§ 30-15-14 - Interstate emergency management and disaster compact.
SECTION 30-15-14
§ 30-15-14 Interstate emergency managementand disaster compact. – (a) This state hereby enacts into law and enters into the interstate emergencymanagement and disaster compact with all states, as defined therein, whichstates have enacted or shall hereafter enact the compact in the formsubstantially as follows:
Article 1. The purpose of this compact is toprovide mutual aid among the states in meeting any emergency or disaster fromenemy attack or other cause (natural or otherwise) including terrorism. Theprompt, full and effective utilization of the resources of the respectivestates, including such resources as may be available from the United Statesgovernment or any other source, are essential to the safety, care and welfareof the people thereof in the event of any emergency, and any other resources,including personnel, equipment or supplies, shall be incorporated into a planor plans of mutual aid to be developed among various state emergency managementagencies or similar bodies of the states that are parties hereto. The directorsof emergency management of all party states shall constitute a committee toformulate plans and take all necessary steps for the implementation of thiscompact.
Article 2. It shall be the duty of each partystate to formulate emergency management plans and programs for applicationwithin such state. There shall be frequent consultation between therepresentatives of the states and with the federal emergency management agencyand the free exchange of information and plans, including inventories of anymaterials and equipment available. In carrying out such plans and programs theparty states shall so far as possible provide and follow uniform standards,practices and rules and regulations including:
(a) Official identification to designate and distinguish thedifferent emergency management services;
(b) Mobilization of emergency management forces and othertests and exercises;
(c) Warnings and signals tests, including mechanical devicesto be used in connection therewith;
(d) The effective utilization of the emergency alert system;
(e) Shutting off water mains, gas mains, electric powerconnections and the suspension of all other utility services when deemed in theinterest of overall public safety;
(f) All materials or equipment used or to be used foremergency management purposes in order to assure that such materials andequipment will be easily and freely interchangeable when used in or by anyother party state;
(g) The conduct of population and the movement and cessationof movement of pedestrians and vehicular traffic, prior, during and subsequentto drills or actual emergencies or disasters;
(h) The safety of public meetings or gatherings; and
(i) Mobile support units.
Article 3. Any party state requested to rendermutual aid shall take such action as is necessary to provide and make availablethe resources covered by this compact in accordance with the terms hereof;provided that it is understood that the state rendering aid may withholdresources to the extent necessary to provide reasonable protection for suchstate. Each party state shall extend to the emergency management forces of anyother party state, while operating within its state limits under the terms andconditions of this compact, the same powers (except that of arrest unlessspecifically authorized by the receiving state), duties, rights, privileges andimmunities as if they were performing their duties in the state in whichnormally employed or rendering services, State of Rhode Island emergencymanagement forces will continue under the command and control of their regularleaders but the organizational units will come under the operational control ofthe emergency management authorities of the state receiving assistance.
Article 4. Whenever any person holds a license,certificate or other permit issued by a state evidencing the meeting ofqualifications for professional, mechanical or other skills, such person mayrender aid involving such skill in any party state to meet an emergency ordisaster and such state shall give due recognition to such license, certificateor other permit as if issued in the state in which aid is rendered.
Article 5. No party state or its officers oremployees rendering aid in another state pursuant to this compact shall beliable on account of any act or omission in good faith on the part of suchforces while so engaged, or on account of the maintenance or use of anyequipment or supplies in connection therewith.
Article 6. Inasmuch as it is probable that thepattern and detail of the machinery for mutual aid among two (2) or more statesmay differ from that appropriate among other states party hereto, thisinstrument contains elements of a broad base common to all states, and nothingherein contained shall preclude any state from entering into supplementaryagreements with another state or states. Such supplementary agreements maycomprehend, but shall not be limited to, provisions for evacuation, andreception of injured and other persons, and the exchange of medical, fire,police, public utility, reconnaissance, public assistance, transportation andcommunications personnel, equipment and supplies.
