When fire departments assist other departments at fires, accidents or other incidents it’s done with a handshake and a pat on the back. So says Mike Brubaker, chief for Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory.

Brubaker, a representative of Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s District 2, addressed both the Warsaw Common Council and the Winona Lake Town Council this week to present a plan to make mutual assistant more formal in such a way that it protects the assets of all parties involved. The Mutual Aid Interlocal Government Agreement has been established by the Indiana Attorney General’s Office and is a tool being adopted under the federal Emergency Management and Disaster Act.

The Mutual Aid Interlocal agreement is a contract among cities, towns and the state that identifies a “road map” of how assistance is provided. It addresses financial responsibilities should an injury occur or equipment become damaged while departments are working outside of their normal jurisdiction.

“Money reimbursement is the biggest issue locally for smaller departments,” Brubaker told Winona Lake Town Council last night.

He  explained that, in the event of any kind of man-made or natural disaster that would require assistance from other resources, either in the county, state or on a federal level, without the signed Mutual Air Interlocal Government Agreement towns like Winona Lake and cities like Warsaw “could be liable for the entire cost.”

With an agreement in place, should mutual aid and outside resources be needed, reimbursement guidelines are also addressed. In the Interlocal agreement, departments can assist other departments for the first 8 hours covered under their own jurisdiction.

“That’s a management issue at the fire chiefs level,” Brubaker told the council, adding, “accidents and injuries start to happen after 8 hours and we don’t want that.” He said the department that has requested the mutual aid at any scene would dismiss assisting departments before it gets to 8 hours and call in another department as a replacement.

In the event of a disaster that would require resources from beyond the county, with the agreement in place the requesting department would reimburse responding personnel “not to exceed the standard FEMA reimbursement rates.”

Winona Lake Town Council agreed to take the matter under advisement noting that, whatever Warsaw Common Council decides to do with the agreement in the next month, they would likely mirror.

Warsaw Common Council is expected to review an official resolution of the agreement at its May 6 meeting.

The Mutual Aid Interlocal Agreement has already been signed by the Kosciusko County Commissioners. It now needs to be adopted by all cities and towns in District 2 – which includes Kosciusko, Elkhart, Fulton, Marshall, Pulaski, Starke and St. Joseph counties.