Mutual Aid Regional Advisory Committee (MARAC)
The Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) was established by state legislation; Senate Bill (SB) 1841, Chapter 1069, Statutes of 1992, which went into effect January 1, 1993 (California Government Code Section 8607). The SEMS Maintenance System was developed as a means to establish and formalize a process for supporting the ongoing improvement and maintenance of California’s overall system for emergency management, including SEMS.
The SEMS Maintenance System consists of three levels of operation:
- SEMS Advisory Board
- SEMS Technical Group
- SEMS Mutual Aid Regional Advisory Committees (MARACs)
Although there is only one Advisory Board and one Technical Group (supported by SEMS Specialist Committees and a Cal OES SEMS Support Unit) there are six MARACs, one for each of the six mutual aid regions.
MARACs were established to provide a broad base for local government participation in the SEMS Maintenance System and are a principal source of input and information into the system. Recommendations from these committees to the SEMS Technical Group provide a means by which SEMS is maintained and improved.
Responsibilities of the MARAC are to:
- Adopt regional goals and objectives that support the development and implementation of SEMS.
- Ensure that local governments, operational areas, special districts and other organizations, including the private sector and non-governmental organizations, are kept informed of the latest information on emergency management and on SEMS.
- Recommend changes or modifications to SEMS to the SEMS Technical Group.
- Provide personnel and/or technical support to SEMS Specialist Committees as appropriate.
- Ensure that local agencies and jurisdictions are provided the opportunity for ongoing comment and suggestions for system improvements.