State police superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan says 74 of his troopers are in Washington, D.C. helping with the situation at the Capitol, getting the call following an EMAC, Emergency Management Assistance Compact, request made once a state of emergency was declared. 

“By about 11 last night, we had 74 troopers on a post on the western perimeter of the Capitol building,” says Col. Callahan.

As police in the nation’s capital struggled to regain control Wednesday, a call was made for assistance to neighboring states such as Virginia, Maryland, and also New Jersey.

“I am honored that were regarded as an agency that’s ready to mobilize that quickly,” says Col. Callahan. “That EMAC is something that we are always ready to respond to, it doesn’t matter if it’s Hawaii for the volcanoes, California for wildfires. So, when the mayor put out that request through her emergency management folks, we were at the ready.”

New Jersey State Police have assisted in Baltimore, Houston and Puerto Rico -- as well as other locations. The type of mutual support goes both ways.

“If you remember after Sandy, we had employed EMAC and we had Louisiana troopers here, Missouri troopers, troopers from all over the country,” says Col. Callahan. “Yes, I want them to be safe first and foremost and for them to secure the capital to make sure that the crowd is safe. They’re going to meet back at the command post this afternoon and will know further with regards to the length of this deployment.”

Col. Callahan says the troopers are prepared to be in D.C. as long as they are needed. All troopers recently took part in Mobile Field Force Training.