MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota has sent two emergency management teams to Massachusetts to help in the response to Hurricane Sandy.

Massachusetts requested the teams, totaling five people, through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual aid agreement between states.

They include officials from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the City of Excelsior, Allina Medical and Hennepin County. They’re expected to stay for 10 days and work out of a command center in suburban Boston.

They include Excelsior Fire Chief Scott Gerber, who volunteered last year to help Massachusetts respond to Hurricane Irene, and Hennepin County Emergency Management Director Eric Wagge, who helped Alabama with tornado recovery last year. He tells the Star Tribune that working on disasters is much better than training drills for developing emergency response skills.