Illinois Fire Service Sets Mutual Aid Pace for Nation

On August 26, 2010 the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System – MABAS (“may-bus”) demonstrated disaster mobilization and deployment capabilities through a benchmark, standard-setting exercise. The exercise involved 33 MABAS Divisional task forces with 297 different fire agency vehicles participating and over 900 firefighting personnel from four (4) states. The exercise was done in conjunction with the 2010 Fire Rescue International conference sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) at McCormick Place from August 23-28, 2010.

As a result of this mobilization deployment exercise, Illinois’ MABAS statewide fire/EMS/special operations Mutual Aid Plan was likely validated as one of the most effective plans in the nation by IAFC. The IAFC is under agreement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to validate and/or assist in the development of each state’s Fire Service Mutual Aid Plan.

The mobilization and deployment exercise kicked off with an exercise scenario simulating a large, tornado-spawning storm line hitting the multi-county Chicago metro area causing a multitude of fire-rescue incidents overwhelming numerous local municipal resources. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) initiates a declaration of disaster tasking MABAS-Illinois to assemble, mobilize and deploy versatile resource packages capable of handling a wide range of diversified and complex public safety problems throughout the metro Chicago area.

The exercise was in response to a simulated large storm line that spawned tornadoes throughout the Chicago metro, multi-county area. The exercise was also evaluated by professionals attending the conference from all over the United States and Canada.