**GAO-07-854**                      Published: Jun 29, 2007. Publicly Released: Jul 30, 2007.                  

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## Highlights

The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is a collaborative arrangement among member states that provides a legal framework for requesting resources. Working alongside federal players, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Guard Bureau, EMAC members deployed an unprecedented level of assistance in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Although EMAC played a critical role in our nation's response to these hurricanes, the magnitude of these events revealed limitations. GAO was asked to (1) examine how the use of EMAC has changed since its inception; (2) assess how well existing policies, procedures, and practices facilitate collaboration; and (3) evaluate the adequacy of the EMAC network's administrative capacity to achieve its mission. GAO examined documents and interviewed officials from 45 federal, state, and local agencies and offices.

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## Topics

Homeland Security

Disaster recoveryDisaster relief aidEmergency managementEmergency preparednessFederal aid to statesstate relationsHomeland securityImpacted areasNational GuardProgram evaluationStandardsStrategic planningDisaster management (response)Policies and procedures