AUSTIN, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) announced that the agency has deployed personnel in Hawaii to assist communities with their recovery from wildfires that devastated Maui County last month.

“The Texas emergency management personnel deploying to Maui will provide local officials with support staff to aid victims with recovery assistance measures and managing incident expenses at the Maui emergent operations center,” said Nim Kidd, Texas Emergency Management Chief. “Just as responders from other states answer our call when disaster strikes here at home, the State of Texas is assisting with recovery efforts in Hawaii to support our fellow Americans as they rebuild.”

According to officials, under the direction of Governor Greg Abbott, TDEM deployed the following emergency management resources under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact:

• Individual assistance personnel to provide hands-on support with identifying eligibility for —and administering financial assistance programs to — individuals and households affected by the wildfires.
• Disaster Finance Accounting personnel to assist with bookkeeping, supporting management of incident costs, administrative assistance, logging of personnel time, lease negotiations, and vendor contracting.

The Emergency Management Assistance Compact is a state-to-state mutual aid system that enables states to provide assistance and share resources with another state in response to a disaster or emergency. EMAC members can share resources from all disciplines, protect personnel who deploy, and be reimbursed for mission-related costs.

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