Multi-Agency Coordinating Committees Susan Krala, USCG(civ) RRT9 Meeting, Las Vegas November 1 st 2012

What Are They? An activity or formal system used to coordinate resources and support among agencies or jurisdictions. MACs interact with agencies or jurisdictions not with incidents. MACs are useful for regional situations. A MAC Group functions within the MACS. A MAC Group can be established at a jurisdictional EOC, an incident command post or at a separate facility.

How do you say it? Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) “MAC is an important part of preparedness and response.” Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (MAC Group) Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee “The LEPC is an example of a MACC.” “The Unified Command identified MAC Groups to provide advice.” Multi-Agency Coordination System (MACS) “The Unified Command should use the MACS to its advantage.”

MACS for Oil & Hazmat Incidents Area Committees (SF, LA, SD) Regional Response Team (AZ, CA, NV) National Response Team (federal HQ reps) Arizona Emergency Response Commission

MACS for Coastal Security Incidents Harbor Safety Committee Area Maritime Security Committee

Other MACS Local Emergency Planning Councils (LEPC) Council for Environmental Quality (national) US-Mexico Border 2020 Program (US EPA) others…?

Characteristics of MACCs Well-established, standing committees –or– impromptu committees to address a specific issue. Work on long-term planning projects –or– coordinate emergency response in real time. Local, regional, national or international.

A System…Not a single Facility or Group On-Scene Command Dispatch Resource Coordination Centers Multi-Agency Coordination System Emergency Operations Centers Multi-Agency Coordination Groups

MAC Group Group comprised of agency executives/ representatives to support response efforts Does not have direct Incident involvement (no tactical role/responsibility) May be co-located or communicate via teleconference

Role of a MAC Group Inter-agency decision-making related to: – Coordinating inter-agency and inter-governmental issues regarding incident management policies, priorities, and strategies – Logistics support and critical resource tracking – Resource allocation – Coordinating incident related information A MAC Group is part of the MAC System

Impromptu MAC Groups MAC Groups can be established in the short term to address a specific problem. For example, during the COSCO BUSAN oil spill in San Francisco Bay in The Liaison staff, agency reps & technical specialists from the Environmental Unit had to reach consensus on the question, “How Clean Is Clean?”

“How Clean Is Clean?”

C OSCO B USAN 2007 While in real life the question was resolved within the Unified Command, it could have been referred to an impromptu MAC Group. Advantages include freeing the incident staff to focus on other things, and potentially spending more time with more agencies so the decision doesn’t feel rushed.

C OSCO B USAN 2007 The Unified Commanders might have contacted the USCG Co-Chair to RRT9 to ask him to assemble and lead the MACC. Using his contacts in San Francisco Bay and the spill response community and with stakeholder advise from the Liaison Officer he could have invited concerned parties to participate.

C OSCO B USAN 2007 Working within the time constraint specified by the UC this MACC could have reached consensus on questions such as: – Who decides? (City or county agency with jurisdiction?) – Who will sign off for each beach? – How much cleaning is the RP responsible for? – How will cleanliness be measured? – How much cleanliness is feasible?

MAC Groups Can Be… Established as a standing committee to work continually on related on-going projects. Established on an impromptu basis to assist an existing organization to resolve a limited issue. Assigned problems long term (LEPCs). Local, regional, national, or international.

Questions?