the PWMAA.
Is there a resource listing of equipment and personnel from each member agency?
To date, none of the member agencies have provided resource listings. Although this is part of the Agreement, some agencies were uncomfortable providing this information because equipment availability changes so quickly. In the future, NIMS Resource Typing Inventory lists may be requested from each member agency.
How are the equipment rates determined?
The rates are the FEMA approved prevailing wage to ensure agencies can recoup reimbursement if it is a presidentially declared/gubernatorially proclaimed-disaster.
If the operational area proclaims a local emergency, does a city also have to proclaim to activate the PWMAA?
No. The operational area’s proclamation would include all of the cities, special districts and the operational area; therefore, any member agency in that affected operational area could request public works mutual aid.
Following an emergency proclamation, how do I request assistance?
Cities would contact the operational area’s Public Works Mutual Aid Agreement Coordinator or emergency operations center, if activated, to request mutual aid. For operational areas requesting assistance from other operational areas, contact can be made to the operational area’s Public Works Mutual Aid Agreement Coordinator to request assistance. The State Regional Emergency Operations Center or Administrative Office must be contacted when requests are made from operational areas to ensure they are kept in the loop. (This form may be used - Resource Request Form)
What is a Public Works Mutual Aid Agreement Coordinator?
Once an agency becomes a member, they shall designate a Public Works Mutual Aid Agreement Coordinator (Item 1A of the PWMAA). The Coordinator acts on behalf of the member agency on all matters relating to mutual aid, including requests, responses and reimbursement.
Frequently Asked Questions
|