The Michigan Emergency Management Assistance Compact (MEMAC), formally the Statewide Mutual Aid Compact (SMAC), is an initiative of the Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (EMHSD). Since the concept was first proposed, MEMAC has undergone extensive reviews and revisions based on input from a variety of local government and public safety officials and their associations.
Modeled after intrastate mutual aid compacts already being successfully implemented in other states, MEMAC is designed to help Michigan’s 1,776 local political subdivisions share vital public safety services and resources more effectively and efficiently. Neither the state nor any local jurisdiction can afford to acquire and maintain all the manpower, equipment and other resources that would be necessary to respond to every possible emergency or major disaster, especially terrorist acts involving chemical, biological or nuclear weapons of mass destruction.
MEMAC creates an organized process and structure spelled out in advance for jurisdictions large and small across the state to render or receive assistance in times of crisis. It addresses problematic issues concerning workmen’s compensation insurance, expense reimbursement and liability coverage, before assistance is needed and requested. Designed to be flexible, MEMAC is also intended to supplement rather than replace existing, local mutual aid agreements already in place to handle "routine" public safety services among neighboring jurisdictions and fire departments. It is important to note that the implementation of MEMAC helps to facilitate the receipt of state or federal disaster funds through the Public Assistance Program.
A necessary element for the success of MEMAC is the adoption of a standardized Incident Command System (ICS) for all participating agencies and jurisdictions. ICS has been used effectively by the fire service for many years, and it provides for a unified command structure when multiple agencies and jurisdictions must respond to a major event.
Effective May 1, 2002, the Michigan Emergency Management Act (Public Act 390 of 1976) was amended to authorize EMD to develop and administer MEMAC. MEMAC is limited to the exchange of personnel, equipment, and other resources in time of emergency, disaster or other serious threats to public health or safety. These arrangements are to be consistent with the Michigan Emergency Management Plan (MEMP). |
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