Sierra Vista — City staff presented resolution 2025-088 to approve joining the Arizona Mutual Aid Compact and described it as a statewide framework that provides clearer legal guidelines for mutual aid requests, reimbursement and workers' compensation coverage. Miss Herboel (Speaker 3) said the compact "is an agreement that is valid throughout the entire state" and emphasized that joining would not require the city to provide aid it had not already agreed to give.

Miss Herboel told the council the compact is not "automatic aid" but a mutual-aid compact that typically asks agencies closest to an emergency to help first and that the compact streamlines reimbursement procedures and workers' compensation responsibilities. "It includes important legal considerations, like clear guidelines to request reimbursement from other agencies," she said.

Councilmember Kilmurray (Speaker 4) asked what would happen if the city did not approve the compact. Miss Herboel replied the city does not have to approve it, but that the compact gives a better legal framework "if something were to go wrong" and expedites requests for assistance. Daniel Dushyant (Speaker 6) from County Emergency Management said not all municipalities have signed; he listed Douglas, Bisbee and Wilcox among signatories and said Benson was expected to join. Dushyant cited a recent incident in Globe — which he said had not been a signatory at the time — as an example where administrative scrambling was required to coordinate aid.

Councilmembers also asked whether school districts, charter schools and fire districts were included. County staff and city staff explained that taxing entities such as school districts can sign the compact separately, some fire districts have joined, and public works would typically contribute heavy equipment and debris removal support during incidents. The transcript does not record a council vote on the compact during the working meeting; staff indicated the item will proceed to the Thursday meeting for further action.