Missouri State Emergency Management Operations Chief Deployed to Hawaii

JULY 18, 2018

Jefferson City — This morning, Governor Mike Parson met with State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Director Ernie Rhodes, Department of Public Safety Director Drew Juden, and SEMA Chief of Operations Terry Cassil to thank Cassil for his service before his departure to Hilo, Hawaii.

Cassil, who has been federally deployed to multiple disasters across the United States as a member of Missouri Task Force-1, has been assigned through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) and will serve as a Safety Officer.

EMAC is implemented through the State Emergency Management Agencies, is an all hazards-all disciplines mutual aid compact, and serves as the cornerstone of the nation's mutual aid system. This allows states to use mechanisms (intrastate law, intergovernmental agreements, memorandums of agreement or understanding, and governor executive order) to share resources within their state (from all jurisdictions) with other Member States.

Recovery from the April severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides in the City and County of Honolulu and Kaua’i County has been underway for months, and the need for assistance is still in high demand.

“Deploying SEMA personnel on EMAC missions like this are important because it allows Missouri to serve the communities of the hosting state in conditions and circumstances that are unimaginable," said Director Ernie Rhodes. "Experiences like this also bring back important lessons that we can use here to protect the citizens and make our home, Missouri, more resilient."

Governor Parson said, “We are proud of Terry’s willingness to respond to the call by helping Hawaii. He is a highly qualified individual and a true public servant. We appreciate him representing Missouri and responding to Hawaii’s recovery efforts.”

As a Safety Officer, Cassil’s objective will be the safety of responders, reporting on July 20 and returning home August 2.