Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – Emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time, and Arkansas State University is preparing for the need for support by joining the National Intercollegiate Mutual Aid Agreement (NIMAA).
The agreement allows member institutions to share resources before, during and after emergencies or special events.
The International Association of Emergency Managers’ Universities and Colleges Caucus drafted the agreement in 2015.
“I am proud to say that we are the first institution of higher education in the State of Arkansas to join this compact. This is a major step towards continuing to build a network of relationships with outside entities that can assist A-State in a time of need and vice versa,” said Wyatt Reed, emergency operations and occupational safety specialist.
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Nationwide, 154 higher education institutions are part of NIMAA. Reed said participation in the network is vital for the university because members can provide and request resources and personnel during emergency operations, both in person and virtually.
The agreement also can be activated when an institution requests support for planned events or preparations for potential incidents.
The university has strong relationships with city and county emergency agencies. However, local resources may be tied up during an emergency, Reed said, making the agreement another tool for securing assistance.
“Many disasters that affect us will also affect them, and they have a large jurisdiction to cover even excluding A-State. As a result, those agencies may not always have the staffing and resources to support us to the extent or duration needed. So, in the same ways that they would look to agencies outside of the county for assistance, we can use this to look for support outside of agencies that are immediately conjoined to us,” Reed said.
Member institutions share a common understanding of emergencies on college campuses and how to respond to them.
“The major bonus in this agreement is the ability to share personnel who are familiar with the higher education landscape. Universities are unique and complex, and an individual with experience in navigating that landscape is a great benefit in a time of need,” he said.
NIMAA isn’t just for requesting direct assistance to A-State, but a tool for the university to enable coordination with and provide assistance to other universities. This furthers the office’s mission of a community-based emergency management program.
“We can also utilize this as part of exercises (and be utilized in other institutions’ exercises), and gain experience and knowledge while supporting incident management operations to evaluate and shape our own planning,” Reed said.
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