Coconino County Emergency Management recently assisted the State of Hawaii in response to the August wildfires on the island of Maui.
As a result of the devastating wildfires that impacted Lahaina and Upper Kula on Maui, officials in Hawaii have been coordinating response and recovery efforts with local and federal partners. Through this coordination, Hawaii activated the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). EMAC is an all-hazards, all disciplines mutual aid compact that allows states to share resources and provide assistance to one another during times of disaster.
As a signatory to EMAC, the State of Arizona received requests from the State of Hawaii for trained subject matter experts to assist with disaster operations.
“In the face of adversity, cooperation becomes the bedrock of resilience. The State of Arizona, a steadfast signatory to the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), is committed to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our fellow states during challenging times. By leveraging our local partners such as Coconino County Emergency Management, with the support of state emergency management, and through the common frameworks of EMAC and the Arizona Mutual Aid Compact Arizona, was able to support communities when they needed it most”, said Gabe Lavine, Division Director of Emergency Management at Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA).
Tim Carter, Deputy Director for Coconino County Emergency Management, recently returned from a 21-day deployment to the State of Hawaii’s Emergency Operations Center. During his time in Hawaii, Carter served as Deputy Operations Section Chief in the State Emergency Operations Center. In addition to supporting response and recovery missions from the Maui Wildfires, Carter also provided technical expertise for the Mililani Mauka wildfire, which started on the island of Oahu on October 30, 2023.
“The Maui wildfires resulted in tremendous loss of life and millions of dollars in property damage and will result in years of recovery work for the people of Hawaii. We were honored for the opportunity to use our knowledge and experience to assist our partners in Hawaii as they work to rebuild their communities,” said Carter.