Amy Sebring: On behalf of Avagene Moore and myself, welcome to the EIIP Virtual Amy Sebring: Today we are revisiting the Emergency Management Assistance Compact -- EMAC. We first discussed this topic in a Round Table session in the Forum during July 1998. That transcript is still in our archives, ... Amy Sebring: and includes further information about the history of EMAC. We are sure it has come a long way since then, and faced a major test recently in responding to the series of hurricanes that hit Florida within a short time frame. Amy Sebring: First, for the benefit of any first-timers, we will go over the order of business. We will begin with a presentation and then we will proceed to your questions and comments. Amy Sebring: We will provide further instructions just before we begin the Q&A section, but you may wish to jot down your questions or comments as we go along. Amy Sebring: Please do not send private messages to our speaker or the moderator, as we will be busy with the presentation. If you need assistance, you may send a private message to Avagene. Amy Sebring: An edited transcript of today's session will be available by later this afternoon -- just check back on our home page or the background page (refresh the pages as needed). Amy Sebring: If you are using the default Java version of the software, and cannot see a list of participants at the right side of your screen, just try making your screen a little smaller to force it to display correctly. Amy Sebring: Now, it is my pleasure to introduce Dr. Terry Egan, immediate past Chair of EMAC, and Manager of the Mitigation, Analysis and Plans Unit, for the Emergency Management Division (EMD) of the Washington Military Department. Amy Sebring: Dr. Egan joined Washington State Service in 1990 after serving for over 20 years in the U.S. Air Force in a variety of command and staff positions where he retired from active service with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Amy Sebring: He is also the principal investigator for a NASA research grant and has the lead for critical infrastructure protection for Washington State. Amy Sebring: Also joining us today to help answer your questions is Leon Shaifer, who participated in that earlier session with us. Leon has since retired from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, but he continues to stay involved with EMAC. Amy Sebring: Please note that the Background Page for today's session has further biographical information, as well as links to some relevant resources on today's topic. Amy Sebring: Welcome to you both, and thank you for joining us today. In the interest of time, Avagene will input Dr. Egan's opening remarks. Ava, please start us off when you are ready please. Avagene Moore: Thanks Amy. I would like to start off with a question ... Avagene Moore: Did you ever borrow something from one of your neighbors? Borrowing from neighbors is the guiding principle of EMAC only on a grander, national scale. Avagene Moore: The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is a mutual aid agreement and partnership between states that pledges personnel and equipment resource support in the event of disasters that out strip a state's capability to respond. Avagene Moore: EMAC exists because, from hurricanes to earthquakes and from wildfires to toxic waste spills, all states share a common enemy: the constant threat of disaster. This cooperative agreement currently encompasses 48 states, District of Columbia and 2 territories (Virgin Islands & Puerto Rico) as signatories. Avagene Moore: Each year one EMAC signatory assumes the National Coordinating Group (NCG) role. The purpose of the National Coordinating Group is to function as the central coordinating element to facilitate the flow of resources ... Avagene Moore: from EMAC member states and territories to the requesting disaster-affected state. Washington State Emergency Management Division staff served in the role as the EMAC National Coordinating Group from September 2003, until September 2004. Avagene Moore: Since August 11, 2004, in response to Hurricanes Bonnie, Charley, Frances, and Ivan, the Washington State Emergency Management Division staff, serving as the National Coordinating Group, were fully engaged on a daily basis as the national facilitator ... Avagene Moore: assisting Florida's Hurricane Disaster response effort with personnel and equipment assistance through EMAC communication channels. For Bonnie, Charley and Frances, EMAC positioned over 550 personnel from 31 states in 18 disciplines: Avagene Moore: Emergency Operations Center Specialist ... Avagene Moore: Community Relations, Forestry Command, Mass Care, Disaster Recovery Center Management, Human