ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton today authorized a team of 11 Minnesota building officials to head to the U.S. Virgin Islands, and aid in ongoing reconstruction following Hurricanes Irma and Maria last September. Governor Dayton approved this request through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) to relieve the overburdened Emergency Management System in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Minnesota’s response team includes individuals from the City of Minneapolis who will assist in reconstruction efforts for up to two weeks. The first group will deploy to the Islands beginning Thursday, May 31, 2018, with the second deploying Friday, June 15, 2018. The team includes officials with a combination of electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or building expertise.
About EMAC
EMAC is a mutual aid agreement between all 50 states. A requesting state asks for resources (people, equipment, etc.) based on their needs. Agencies in other states with those resources are able to respond to a request, but there is no obligation to participate. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Homeland Security and Emergency Management division coordinates the state’s EMAC requests.
