Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)
Administered by CSG's affiliate organization, the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), EMAC is a mutual aid agreement and partnership between states that exists because, from hurricanes to earthquakes and from wildfires to toxic waste spills, all states share a common enemy: the constant threat of disaster. EMAC offers a quick and easy way for states to send personnel and equipment to help disaster relief efforts in other states. Requests for EMAC assistance are legally binding, contractual arrangements which make states that ask for help responsible for reimbursing all out-of-state costs and liable for out-of-state personnel. EMAC allows states to ask for whatever assistance they need for any emergency, from earthquakes to acts of terrorism. On the other hand, states are not forced to send any assistance unless they are able to. EMAC's simple procedures also mean states can dispense with bureaucratic wrangling.