the jurisdiction receiving mutual aid can

The phrase “the jurisdiction receiving mutual aid can ___ resources if they do not meet its needs” is a standard question from NIMS / FEMA training, and the correct word to complete it is “decline.”

Quick Scoop

• In mutual aid agreements, the receiving jurisdiction is not forced to accept everything that is offered.

• If a resource (people, equipment, supplies) is not appropriate, safe, or useful for the incident, the jurisdiction receiving mutual aid can decline resources that do not meet its needs.

• This goes along with its broader role of:
  • Arranging for deployment of resources.

* Determining whether the exchange is within the mutual aid agreement.

* Evaluating the mutual aid request against its capacity and operational requirements.

So, if you see the question:
“The jurisdiction receiving mutual aid can ______ resources if they do not meet its needs.” The tested answer is: decline.

TL;DR: In NIMS mutual aid context, the jurisdiction receiving mutual aid can decline resources if they do not meet its needs.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.