(1) The State and Province Emergency Management Assistance Memorandum of Agreement is made and entered into by and among such of the jurisdictions as shall enact or adopt this agreement. For the purposes of this agreement, the term participating jurisdictions may initially include any or all of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, New York, and Wisconsin, and the Canadian Provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. Other states and provinces may hereafter become a participating jurisdiction to this agreement and for that purpose, the term “states” is taken to mean the several states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and all United States territorial possessions. The term “province” means the 10 political units of government within Canada.

  (2) The purpose of this agreement is to provide for the possibility of mutual assistance among the participating jurisdictions entering into this agreement in managing any emergency or disaster when the affected participating jurisdiction or jurisdictions ask for assistance, whether arising from natural disaster, technological hazard, man-made disaster, or civil emergency aspects of resource shortages.

  (3) This agreement also provides for the process of planning mechanisms among the agencies responsible for mutual cooperation, including civil emergency preparedness exercises, testing, or other training activities using equipment and personnel simulating performance of any aspect of the giving and receiving of aid by participating jurisdictions or subdivisions of participating jurisdictions during emergencies, with such actions occurring outside emergency periods.