The Capital Area Mutual ​Aid ​Fire Compact traces its roots to the mid-1960s when Concord and a number of area towns began talks about a formal mutual aid agreement to “provide more adequate fire protection to life and property.” In 1966, the compact drafted its first articles of agreement with Allenstown, Boscawen, Bow, Canterbury, Chichester, Concord, Dunbarton, Hopkinton, Loudon, and Pembroke signing on. In the early 1970s, Concord Fire Alarm began performing dispatch services for Canterbury, Dunbarton, Loudon, and Pembroke. Allenstown and Boscawen started being dispatched by Concord in 1974, Chichester and Epsom in 1976, Webster in 1977, Northwood and Pittsfield in 1978, and Bow and Hopkinton in 1979.

In 1974, the compact hired Dick Wright to serve as a part-time chief coordinator for the compact. By the end of 1976, it had drafted articles of association and bylaws, as well as incorporated with the NH Attorney General. By the end of the decade, 14 towns were part of the agreement.

The compact continued to grow throughout the 1980s, with more towns joining the compact and Concord Fire Alarm: Salisbury (1980), Warner (1983), Henniker and the Penacook Rescue Squad (1984), and Bradford (1986).

In 1998, Chief Coordinator Wright was promoted to a full-time position, bringing a constant and steady option for incident command to those in the compact.

The compact operated without expansion until 2004, when Deering joined midway through the year. In 2005, Hooksett and Tri-Town EMS joined the compact as Hooksett discontinued dispatching for both. In 2013, Hillsboro began being dispatched by Concord Fire Alarm; by extension, Windsor joined as Hillsboro provides fire and EMS services to that town.

Chief Coordinator Wright retired at the end of May 2014, with Keith Gilbert being hired as the compact’s second-ever coordinator.

In 2018, Washington joined the compact, and in 2022, Weare.

Until the mid-2010s, units responding to incidents in the compact were identified by a specific community number in addition to its apparatus type. For example, Engine 7 of the Concord Fire Department would call into fire alarm with the designation “55 Engine 7” (with 55 being pronounced as “five-five”). While this is no longer an SOP for the compact, the numbers for each town are listed below as they are occasionally used when responding as mutual aid into areas that still use community numbers, such as Southwestern New Hampshire District Fire Mutual Aid, Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid, and the Kearsarge Mutual Aid System.

50: Allenstown
51: Boscawen
52: Bow
53: Canterbury
54: Chichester
55: Concord
56: Epsom
57: Dunbarton
58: Henniker
59: Hillsboro
60: Hopkinton
61: Loudon
62: Pembroke
63: Hooksett
64: Penacook Rescue Squad
65: Webster
66: Central NH Hazmat
71: Northwood
72: Pittsfield
74: Salisbury
75: Weare
79: Tri-Town EMS
80: Warner
82: Bradford
84: Deering
86: Washington