(1) Any emergency response authority that, in its judgment, does not have the equipment, personnel, or expertise necessary to handle a particular hazardous substance incident may make a request to any public agency or private entity possessing such necessary equipment, personnel, or expertise to provide assistance to such emergency response authority. (2) (a) Any emergency response authority designated in or pursuant to section 29-22-102 may request the department of public health and environment and the county or district public health agency to provide assistance. If there is no county or district public health agency for the area in which a hazardous substance incident occurs, such request may be made to the board of county commissioners in its capacity as the county board of health or to the mayor and council or trustees in their capacity as the municipal board of health. In addition, any other state or local agency with useful expertise shall have the authority, upon request, to provide assistance to and cooperate with the emergency response authority designated in or pursuant to section 29-22-102. (b) The department of public safety is hereby authorized to organize, through mutual aid or other agreements, a state emergency response team and regional emergency response teams. The state team may consist of any federal, state, local, or private entities that have the appropriately trained personnel and the necessary equipment to respond on a statewide basis to a hazardous substance incident. The regional teams may consist of any federal, state, local, or private entities that have the appropriately trained personnel and the necessary equipment to respond on a regional basis to a hazardous substance incident and to assist the state team in responding on a statewide basis to a hazardous substance incident. The state and regional teams shall be available to respond to hazardous substance incidents upon request made to the department of public safety by an emergency response authority. The emergency response authority that requests a response by the state emergency response team, a regional emergency response team, or both shall assure that the reasonable and documented costs of the team's or teams' response are included in any reimbursement for costs sought in accordance with this article. The emergency response authority shall distribute any such reimbursement that is made to it on a pro rata basis to each entity that made up the emergency response team or teams that responded to a hazardous substance incident. (3) Any municipal or county governing body, emergency response authority, private entity, the Colorado state patrol, or the department of public safety may enter into mutual aid or other agreements for the purpose of providing or conducting the emergency response to hazardous substance incidents. Such agreements may include procedures for utilizing equipment, personnel, and technical assistance.
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