Services, Housing Assistance, Infrastructure Specialist, ... Avagene Moore: EMAC A-Team Coordinators, Donations Management, Operations Management, Logistics, Health and Medical Services, Animal Control, Finance and Administration, Administrative Support, ... Avagene Moore: Human Resources, and Amateur Radio Operations. National Guard helicopters, trucks, C-130s, and communication equipment have also been facilitated via the EMAC process. Avagene Moore: Although the national guard has not been counted in the EMAC totals, they were involved in search and rescue, debris removal, damage, assessment, and air transport, to name but a few of the vital missions they performed during this series of disasters. Avagene Moore: In short, the disaster response in support of Florida has been te largest EMAC deployment in the history of the compact. Ultimately, the response totaled over 800 people from 38 states. Avagene Moore: The Washington State Emergency Management Division recently transferred its role as the EMAC National Coordinating Group to the state of New York. EMD began this transition in August 2004 with an exercise ... Avagene Moore: to familiarize New York emergency managers with the processes surrounding EMAC. During this exercise two staff members from Washington State traveled to New York in order to provide training and lessons learned. Avagene Moore: During the actual transition which occurred in the middle of the Florida Hurricanes, a Washington State EMD staff member was dispatched to Albany to work with New York State Emergency Management to facilitate ... Avagene Moore: a seamless transition of the National Coordinating Group from Washington to New York State. An absolutely flawless transition was completed at the National Emergency Management Association's annual conference on September 11, 2004 in New York City. Avagene Moore: The response to the August and September Hurricanes resulted in staff deployed to the FEMA National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) at the FEMA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., ... Avagene Moore: the Florida EOC in Tallahassee, the Alabama State EOC in Clanton, Disaster Field Offices in both Florida and Alabama and numerous local EOC's in both of those states.This series of events resulted in a number of historic "firsts" in the history of the compact: Avagene Moore: * Washington was the first National Coordinating Group to come in on a hurricane (Isabel) and go out on three; Avagene Moore: * First use of FEMA-NEMA reimbursement procedures for personnel deployed to the NEOC; Avagene Moore: Another first ... Avagene Moore: * First deployment of California assets under EMAC (using a Governor-to-Governor agreement under EMAC provisions). Avagene Moore: * First simultaneous disaster with EMAC personnel deployed working one disaster (Charley) with another occurring (Frances) and again from Frances to Ivan; Avagene Moore: * First National Coordinating Group transition exercise and first transition exercise with a real event (staffing A-team for Florida); Avagene Moore: * First National Coordinating Group transition in the middle of a disaster; and, Avagene Moore: * Was by far, the largest response effort in the history of the compact. Avagene Moore: The multiple hurricanes response stressed EMAC procedures and policies as never before. As a result, significant policy discussions will come about as a result of the after action review process. Avagene Moore: For example, one of the issues that came up early in the event was the issue of animal care. The National Humane Society has staff who can provide care, but they are not agents of the state for the purpose of EMAC deployments ... Avagene Moore: nor are they federal agents provided for in the National Response Plan. Nevertheless, the bottom line to the hurricanes of 2004 is that EMAC works - - and works exceedingly well. Avagene Moore: That concludes my introduction. Leon and I will be happy to answer your questions, so I will turn the session back over to our Moderator. Amy Sebring: Thank you very much Ava. Our protocol for audience questions is to enter a question mark ? to indicate you wish to ask a question or make a comment. ricktobin: ? Amy Sebring: Then go ahead and compose your question or comment to have it ready, but do NOT hit your Enter key or click on the Send button until you are recognized by name. Please WAIT your turn. We will take questions in the order the question marks are sent to the screen. Amy Sebring: ONE QUESTION AT A TIME please. There is a system limitation on length of one entry, so please keep them reasonable in length. If you have a follow up, please get back on line with another ? Amy Sebring: We are ready