Article 7. Each party state shall provide for thepayment of compensation and death benefits to injured members of the emergencymanagement forces of that state and the representatives of deceased members ofsuch forces in case such members sustain injuries or are killed while renderingaid pursuant to this compact, in the same manner and on the same terms as ifthe injury or death were sustained within such state.
Article 8. Any party state rendering aid inanother state pursuant to this compact shall be reimbursed by the party statereceiving such aid for any loss or damage to, or expense incurred in theoperation of any equipment answering a request for aid, and for the costincurred in connection with such request; provided, that any aiding party statemay assume in whole or in part such loss, damage, expense, or other cost, ormay loan such equipment or donate such services to the receiving party statewithout charge or cost; and provided further that any two (2) or more partystates may enter into supplementary agreements establishing a differentallocation of costs as among those states. The United States government mayrelieve the party state receiving aid from any liability and reimburse theparty state supplying emergency management forces for the compensation paid toand the transportation, subsistence and maintenance expenses of such assistanceduring the time of the rendition of such aid or assistance outside the stateand may also pay fair and reasonable compensation for the use or utilization ofthe supplies, materials, equipment or facilities so utilized or consumed.
Article 9. Plans for the orderly evacuation andreception of the general population as the result of an emergency or disastershall be worked out from time to time between representatives of the partystates and the various local emergency management areas thereof. Such plansshall include the manner of transporting such evacuees, the number of evacueesto be received in different areas, the manner in which food, clothing, housing,and medical care will be provided, the registration of the evacuees, theproviding of facilities for the notification of relatives or friends and theforwarding of such evacuees to other areas or the bringing in of additionalmaterials, supplies, and all other relevant factors. Such plans shall providethat the party state receiving evacuees shall be reimbursed generally for theout-of-pocket expenses incurred in receiving and caring for such evacuees, forexpenditures for transportation, food, clothing, medicines and medical care andlike items. Such expenditures shall be reimbursed by the party state of whichthe evacuees are residents, or by the United States government under plansapproved by it. After the termination of the emergency or disaster the partystate of which the evacuees are resident shall assume the responsibility forthe ultimate support or repatriation of such evacuees.
Article 10. This compact shall be available to anystate, territory or possession of the United States, and the District ofColumbia. The term "state" may also include any neighboring foreign country orprovince or state thereof.
Article 11. The committee established pursuant toarticle 1 of this compact may request the civil defense agency of the UnitedStates government to act as an informational and coordinating body under thiscompact, and representatives of such agency of the United States government mayattend meetings of such committee.
Article 12. This compact shall become operativeimmediately upon its ratification by any state as between it and any otherstate or states so ratifying and shall be subject to approval by congressunless prior congressional approval has been given. Duly authenticated copiesof this compact and of such supplementary agreements as may be entered intoshall, at the time of their approval, be deposited with each of the partystates and the Rhode Island emergency management agency and other appropriateagencies of the United States government.
Article 13. This compact shall continue in forceand remain binding on each party state until the legislature or the governor ofsuch party state takes action to withdraw therefrom. Such action shall not beeffective until thirty (30) days after notice thereof has been sent by thegovernor of the party state desiring to withdraw to the governors of all otherparty states.
Article 14. (a) This compact shall be construed toeffectuate the purposes stated in article 1 hereof. If any provision of thiscompact is declared unconstitutional, or the applicability thereof to anyperson or circumstance is held invalid, the constitutionality of the remainderof this compact and the applicability thereof to other persons andcircumstances shall not be affected thereby.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to limitprevious or future entry into the interstate emergency management and disastercompact of Rhode Island with other states.
(c) If any person holds a license, certificate, or otherpermit issued by any other state or political subdivision thereof evidencingthe meeting of qualifications for professional, mechanical, or other skills,the person may render aid involving that skill in Rhode Island to meet anemergency or disaster, and this state shall give due recognition to thelicense, certificate, or other permit.