ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton today authorized one Minnesota Individual Assistance Program Specialist from the Department of Public Safety to aid in disaster recovery assistance for the State of California. Devastating wildfires have burned extensively through Butte County in November, displacing Californians, causing loss of life, and destroying thousands of homes and public infrastructure. Governor Dayton approved this request for assistance through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), to provide additional support and aid for people displaced from their homes by the wildfires.

 

Minnesota’s Individual Assistance Program Specialist has completed the required training in their discipline, and has experience implementing and managing federal or state-level disaster recovery assistance through the FEMA Individual and Households Program (IHP). They will work with victims of the natural disaster and connect them to valuable resources, such as sheltering, unemployment, crisis counseling, legal services, and long-term recovery practices. They will assist in the disaster recovery for a total of 25 days, beginning Wednesday, November 28, 2018.

 

The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is a mutual aid agreement between all 50 states. Under the Compact, a state in need of emergency assistance may request resources (people, equipment, etc.) from other states based on their needs. Agencies in other states with available 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. To learn more about the EMAC process, CLICK HERE.

 

-