to begin now... Amy Sebring: Rick, when you are ready please. ricktobin: I was curious how the California deployment worked since I was led to understand that EMAC had to be adopted by a state legislature first, which has never happened in Califonria. GregPadgettIEM: ? Terry Egan: It worked exceedingly well according to the CA OES folks who I talked with... Terry Egan: There is a provision in EMAC procedures for a non-EMAC state to assist an EMAC state by signing a Gov to Gov agreement.... Chilinda WIllis: ? Terry Egan: With the help of the OES Director and Staff we were able to develop a very simple document signed by Governors Bush and Shwarzenegger. Amy Sebring: Greg next please. GregPadgettIEM: Who selects which signatory will be chosen as the National Coord. Group? Shannon Smith: ? Terry Egan: Glad you asked... Terry Egan: On the Chat today is Jeff Phillips from New Mexico who is the EMAC Chair-elect.... Terry Egan: He was unanimously voted in as the Chair-elect by the EMAC Operations Subcommittee at the NEMA Annual Conference in NYC in Sep. Amy Sebring: Shannon next please. Shannon Smith: Does EMAC include assistance with response to public health emergencies, such as bioterrorism? Terry Egan: Yes, a case in point is the recent hurricanes... Terry Egan: We dispatched a number of nurses to Florida to assist in patient care. We also used USPS resources as well.... Avagene Moore: ? Terry Egan: In addition, there is a national effort to vet and credential doctors and other health practitioners and to give them hospital priviledges... Terry Egan: I am on a FEMA-sponsored national working group that is dealing with these issues... Terry Egan: I expect that the resolution of which will take some time and probably some national legislation. Amy Sebring: Chilinda next please. Chilinda WIllis: Were the personnel that EMAC deployed during the hurricane effort tracked by EMAC or by FEMA? Terry Egan: Yes, tracking is REALLY important..... GregPadgettIEM: ? Terry Egan: We had to do some forward and retrograde movement of EMAC staffers doing the hurricane and tracking them and making sure they were in safe locations was a HUGE issue for us. Safety of our poeple is job one. Lloyd Bokman: ? Amy Sebring: To clarify, EMAC was responsible for tracking Terry? Michael Hind: What methods did EMAC use for tracking? Amy Sebring: Well, we are out of sequence but since the question is up there ... Amy Sebring: please go ahead and address the question by Michael regarding methods please Terry. Terry Egan: EMAC A-teams on the ground are responsbile for tracking the whereabouts of EMAC assets (people and equipment) that are deployed to an affected state both for safety and accountability reasons. Amy Sebring: Thanks. Avagene please. Avagene Moore: Terry, how is EMAC connected as far as communications in times of activation or for communications between activations? Terry Egan: The A-teams maintain rosters of personnel and equipment showing their location and employment. for EMAC personnel they keep info on who they are working for, where they are billeted, and how to reach them in an emergency. Terry Egan: If a state needs assistance they can call, fac, or email the National Coordinating Group.... Terry Egan: The NCG will respond in a timely fashion... Terry Egan: There is also an EMAC web site that member states can access.... Terry Egan: to send out what we refer to as an "EMAC Blast"... Terry Egan: that goes to all member states.. Terry Egan: This can be used to "shop" for resources or to request them outrright... Terry Egan: or a state can go directly to another member state directly for assistance... Terry Egan: as did West Virginia three times in the past year... Terry Egan: They had flooding problems and secured assistance from the Virginina Nationa Guard... Terry Egan: trucks, drivers, etc. Amy Sebring: Greg next please. GregPadgettIEM: Were there any shortages based on requests for personnel or materials, or were all requests able to be met? Lauren McLane: ? Amy Sebring: ? Terry Egan: During Hurricane Isabel last year, which was the first EMAC event that we worked, we ran out of Individual Assistance and Public Assistance specialists... Terry Egan: Keep in mind that we do not accumulate resourcess... Terry Egan: we fill orders on a first-come, first-served basis. Amy Sebring: Leon, would you like to add? Leon Shaifer: Due to the length of the operations... Leon Shaifer: the NCG had to go back to states who are previously helped.... Isabel McCurdy: ? Leon Shaifer: to recruite A-Team personnel to fill the continued needs.... Leon Shaifer: this put a lot of pressure on the NCG, but the states met the challenge. Amy Sebring: Lloyd next please. Lloyd Bokman: State government