National Incident Management System
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Multiagency Coordination Group (MAC Group)
MAC Groups, sometimes called policy groups, are part of the off-site incident management
structure of NIMS. MAC Groups consist of representatives from stakeholder agencies or
organizations. They are established and organized to make cooperative multiagency decisions.
MAC Groups act as policy-level bodies during incidents, supporting resource prioritization and
allocation, and enabling decision making among elected and appointed officials and those
responsible for managing the incident (e.g., the Incident Commander). In some instances, EOC
staff also carry out this activity.
MAC Groups typically consist of agency administrators, executives, or their designees.
Organizations at any level (e.g., local, state, tribal, or Federal) or within any discipline (e.g.,
emergency management, public health, critical infrastructure, or private sector) may establish a
MAC Group. In some jurisdictions, local law or policy may require a MAC Group to authorize
additional resources and/or provide guidance to EOC staff and/or incident command.
MAC Groups are primarily responsible for resource prioritization and allocation. Unlike Unified
Command, they do not perform incident command functions, nor do they replace the primary
functions of operations, coordination, or dispatch organizations. When competition for resources
is significant, MAC Groups may relieve the coordination and dispatch organizations of some
prioritization and allocation responsibilities.
The composition of MAC Groups is important. Sometimes membership is obvious.
Organizations directly affected and whose resources are committed to the incident should be
represented. Sometimes, however, organizations that should be MAC Group members are less
obvious. These include business organizations such as local chambers of commerce, volunteer
organizations such as the American Red Cross, or other organizations with special expertise or
knowledge. While these organizations may not have tangible resources or funds to contribute,
their relationships, political influence, or technical expertise can be key to the MAC Group’s
success in supporting incident response and recovery. MAC Group designees should have their
respective organization’s authorization to represent or commit agency resources and funds for
incident activities. MAC Groups typically base their decisions on member consensus. In many
cases, a MAC Group can function virtually.
Elected and appointed officials are key players in incident management. They are responsible for
the safety and welfare of their constituents and the overall effectiveness of incident management
efforts. Governors, tribal leaders, mayors, city managers, and county commissioners, for
example, typically comprise the policy level of incident management and provide guidance
regarding priorities and strategies for dealing with incident response and recovery. Incident
personnel working in EOCs and on scene share the responsibility for keeping elected and
appointed officials informed regarding the situation, resource needs, and other pertinent
information. Effective communication between these incident personnel and policy-level
officials fosters trust and helps ensure that all leaders have the information they need to make
informed decisions. MAC Groups provide a way to organize policy-level officials to enhance
unity of effort at this senior level.
A MAC Group may need administrative and/or logistical support. In some instances, staff in
EOCs provide this support. In other instances, separate organizations are established to support