What is the term for a process that supplies supplemental personnel and resources to assist other agencies?

The term that best describes a process that supplies supplemental personnel and resources to assist other agencies is "mutual aid." This concept is pivotal in emergency management and public safety, as it facilitates the sharing of resources and personnel among agencies to ensure a coordinated response during incidents that exceed the capabilities of a single agency.

Mutual aid agreements often outline the terms under which assistance will be provided, helping to ensure that resources can be mobilized quickly and efficiently. This cooperation enhances the overall effectiveness of a response, particularly in large-scale emergencies where the demands placed on local agencies might far exceed their available resources.

In contrast, while resource sharing involves collaborations between entities, it doesn't specifically indicate the formal agreements and systems in place for emergency situations like mutual aid does. Interagency support is a broader term that refers to any type of assistance provided between agencies but lacks the formal structure that mutual aid denotes. Collaborative assistance, similarly, can imply working together but does not capture the specific definitions and operational protocols associated with mutual aid agreements.