Multiagency Coordination System

Multiagency Coordination System
Name	Multiagency Coordination System
Abbreviation	MACS
Type	Interagency coordination framework
Established	1990s
Jurisdiction	United States (primarily), adopted internationally
Related	National Incident Management System, Incident Command System, Emergency Operations Center

Multiagency Coordination System

A Multiagency Coordination System (MACS) is an organized framework used to facilitate coordination among multiple Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security, State of California, New York City, Los Angeles County, FEMA National Integration Center and other public, private, and nongovernmental organizations during complex incidents. It brings together representatives from entities such as Department of Defense, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Red Cross, National Guard Bureau, and Transport Security Administration to assist Mayor of New York City, Governor of California, or tribal leaders in resource allocation, policy decisions, and strategic priorities. MACS is embedded within doctrines like the National Incident Management System and interoperates with systems such as the Incident Command System and Emergency Operations Center operations at local, state, and federal levels.

Overview

A MACS provides a platform linking stakeholders including United States Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to manage incidents that surpass single-agency capability. The concept originated from interagency lessons learned after events such as the Hurricane Katrina response and the 9/11 attacks, evolving through guidance from the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006. Core elements are coordination, resource prioritization, and situational awareness among parties like Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Los Angeles Fire Department, and tribal emergency management offices.

Purpose and Principles

MACS aims to ensure unified strategic guidance among entities such as United States Northern Command, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Communications Commission, National Institutes of Health, and U.S. Geological Survey during incidents spanning jurisdictions. Principles include coordination, unity of effort, accountability, and information sharing among partners like World Health Organization partners in international public health events, or United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in multinational disaster response. MACS emphasizes scalable, adaptable leadership similar to Joint Chiefs of Staff planning and integrates legal authorities such as provisions from the Stafford Act.

Structure and Components

Typical MACS elements involve policy groups, coordination centers, and resource management cells staffed by representatives from organizations like Department of Transportation, United States Postal Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and state emergency management agencies. Components often mirror constructs from National Response Framework chapters and include liaison functions akin to those used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IX coordination teams. Physical venues may include regional Emergency Operations Centers operated by entities such as King County, City of San Francisco, State of Texas, and multinational coordination hubs modeled on NATO civil emergency planning.

Roles and Responsibilities

Participants in a MACS typically represent executives from agencies such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Forest Service, and Department of Health and Human Services. Their responsibilities cover policy guidance, resource prioritization, and interorganizational liaison similar to duties held within National Security Council meetings or Presidential Homeland Security Council briefings. Designated roles include coordination lead (often from a singular authority such as a governor’s office or Federal Emergency Management Agency regional director), operations support from entities like American Red Cross chapters, and legal advisors referencing statutes like the Posse Comitatus Act.

Activation and Operations

MACS activation protocols are often triggered by declarations from officials such as a Governor of Louisiana or the Secretary of Homeland Security, or by thresholds described in plans used by Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia or New York Police Department. Once activated, MACS operations coordinate logistics via partners like United Parcel Service, Federal Aviation Administration, and Amtrak, manage public health support with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration, and synchronize communications with Federal Communications Commission and National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Training and Exercises

Development of MACS capabilities relies on exercises and training led by institutions such as the Emergency Management Institute, National Guard Bureau, Department of Homeland Security Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, and university programs at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Kennedy School. Exercises range from tabletop seminars modeled on Homeland Security Presidential Directive scenarios to full-scale drills involving U.S. Northern Command and intermodal partners like Port Authority Trans-Hudson operations. After-action reports drawing on experience from Hurricane Sandy and Deepwater Horizon oil spill inform doctrine updates.

Implementation and Case Studies

Implementation examples include regional MACS activations during Hurricane Katrina, coordinated federal-state responses for Hurricane Sandy, and interagency management during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, where entities like Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, and U.S. Coast Guard worked through shared coordination structures. International adaptations have been observed in frameworks influenced by European Union civil protection mechanisms and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction guidance. Case studies highlight challenges in information sharing among systems used by FEMA Region II, State of Florida, and local jurisdictions, and successes where unified policy direction from executives such as a State Governor or municipal mayor resolved competing resource demands.

Category:Emergency management