“Because of the scale of the Hurricane Andrew disaster in 1992, the governors of the Southern states organized a regional mutual aid system to facilitate the sharing of resources among their states. The EMAC system was created to supplement state and local resources and to provide essential manpower and equipment in the early stages of disaster. In 1995, the compact was expanded into a national state-to-state mutual aid agreement, and it has become a critical resource for dealing with catastrophic disasters. Its also serves as a mechanism for collaboration at the local, state, and federal levels…It facilitates the sharing of resources across state borders and encourages similar arrangements within state borders…. The EMAC system requires that governors formally request assistance and that funding be available - or at least anticipated - to cover the negotiated expenses”. (Waugh, “EMAC, Katrina, and the Governors of Louisiana”. Public Administration Review (Special Edition), December 2007, pp. 107-108) EMAC is administered by the National Emergency Management Association, the professional organization for state emergency management directors, through its National Coordination Group. EMAC supports a broadcast system for the sharing of information, processes requests for assistance, and provides a Web site with the operations manual, points of contact for state contract officers, and other information… When governors declare states of emergency, EMAC deploys Advance Teams (also known as “A-Teams”) to assist with the process for requesting assistance. The request is communicated to member states by email, the EMAC broadcast system, the EMAC Web site, and other means. Member states consider available resources and costs and contact the state needing assistance. The requesting state considers the offers, makes its choice, and negotiates the terms of the agreement. Changes in mission require further negotiation”. (Ibid, p. 109)