Most fire departments are proud of being the primary emergency service providers for their areas. If departments need help, they usually arrange for mutual aid from neighboring departments. But what happens when the neighboring departments don't have the specialized apparatus, equipment or personnel to help?

As the fire service is asked to respond to increasingly large or complex incidents, it has become obvious that no one department can handle all the emergencies that might occur. In many parts of the country, the solution has been to establish regional teams with specialized apparatus, equipment and trained personnel to respond to incidents across a large area. Whether the incidents involve urban search-and-rescue operations after natural disasters, hazmat containment after highway accidents and railroad derailments, or even structural protection, water supply and communications during massive wildland fires, the concept of regional teams and local departments working together has proven to be a good solution.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency owns a fleet of vehicles including several tractor-trailer heavy-rescue units equipped to handle urban search-and-rescue operations, as well as many other types of incidents. The apparatus are assigned to departments throughout the state for their own use as needed. In return, each department must provide a fully trained, six-person crew and be ready to respond anywhere in Georgia or the Southeast. All the equipment and equipment storage locations are standardized from one unit to another to speed operations.

Air and light units can be valuable resources at many incidents, but most departments can't afford to buy, staff and maintain them. One solution is to have several departments in a close geographic area purchase one or more units for use by all.

In the Washington, D.C., area, the National Capitol Region purchased several high-volume breathing air units for use at incidents involving fires, building collapses, explosions and potential terrorist attacks. The units were distributed to departments in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia for use in their everyday operations. The units also respond to major incidents throughout the capitol region with its many key government facilities, large urban and suburban population centers, and busy transportation terminals and corridors.

Wherever there are highways, railroads, pipelines and waterways, there are the dangers of hazmat incidents. The use of regional agency hazmat units is common in areas where local departments are small and unable to provide such specialized services.

A good example is Nye County, Nev., which covers more than 18,000 square miles of open rangeland in the southern part of the state. A major north-south highway, the federal Nevada Test Site and the proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Facility all lie within the county. To provide comprehensive protection in this area of widely scattered towns, Nye County Emergency Services operates a fleet of apparatus including a pair of hazmat units. The hazmat units have identical specs and are capable of responding over long distances and operating for extended periods with only minimal outside support.

Another example is the West Virginia Office of Emergency Services, which recently placed a dozen tractor-trailer hazmat units in service as part of its regional response team concept. The units provide electrical power, breathing air, lighting, protective clothing, decontamination equipment and a command center for coordinating operations. Because of the diverse geography of the state, the units are placed at key locations to allow rapid response.

Most city and county departments operate their own pumpers. The only regional response comes from other departments within the immediate area as part of mutual aid agreements. Although uncommon, some states have their own pumpers to provide regional response within a much larger area.

One example is the California Office of Emergency Services, which owns over 120 structure pumpers, water tenders, communications units and other vehicles. The pumpers are distributed to departments throughout the state and may be used to supplement each department's apparatus at multiple-alarm incidents. In case of major wildfires, earthquakes or other emergencies elsewhere in the state, these units can be called up to respond with a crew at a few hours' notice. The newest pumpers are built on short-wheelbase custom chassis for maneuverability and carry urban search-and-rescue gear to increase their versatility.

Most regions only need a single type of apparatus to provide a specific type of coverage — for example, a hazmat unit to respond throughout a rural area. Some regions have more complex needs and require multiple apparatus to handle several types of emergencies.

In St. Louis and the surrounding metropolitan area, the St. Louis Area Regional Response System owns and manages a variety of apparatus, including command units, hazmat units, heavy rescues and other support vehicles to provide specialized services throughout the entire area. The apparatus are assigned to individual departments in Missouri, as well as across the river in Illinois. Each apparatus may be used at the assigned department's discretion, but must be staffed to respond when requested for incidents within the region. In this case, the regional response area is defined by the population extension of a broader metroplex, rather than by the boundaries of individual cities, counties or states.