1. The executive officer of any political subdivision or public safety agency may enter into mutual-aid arrangements or agreements with other public and private agencies within and without the state for reciprocal emergency aid. Such arrangements or agreements shall be consistent with the state disaster plan and program and the provisions of section 70.837 and section 320.090. In time of emergency it shall be the duty of each local organization for emergency management to render assistance in accordance with the provisions of such mutual-aid arrangements or agreements.

2. Any contracts that are agreed upon may provide for compensation from the parties and other terms that are agreeable to the parties and may be for an indefinite period as long as they include a sixty-day cancellation notice provision by either party. The contracts agreed upon may not be entered into for the purpose of reduction of staffing by either party.

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3. At the time of significant emergency such as fire, earthquake, flood, tornado, hazardous material incident, terrorist incident, or other such man-made or natural emergency disaster or public safety need anywhere within the state or bordering states, the highest ranking official of any political subdivision or public safety agency or their designee may render aid to or request aid from any jurisdiction, agency, or organization even without written agreement, as long as he or she is in accordance with the policies and procedures set forth by the governing boards of those jurisdictions, agencies, or organizations. A public safety need, as used in this section, shall include any event or incident necessitating mutual-aid assistance from another public safety agency.

4. When responding to mutual aid or emergency aid requests, political subdivisions or public safety agencies shall be subject to all provisions of law as if it were providing service within its own jurisdiction.

5. All political subdivisions and public safety agencies within the state are, upon enactment of this legislation or execution of an agreement, automatically a part of the Missouri statewide mutual aid system. A political subdivision within the state may elect not to participate in the statewide mutual aid system upon enacting an appropriate resolution by its governing body declaring that it elects not to participate in the statewide mutual aid system and by providing a copy of the resolution to the director of the department of public safety or his or her designee.

6. The Missouri mutual aid system shall be administered by the department of public safety, which may authorize any organization to assist in the administration of the mutual aid system. The department of public safety may promulgate rules for this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly under chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2009, shall be invalid and void.

7. For the purpose of this section, public safety agencies shall include, but shall not be limited to, fire service organizations, law enforcement agencies, emergency medical service organizations, public health and medical personnel, emergency management officials, infrastructure departments, public works agencies, and those other agencies, organizations, departments, and specialized emergency response teams that have personnel with special skills or training that are needed to provide services during an emergency, public safety need, or disaster, declared or undeclared.

8. It shall be the responsibility of each political subdivision and public safety agency to adopt and put into practice the National Incident Management System promulgated by the United States Department of Homeland Security.

9. In the event of a disaster or other public safety need that is beyond the capability of local political subdivisions, the local governing authority or public safety agency having jurisdiction may request assistance under this section.

10. Any entity or individual that holds a license, certificate, or other permit issued by a participating political subdivision, public safety agency, or state shall be deemed licensed, certified, or permitted in the requesting political subdivision or public safety agency’s jurisdiction for the duration of the emergency or authorized drill.

11. Reimbursement for services rendered under this section shall be in accordance with any local, state and federal guidelines. Any political subdivision or public safety agency providing assistance shall receive appropriate reimbursement according to those guidelines.

12. Applicable benefits normally available to personnel while performing duties for their jurisdiction are also available to such persons when an injury or death occurs when rendering assistance to another political subdivision or public safety agency under this section. Responders shall be eligible for the same state and federal benefits that may be available to them for line-of-duty deaths or injuries, if such services are otherwise provided for within their jurisdiction.

13. For the purposes of liability, all members of any political subdivision or public safety agency responding under operational control of the requesting political subdivision or a public safety agency are deemed employees of such responding political subdivision or public safety agency and are subject to the liability and workers’ compensation provisions provided to them as employees of their respective political subdivision or public safety agency.