resources going to another state through EMAC seems to work well. How would you say most EMAC states do in getting its local government resources identified, mobilized and deployed to another state through the home state and EMAC? Do most states have internal or intrastate procedures or databases in place to accomplish this task? Terry Egan: Good question... Terry Egan: One of the biggest issues that came up.... ricktobin: ? Terry Egan: I had several calls from states wanting to know how to make a local emergency management employee an agent of the state for the purposes of EMAC deployments... Terry Egan: My reply was, "I don't know how your state laws read, but here's how we do it"... Terry Egan: We sign and MOA with local jurisdictions and this is how we make them an agent of the state. Does that answer your question? Chris Lynch: ? Lloyd Bokman: Yes Amy Sebring: Leon, would you like to add about the intrastate agreements? Leon Shaifer: This can be accomplished legally in a number of ways.... Leon Shaifer: the state can use locals via a State (specific) reservists type program... Leon Shaifer: or pre-disaster contractual arrangements.. Leon Shaifer: or, as Terry stated, an MOU.... Leon Shaifer: the important thing that must exists.... Terry Egan: Amy, I see Tina Curry from California is one the chat. She was a HUGE help in getting CA OES resources deployed to Florida. Perhaps someone has a question of her? Leon Shaifer: as far as the Compact language is concerned.... Leon Shaifer: is that anyone sent to another state under EMAC... Leon Shaifer: must be considered a state employee.... Leon Shaifer: or an express or implied agent of the state inorder to obtain protection under the law... Leon Shaifer: for Worker's Comp and legal liability. Amy Sebring: Thanks Leon. ... Amy Sebring: (If folks would like to ask Tina a question, they can ask her directly with a private message perhaps) ... Amy Sebring: Lauren is next please. Lauren McLane: Who pays for resources activated through EMAC both on FEMA declared disasters and on non-FEMA disasters? Terry Egan: Another good question... Terry Egan: Initially, the requested state does... Terry Egan: One of the key provisions of the EMAC compact is that the state guarantee payment to assisting states... Terry Egan: that resolves a lot of uncertainly... Terry Egan: however, FEMA will reimburse requesting states up to 75% of costs in a presidentially-declared disaster... GregPadgettIEM: ? Terry Egan: states have found that paying 25% of the cost is more than acceptable if they can get the help they need in a timely fashion... Terry Egan: deployments can happen in a matter of hours and typically last from one to two weeks. Amy Sebring: Leon, would you like to add? Leon Shaifer: FEMA R&R Policy 9523.6 requires that mutual aid agreeements must be in place prior to a declaration in order for those costs to be eligible. Amy Sebring: Leon, I understand you have been involved with the resource-typing effort under NIMs ... Amy Sebring: how does that tie in with EMAC? Leon Shaifer: That project is critically important... Leon Shaifer: it will ultimately expedite the identication of specific resources... Leon Shaifer: what the capability of those resources are..... Leon Shaifer: who is the POC for acquiring those resources...... Leon Shaifer: and finally, ensuring that the Requesting State is getting exactly what they need, when they need it..... Leon Shaifer: Approximately 66 various resources have been typed..... Leon Shaifer: so far, and at least that many more will be finished (hopefully) by the end of December..... Terry Egan: Apparently, Leon is having some technical difficulty... Leon Shaifer: and made available on the FEMA web site Terry Egan: So let me answer that... Amy Sebring: Terry, we are seeing Leon OK. Amy Sebring: Isabel is next please. Isabel McCurdy: Terry, since disasters have no borders and shortages occur as evidenced in the recent flu vaccine, does EMAC have Canadian contacts or is EMAC strictly American-based initiative? Amy Sebring: Ok, I think we are having a problem with Terry connection ... Amy Sebring: one sec please. Leon, can you reply to Isabel? Leon Shaifer: yes.... Leon Shaifer: EMAC cannot enter into agreements;;; Leon Shaifer: another country.... Leon Shaifer: The U. S. Congress authorized EMAC in Public Law 104-321.... Leon Shaifer: and EMAC is therefore a state-to-state agreeement; however...... Leon Shaifer: the states in both the NE and NW...... Leon Shaifer: have entered into agreements with Canadian Provinces using EMAC as a guide, so to speak. Amy Sebring: (Terry has made it back successfully.) Rick next please. ricktobin: You answered my question on worker liability. thx Amy Sebring: