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Coordination, assistance and mutual aid - 35 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 7504

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     § 7504.  Coordination, assistance and mutual aid.
        (a)  Responsibility for direction and coordination.--
     Direction of disaster emergency management services is the
     responsibility of the lowest level of government affected. When
     two or more political subdivisions within a county are affected,
     the county organization shall exercise responsibility for
     coordination and support to the area of operations. When two or
     more counties are involved, coordination shall be provided by
     the agency or by area organizations established by the agency.
        (b)  Assistance from higher government unit.--When all
     appropriate locally available forces and resources are fully
     committed by the affected political subdivision, assistance from
     a higher level of government shall be provided.
        (c)  Municipal mutual aid agreements.--County and local
     coordinators of emergency management shall develop mutual aid
     agreements with adjacent political subdivisions for reciprocal
     emergency assistance. The agreements shall be consistent with
     the plans and programs of the agency. In disaster emergencies,
     requests for mutual aid assistance shall be referred to the
     organization having responsibility for coordination as specified
     in subsection (a) and in time of emergency it shall be the duty
     of each local organization to render assistance in accordance
     with the provisions of the mutual aid agreements.
        (d)  Interstate mutual aid arrangements.--The coordinator of
     each local organization may, subject to approval of the
     Governor, enter into mutual aid arrangements with similar
     agencies or organizations in other states for reciprocal
     disaster emergency services.
        (e)  Ratification of agreements.--Mutual aid agreements shall
     be ratified by the governing bodies of the political
     subdivisions involved.
        (f)  Control of outside support forces.--Support forces
     furnished political subdivisions from outside its jurisdiction
     shall be under the operational control of the department, agency
     or office furnishing the force.

        Cross References.  Section 7504 is referred to in section
     7707 of this title.

Last modified: November 27, 2007