About North Alabama Mutual Aid Association

OFFICERS

SHAWN ROGERS

PRESIDENT
Cherokee County

JOSHUA WHITCOMB

VICE-PRESIDENT
Jackson County

TRENT SIMON

SECRETARY/ TREASURER
Limestone County

Our History

Disaster can strike in many forms. It may affect a single neighborhood or an entire region, leaving communities without essential services, shelter, or the resources needed to recover. The closest and fastest aid often comes from neighboring counties — and that principle is the foundation of the North Alabama Mutual Aid Association (NAMAA).

The North Alabama Mutual Aid Association was founded after the April 1974 tornado Super Outbreak, which caused widespread destruction across North Alabama. Emergency managers recognized that no single county could handle a catastrophic event alone, and that a formal framework for sharing resources would save lives and speed recovery.

Today, NAMAA encompasses 23 counties across North Alabama, bound by a mutual assistance agreement that enables rapid, coordinated response when any member county’s resources are overwhelmed. As the threat landscape has expanded beyond natural disasters to include events like terrorism and other manmade emergencies, NAMAA’s role has only grown more critical.

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Member Counties
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Years of Service
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Neighbors Helping Neighbors

What NAMAADoes.

NAMAA provides a structured framework for counties to request and share emergency resources including personnel, equipment, and supplies. The association maintains an Emergency Operations Plan that defines clear roles, communication protocols, and procedures so that when the call goes out, every participant knows exactly what to do.

Key functions include:

  • Coordinating resource requests between member counties during emergencies

  • Maintaining standardized procedures for requesting, deploying, and tracking shared resources

  • Ensuring all mutual aid operations comply with the National Incident Management System (NIMS)

  • Providing a framework for reimbursement and liability that protects both requesting and assisting counties

  • Conducting training and exercises to keep the mutual aid process sharp and effective

Legal Authority

NAMAA operates under the authority of the North Alabama Mutual Assistance Agreement, the Code of Alabama (Title 31, Chapter 9, Sections 31-9-1 through 31-9-24), and Acts of Alabama, Act No. 47 (1955). This plan supplements — and does not replace — any other existing mutual aid arrangements between member jurisdictions.