ADEM to participate in nationwide terroism exercise
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The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) is participating in the nationwide counterterrorism exercise called "Topoff 2" this week as the lead agency for Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), an interstate mutual aid agreement that allows states to assist one another in responding to natural and man-made disasters.

The five-day drill, which began today, is aimed at testing the ability of local, state and federal authorities to handle terrorist attacks. It is the first of such exercises since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. Participants include governors, mayors, county executives and other elected officials as well as emergency managers, police officers, firefighters, hospital personnel and other emergency responders.

David Maxwell, ADEM deputy director and chairman of the EMAC operations subcommittee, said the role places responsibility on ADEM employees to respond quickly to requests made during the exercise, by coordinating resources and simulating the deployment of those resources from other states.

"This exercise enables emergency responders across the nation to practice their skills and to become more aware of the resources that are available to them in times of crisis. In many disasters, the needed resources may be right across the state line. EMAC enables states to assist each other quickly and does not hamper assistance from the federal government. By bringing in trained state and local emergency managers, EMAC helps to provide continuity when response and recovery efforts start to drain critical personnel."

Last year, EMAC sent more than 30 people to assist with disasters across the nation, including the attack on the World Trade Center in New York.

ADEM will maintain the lead role for EMAC through September 2003.

Since being approved by Congress in 1996 as Public Law 104-321, 47 states and two territories and the District of Columbia have ratified EMAC. The only requirement for joining is for a state's legislature to ratify the language of the compact.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has endorsed EMAC as a vital resource during disasters.