Idaho State University Among 150 Signing Members of National Intercollegiate Mutual Aid Agreement
February 5, 2026
Idaho State University has joined 150 other institutions of higher education in signing the National Intercollegiate Mutual Aid Agreement. NIMAA is a broad-spectrum memorandum of understanding between its signing members to share institutional resources before, during and after emergencies or special events.
Incidents occurring at colleges and universities in recent years have shown that affected institutions benefit from receiving assistance and resources from other institutions that share a similar culture and operations structure. City and county law enforcement officers are indelible resources, but public safety officers at college campuses sometimes have a better understanding of dealing with campus-specific populations and issues. In other cases, situations call for resources to best facilitate response to needs that are unique to higher education.
“Idaho State University will always rely first on our strong local and regional public safety partners, whose collaboration is essential to day-to-day operations and emergency response,” said Marc Pino, director of Public Safety for ISU. “Joining the National Intercollegiate Mutual Aid Agreement enhances that foundation by adding a nationwide network of higher-education institutions that can provide specialized personnel, expertise, and resources when incidents exceed local capacity or impact the entire community simultaneously.”
The agreement and sharing of institutional resources among members can be used for most emergencies a member institution may encounter but is not limited to unplanned disasters. Preparedness activities such as training, disaster exercises or special events may also be considered.
The Agreement was developed in 2012 by a group of institutions to develop a system to request and provide assistance to peer institutions during an emergency or other situation. The effort was coordinated by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Universities and Colleges Caucus (UCC), and was reviewed by legal counsel and emergency managers at several colleges and universities as well as by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Education.
“This agreement strengthens ISU’s resilience by ensuring we are not limited to a single region during large-scale or prolonged events, while also positioning the university to support peer institutions when they are in need,” Pino said. “Participation in NIMAA reflects ISU’s commitment to comprehensive preparedness, partnership, and the safety and continuity of our campus community.”
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