2009/05/13 Council Agenda Packet

j 1 ("Request for Assistance"). Requests for Assistance may be made orally or in 2 writing, provided that when a Request for Assistance is made orally, the 3 Requesting Member shall, as soon as practicable, identify and transmit in 4 writing the personnel, equipment and supplies requested_ Requesting 5 Members shall direct Requests for Assistance to Authorized Officials. The 6 Statewide Committee shall provide specific protocols for Requests for 7 Assistance as part of the procedures created pursuant to Article IV of this 8 Agreement. 9 10 C. Response to a Request for Assistance— Members are not obligated to 11 respond to a Request for Assistance. After a Member receives a Request for 12 Assistance, the receiving Member's Authorized Official shall evaluate whether 13 to respond to the Request for Assistance, whether resources are available to 14 respond, or if other circumstances would hinder response. Following the 15 evaluation, the Authorized Official shall inform, as soon as possible, the 16 Requesting Member whether the Member will respond to the Request for 17 Assistance. If the Member is willing and able to provide assistance, the 18 Member shall inform the Requesting Member of the type of available 19 resources and the approximate arrival time of such assistance. 20 21 D. Discretion of Responding Member's Authorized Official — No Member has any 22 duty to respond to a Request for Assistance. When a Member receives a 23 Request for Assistance, the Authorized Official shall have sole and absolute 24 discretion as to whether or not to respond to the Request for Assistance, and 25 if responding in the affirmative, to determine the availability of resources to be 26 made available to the Requesting Member. The response of a Member's 27 Authorized Official regarding the availability of resources to a Requesting 28 Member shall be final. 29 30 E. No Liability for Failure to Respond — No Member will be liable to any other 31 Member for deciding not to respond to a Request for Assistance or otherwise 32 failing to respond to a Request for Assistance. All Members hereby waive all 33 claims against all other Members arising from or relating to any Member's 34 decision to not respond to a Request for Assistance or to any Member's failure 35 to respond to a Request for Assistance. 36 37 38 ARTICLE VI 39 RESPONDING MEMBER PERSONNEL 40 41 A. National Incident Management System - When providing assistance under 42 this Agreement, the Requesting Member and Responding Member are 43 encouraged (but are not obligated) to be organized and function under NIMS. 44 Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement for Washington State WARN 4-12 15