Key Points
EMAC's Benefits
- Fast Scalable Assistance
- All Hazards - All Disciplines
- Resources deploy through the state emergency management agencies of their respective states allowing for a coordinated deployment
- Deployments are coordinated with the federal response to avoid duplication and overlap
To the extent the specific agreement between States meets the requirements of the FEMA policy on mutual aid agreements and the work meets FEMA eligibility requirements, costs may be eligible for FEMA reimbursement (see Mutual Aid Agreement) and would be subject to the Federal/non-Federal cost share for that disaster.
EMAC establishes a firm legal foundation for sharing resources between states. Once the conditions for providing assistance to a requesting state have been set, the terms constitute a legally binding agreement. The EMAC legislation solves the problems of liability and responsibilities of cost and allows for credentials, licenses, and certifications to be honored across state lines. Learn more about EMAC's protections from the links on the right-hand side of this page.
EMAC is implemented within the State Emergency Management Agency on behalf of the Governor of the State. This provides a consistent and coordinated response across the nation.
Detailed Discussion
EMAC offers assistance during governor-declared states of emergency or disaster through a responsive, straightforward system that allows states to send personnel, equipment, and commodities to assist with response and recovery efforts in other states. Through EMAC states can also transfer services (such as shipping newborn blood from a disaster-impacted lab to a lab in another state) and conduct virtual missions (such as GIS mapping).
The strength of EMAC and the quality that distinguishes it from other plans and compacts lie in its governance structure; its relationship with federal agencies, national organizations, states, counties, territories, and regions; the willingness of state and response and recovery personnel to deploy; and the ability to move any resource one state wishes to utilize to assist another state.
The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is a national compact among almost all states which provides form and structure to interstate mutual aid. It establishes procedures whereby a disaster-impacted state can request and receive assistance from other member states quickly and efficiently. EMAC resolves two key issues up front: liability and reimbursement. The requesting State agrees to (1) assume liability for out-of-state workers deployed under EMAC and (2) reimburse assisting States (once proper, EMAC-specific, documentation is provided) for deployment-related costs.
EMAC is the first national disaster–relief compact since the Civil Defense and Disaster Compact of 1950 to be ratified by the U.S. Congress. Since ratification and signing into law in 1996 (Public Law 104-321), 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands have enacted legislation to become EMAC members.
LEARN MORE at https://www.emacweb.org/index.php