Ok, we have Chris next please. Chris Lynch: My question was answered -- Thank you. Amy Sebring: Ok, Greg next. GregPadgettIEM: Back on the "who pays issue" - I understand that there is a procedure where FEMA will reimburse 100% of all costs in a disaster during a certain timeframe immediately following the event......in that case rf a state sends resources during that event, would it be eligible for the 100% reimbursement as well? Terry Egan: Let me field that to Leon. Leon Shaifer: I wasn't sure that FEMA..... Leon Shaifer: paid anything 100% any more; howver...... Leon Shaifer: having said that.... Leon Shaifer: if a state has a pre-existing mutual aid compact in place..... Leon Shaifer: and implements that agreement during a disaster...... Leon Shaifer: and subsequently the Governor of that State..... Leon Shaifer: requests the President to declare an emergency declaration (Section 401 Stafford Act)..... Leon Shaifer: then the state would be eligible for no less than 90% of all eligible costs for categories A and B. Amy Sebring: Have we addressed the situation when there is no presidential declaration? jeff phillips: may I? Amy Sebring: I think that was asked earlier. Amy Sebring: Jeff, please. jeff phillips: in Greg's question the issue is the assisting state. the asssisting state will be made whole. Amy Sebring: Terry, can you address the undeclared disasters if we haven't already? Amy Sebring: (Then I have a final question for Leon) Terry Egan: Let me just reiterate what Jeff said... Terry Egan: The assisting state is going to be reimbursed under any circumstances because... Terry Egan: the provisions of the compact mandate it and when we request resources we sign a document... Amy Sebring: Thanks. Leon, EMAC/NEMA has also developed a model inTRAstate mutual aid agreement. Have any states gone through that process that you know of? Amy Sebring: (oops, finger slipped. please complete terry) Terry Egan: called a Request-A which is a legal contract between the requesting and the assisting states, Leon Shaifer: The assisting state is reimbursed for 100 % of Excuse me I was phasing a response to the previous question... Amy Sebring: Ok, my fault. I think we have the idea re reimbursement ... Leon Shaifer: A number of states have Intra-state compacts that pre-date the NEMA Intrastate Mutual Aid model..... Leon Shaifer: however, the Model will help those states without mutual aid to comply with the legal requirements within their particular state. Chris Lynch: Wondering how the A-Teams are determined? Terry Egan: We determined teams based on what we new about their experience in deployments... Leon Shaifer: Chris, are you asking about A-Team compostion? Chris Lynch: Yes Terry Egan: we are working on a database that will type folks so we can mix and match experienced folks with newbies. Leon Shaifer: Each member state has the responsibility for recruiting and maintaining....... Leon Shaifer: an A-Team comprised of at least 2 to 4 individual's who have received the EMAC A-Team training... Leon Shaifer: The A-Teams are responsible for deploying to an affected state upon their request........ Leon Shaifer: to broker resources on behalf of the Requesting State... Leon Shaifer: The Requesting State pays for their expenses via the REQ-A process.... Leon Shaifer: which is virtually a legal contract when properly executed by the Authorized Representatives of both the Requesting and Assisting States. Amy Sebring: That's all we have time for today. Thank you very much Terry and Leon for taking the time to share this information with us today. Great job. We wish you continued success in your efforts. Please stand by a moment while we make some quick announcements .... Amy Sebring: We have a new partner to announce, the International Center for Enterprise Preparedness (InterCEP), URL http://www.nyu.edu/ccpr/rojects/intercep.html , and POC: Catharine Taylor, Program Executive. Amy Sebring: We are very pleased to welcome InterCEP. If your organization is interested in becoming an EIIP Partner, please see the link on our home page, Partnership for You. Amy Sebring: Again, the transcript will be posted late this afternoon and you will be able to access it from our home page or the background page. We also have a great archive of transcripts which you can access by topic from the home page. Amy Sebring: If you are not currently on our mailing list, and would like to get program announcements and notices of transcript availability, please see the Subscribe link on our home page. Amy Sebring: Thanks to everyone for participating today. Great questions and comments. We stand adjourned but before you go, please help me show our appreciation to Terry and Leon for a fine job. //gavel