Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced Friday that resources from the Commonwealth of Virginia will be dispatched to Louisiana in response to the threat of Hurricane Ike.

Twenty-one Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries conservation police officers were scheduled to deploy Friday to Jennings, Louisiana, west of Baton Rouge, to provide maritime law enforcement support in response to Hurricane Ike. Kaine activated the Emergency Management Assistance Compact and authorization for the deployment.

“We are always ready to help other states in these types of emergencies,” says Kaine. “We will share our resources and help in any way we can.”

Reports are that the area is flooded and is expecting a significant storm surge.

All officers volunteered for this assignment. The remaining conservation police officers will cover the volunteers’ work areas while they are gone. They are expected to be in Louisiana until September 22.

Kaine activated the Emergency Management Assistance Compact on August 29 to help states on the Gulf Coast prepare for and respond to the potential impacts of Hurricane Gustav. EMAC is a national interstate mutual aid agreement that enables states to share resources during times of disaster. He recently extended the EMAC to include Hurricane Ike.

As a result of EMAC activation, many Virginia state agencies, localities and organizations identified and readied resources that can be deployed and are standing by to respond to additional requests as they are received.

Kaine asks any volunteers or first responders to refrain from self-deploying. Those who wish to help should contact a volunteer organization with a response mission, such as those listed on the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster Website.