In March 2012, MEMA Operations Manager Allen Phillips began a one-year term as the Chair of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) Executive Task Force, and MEMA assumed the responsibility of serving as the EMAC National Coordinating State (NCS) for one year. The National Coordinating State is the initial point of contact for EMAC operational activities. The NCS monitors potential and actual emergency events nationwide and must be prepared to support states with EMAC needs on short notice by swiftly coordinating with Authorized Representatives and Designated Contacts in impacted states. The NCS recruits the other operational coordination components for deployment and interfaces with the EMAC Program Director during an event. The NCS serves the operations coordination function in the overall EMAC governance structure, as it oversees all EMAC response and recovery operations and ensures that operational procedures are followed, that coordinating teams are adequately staffed, and that timely deployment status reports are issued. The NCS also coordinates with NEMA’s Executive Task Force and NEMA staff to resolve policy and procedural issues during the activation and implementation of EMAC functions. As the Chair of the Executive Task Force, Allen Phillips coordinates MEMA’s NCS activities.

Serving as NCS for one year is a significant responsibility for MEMA, and provides unique opportunities. During the year, MEMA will have daily operational responsibilities, particularly when one or more states are responding to disasters and are seeking state-to-state mutual aid through EMAC. As the coordinating state, MEMA also will have a heightened opportunity to deploy Agency staff to other states, particularly MEMA employees who have received extensive training and are eligible to serve on an EMAC A-Team or Advance Team.