Mutual aid agreements and memoranda of understanding are essential components of emergency management planning, response and recovery operations. These agreements provide reciprocal emergency aid and assistance during an emergency or disaster. They can increase available resources and improve response and recovery efforts. One of these agreements, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact or "EMAC" is a national Governors’ interstate mutual aid compact that facilitates the sharing of resources, personnel and equipment across state lines during times of disaster and emergency. EMAC was ratified by the U.S. Congress and signed into law (PL 104-321) in 1996 and in Colorado Statute (CRS 24-60-2901). Currently fifty states, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands have enacted EMAC legislation.
To help organize EMAC responses in Colorado, the Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety maintains a database of local resources (Colorado Emergency Resource Inventory Report - https://mobilization.state.co.us) for mutual aid. The Division of Emergency Management (DEM) provides an EMAC Coordinator to facilitate EMAC resource requests and
deployments.
The EMAC Process:
- Governor of requesting State issues declaration of state emergency
- Requesting State assesses resources in state and determines need for out-of-state resources
- Requesting State activates an A-Team to find resources, determine costs and availability of resources
- Requesting State requests resources through EMAC process
- States with available resources contact Requesting State with availability
- Resource and Requesting State negotiate cost of resources
- States complete a Requisition-A Form (Req-A) with agreed upon costs and mission duration
- Assisting State deploys resources for agreed upon duration and cost
- Requesting State returns resource at completion of agreed upon mission
- Assisting State submits State Reimbursement Package to Requesting State
- Requesting State reimburses Assisting State for resources Concept
