Agreement requires automatic paging, shared radio use and clarifies on-scene command

The Automatic Aid Agreement instructs dispatch centers to automatically page the Responding Agency on initial alarms and to follow up by telephoning other agencies to request aid. The document frames pre-arranged dispatch as a way to "maximize emergency resource deployment."

Crews are required to use a shared, pre-designated radio frequency during aid calls; the agreement notes that "Tango-Tango" is in use at present due to radio inoperability. The contract further specifies that "the first arriving officer holds command until the Requesting Agency takes over," standardizing incident command transitions between jurisdictions.

The agreement preserves local discretion: it states the Responding Party "shall, at its sole discretion, determine the amount and type of resources to be provided and may decline any request if necessary to protect its own jurisdiction." That language affirms that aid is not unlimited and that each district must balance mutual assistance against protecting its home territory.