California continues to answer the call for assistance in other states. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) deployed two additional personnel to Alaska to assist with recovery operations for residents displaced by a series of catastrophic storms in October.
The CDSS team will support Alaska by providing expertise in donation management and disaster recovery services, including case management, food and housing assistance, and unemployment support, to help affected Alaskans recover from the impacts of the October storms. The deployment is expected to last for two weeks.
Coordinated by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) at the request of the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the mission is being fulfilled through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). EMAC is a nationwide mutual aid system that enables states to request and send personnel, equipment and resources to assist with response and recovery efforts in other states.
California stands ready to send additional support if requested. These deployments do not affect the state’s ability to respond to emergencies here at home.
California-based resources have been deployed to a long list of state, national, and even international disasters. Earlier this year, California resources responded to Texas, New Mexico, Oregon, Jamaica, Arizona, and Puerto Rico. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, 1992 Hurricane Iniki (Hawaii), the September 11, 2001 attacks, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, Hurricane Ian, and the Oklahoma City Bombing, are among other events California has supported.