The State of Mississippi has deployed members of it’s Search and Rescue Team to Virginia, to assist with potential emergency rescue efforts, due to the impacts of Hurricane Florence. The deployment was provided through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) requests by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
There are 42 members headed to the east coast, and they will serve as two swift water rescue teams.
“The Emergency Management community is a very tight knit organization across the nation. All the states and territories pitch in when disaster strikes just as many states did for Mississippi before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina,” said MEMA Executive Director Greg Michel. “Mississippi was honored to send response assets to assist our state partners on the East Coast as they prepare for Hurricane Florence. Our thoughts and prayers remain for all those affected by this massive storm.”
The Emergency Management Assistance Compact is an agreement signed by all 50 states and the U.S. Territories that allows for state-to-state support during disasters. The expenses for all the deployments will be reimbursed to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
To learn more about the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, please visit www.emacweb.org.