Gov. Rick Snyder today announced that the state of Michigan is deploying a Michigan State Police (MSP) staff member to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region III regional response coordination center in Philadelphia to provide support as an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) liaison between state and federal agencies. The deployment is occurring as a result of a request made for out-of-state support through the National Emergency Management Agency.
“Our thoughts are with those bracing for Hurricane Florence’s landfall on the east coast,” Gov. Rick Snyder said. “We’re pleased to respond to the call and provide emergency assistance to our eastern neighbors as they prepare for this intensifying storm.”
As an EMAC liaison, the MSP personnel will gather and share resource request information with EMAC participating states and federal partners such as the FEMA, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Emergency Communications and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“As the EMAC national coordinating state, our role is to closely track all resource requests coming from the east coast and work with our partnering states to fill any needs,” said Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, Director of the MSP and State Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. “Our staff is well trained and ready to help wherever there is a need.”
The EMAC is an all hazards/all disciplines mutual aid compact between the states to provide consistent and coordinated response to emergencies and disasters across the nation. All costs associated with deploying resources under EMAC are paid for by the requesting state.
Michigan has served as the EMAC national coordinating state since March 2018. In this role, the state is responsible for coordinating the deployment of resources such as personnel and equipment to member states for all emergencies or disasters in the nation.
Since joining EMAC in 2002, Michigan has sent resources out-of-state several times, including response efforts for Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana in 2005, severe flooding in Minnesota in 2009, Hurricane Irene in New York in 2011, Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey in 2012, Hurricane Irma in Florida in 2017 and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017.
