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Emergency Management Assistance Compact: Enhancing EMAC's Collaborative and Administrative Capacity Should Improve National Disaster Response
Date: June 2007
Author: Government Accountability Office
Institution: Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs
Bibliographic Entry: Government Accountability Office (2007). “Emergency Management Assistance Compact: Enhancing EMAC's Collaborative and Administrative Capacity Should Improve National Disaster Response.” GAO: Washington, D.C. (Accessed on August 6, 2007 at www.gao.gov/new.items/d07854.pdf).
Electronic Link: www.gao.gov/new.items/d07854.pdf
Key Words: EMAC, GAO, disaster response, Hurricane Katrina, FEMA, Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Summary of Key Points, Issues, Conclusions:
The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) was established in 1995 to provide a legal framework within which to request resources in times of disaster. This study, conducted by The Government Accountability Office (GAO), seeks to examine EMAC’s critical role during disaster and also its limitations as highlighted by major hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Specifically, GAO examines how the use of EMAC has evolved since it begun, its existing policies and practices to see how effectively they point to collaboration, and the adequacy of EMAC’s administrative capacity to achieve its stated mission. In order to complete their research, GAO reviewed key documents and interviewed government officials from 45 federal, state, and local offices. Upon the completion of their study, GAO made recommendations to the Secretaries of DHS and DOD specifically aimed at enhancing the administrative ability of the EMAC network and formalizing certain practices and procedures that would alleviate a heavy load upon EMAC members during disasters.
Name of Researcher: Tara Stockberger
Institution: Integrative Center for Homeland Security, Texas A&M University
Date: August 6, 2007