SB 208-DISASTER PLANNING AND SERVICES  9:02:26 AM CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI announced that the first order of business before the committee was SB 208, which facilitates collaboration between state and local agencies in a state of emergency. On March 6, Senator Paskvan provided an overview of SB 208 [and CS for SB 208, labeled 27-LS0611\B was adopted as the working document.] The bill enacts the Alaska Intrastate Mutual Aid System, a comprehensive, integrated system of assistance between state and local agencies. Previous testimony and letters are in support of the bill. ANNA SORENSON, staff, Senator Joe Paskvan, introduced SB 208 on behalf of the sponsor. She read from the following sponsor statement: SB 208 is an essential piece of legislation that will provide a statewide framework for mutual assistance among participating political subdivisions in the prevention of, response to, and recovery from disasters. The provisions of the Alaska Intrastate Mutual Aid System were developed with the goal of supplementing existing regional or local agreements by establishing a comprehensive, integrated system of mutual aid at a state level that will ensure an efficient and effective response to all hazards and disasters. However, the system provided for in SB 208 would not prevent participating entities from entering into supplementary agreements with other political subdivisions or impact existing or future agreements. Though mutual aid agreements between neighboring political subdivisions are somewhat common, aid agreements may not necessarily exist between subdivisions that do not have a history of sharing emergency assistance. As Senator Paskvan mentioned during the hearing last Tuesday, Interior Alaska recently faced this challenge when the Fairbanks North Star Borough encountered obstacles in providing timely aid during the 2009 flooding of Eagle and other communities along the Yukon River due to an absence of mutual aid agreements. SB 208 would act as a safety net in similar situations where aid is needed but no mutual aid agreement currently exists. Through SB 208, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will be tasked with playing an integral part in developing and implementing guidelines and procedures for the Alaska Intrastate Mutual Aid System. The Alaska State Emergency Response Commission, created under the Alaska Disaster Act, will facilitate the preparation and implementation of the system. The commission will also provide review and make recommendations about the mutual aid System. The System would automatically include all political subdivisions. A political subdivision may elect to withdraw by enacting a resolution through its governing body. SB 208 further allows that a participating entity will have sole discretion to withhold or withdraw requested assistance to provide reasonable protection and services within its own territorial limits. Other details in the Alaska Mutual Aid System include guidelines for requesting aid; what assistance a participating member may request; qualifications and employment of emergency responders; workers' compensation for emergency responders; reimbursement procedures for aid provided by participating political subdivisions; and pertinent definitions. Senate Bill 208 is supported by the Alaska Fire Chiefs Association, the Alaska Municipal League, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, AARP of Alaska, the Alaska Commission on Aging, the Division of Emergency Management, the Alaska State Fair Association, and the Food Bank of Alaska. Additionally, this legislation has a zero fiscal note which the Division can explain in further detail. 9:05:52 AM CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI requested an explanation of changes in version B of SB 208. MS. SORENSON explained that version B addresses some concerns raised by both the Fairbanks North Star Borough and the Alaska Fire Chiefs Association. She read from the following: The changes on page 7, lines 11 and 16, and page 8, line 26, provide for emergency service providers that contract with a political subdivision to be covered under this legislation. This will specifically ensure that volunteer fire departments and their volunteer fire fighters and emergency medical technicians are covered under the Alaska Intrastate Mutual Aid System. This issue was of concern to the Alaska Fire Chiefs Association due to much of their membership being comprised of fire chiefs of volunteer fire departments. The second major change is the deletion of language on page 7, lines 17-20. This change was made by the request of the borough due to the feeling that this language created an unacceptable level of risk for local governments. CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI opened public testimony. 9:10:02 AM MICHAEL O'HARE, Deputy Director, Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Division of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), Anchorage, Alaska, provided information related to SB 208. He noted that DMVA has been working with the Fairbanks North Star Borough and various Emergency Management System (EMS) representatives to bring the working draft to the committee. It primarily allows the pre-development of the agreements to be put into place prior to any disaster. If the mutual aid agreement were not in place, each community would have to sign an aid agreement with all other communities. The mutual aid agreement mirrors the National Emergency Assistant compact with other states. He noted a zero fiscal note from DMVA. A statewide mutual aid committee would be incorporated within the Emergency Response Commission. 9:12:12 AM DENNIS BRODIGAN, Director, Emergency Management System, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Wasilla, Alaska, testified in support of SB 208. He stated that the bill would provide a great foundation for interagency assistance during disaster events. All areas of Alaska have a finite amount of resources available to them and the legislation will go a long way toward providing more resources faster to local jurisdictions. CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI closed public testimony. CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI thanked the bill sponsor. 9:14:05 AM SENATOR MEYER moved to report the CS for SB 208, version B, from committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note. There being no objection, CSSB 208 (STA) was reported from the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee.