---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 1856b"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "1856b"
heading: "Emergency assistance"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/1856b"
units:
  - "Chapter 15A — Reciprocal Fire Protection Agreements"
  - "Subchapter I — Protection of United States Property"
---

# §1856b. Emergency assistance


In the absence of any agreement authorized or ratified by [section 1856a of this title](/usc/42/1856a.md), each [agency head](/usc/42/1856.md?p=a) is authorized to render emergency assistance in extinguishing fires and in preserving life and property from fire, within the vicinity of any place at which such [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) maintains fire-protection facilities, when the rendition of such assistance is determined, under regulations prescribed by the [agency head](/usc/42/1856.md?p=a), to be in the best interest of the United States.


## Source credit

(May 27, 1955, ch. 105, § 3, 69 Stat. 67.)