As a result of five Presidentially Declared Disasters, including Hurricane Fran, within a 12 month period, Governor James B. Hunt Jr. commissioned a Task Force to address the state's long term recovery effort. The Task Force set forth 84 recommendations that would enhance communication, coordination and recovery efforts, reduce the impact of future storms and help provide the resources needed to respond and recover from Hurricane Fran.
When Hurricane Fran traveled across the state in September of 1996, there existed no uniform agreement among North Carolina's cities and counties to provide assistance to one another during and after a disaster. It was apparent that without pre-established policies and procedures in place to address logistics, deployment, compensation and liability issues, intra-state cooperation was limited and inefficient. One of the Task Force recommendations ( Recommendation 4) outlined a state-wide mutual aid agreement to be drafted by the League of Municipalities and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. The multi-purpose agreement provides efficient and effective assistance among governments, faster reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and covers liability and insurance concerns.
North Carolina Emergency Management serves as the repository for the state-wide mutual aid agreement. For more information, please contact Mike Sprayberry of North Carolina Emergency Management at 919-733-2931.