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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2006.101626v1 97/Supplement_1/S62    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Stier, D. D. Articles by Goodman, R. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Stier, D. D. Articles by Goodman, R. A.

Daniel D. Stier, JD and Richard A. Goodman, MD, JD, MPH

The authors are with the Public Health Law Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Daniel D. Stier, Public Health Law Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, Mail-stop D30, Atlanta, GA 30333 (e-mail: DStier{at}cdc.gov).

Mutual aid is the sharing of supplies, equipment, personnel, and information across political boundaries. States must have agreements in place to ensure mutual aid to facilitate effective responses to public health emergencies and to detect and control potential infectious disease outbreaks. The 2005 hurricanes triggered activation of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a mutual aid agreement among the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Although EMAC facilitated the movement of an unprecedented amount of mutual aid to disaster areas, inadequacies in the response demonstrated a need for improvement. Mutual aid may also be beneficial in circumstances where EMAC is not activated. We discuss the importance of mutual aid, examine obstacles, and identify legal "gaps" that must be filled to strengthen preparedness.