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MABAS
can anyone tell me if mabas is federally mandated for all fire departments, or more of guideline.
I would greatly appreciate any web sites supporting this.
it will help curb a huge tif going on in our area.
I would greatly appreciate any web sites supporting this.
it will help curb a huge tif going on in our area.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on
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Brent and what is MABAS?
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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Mutual Aid Box Alarm System
I believe it's a state by state system and is voluntary.
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Permalink Reply by Brent Jones on
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Mutual Aid Box Alarm System
Its set up so that if your Dept is running low on resources due to a fire or disaster, that surrounding depts will send an apparatus to cover your firehouses or to respond to your alarm, and then other depts will move up into the other houses. Its one big multiple move up to help cover districts. I think I explained it right. We are very new to this in Milwaukee. If anyone can help define this better, please do so.
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Permalink Reply by Trainer on
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Ralph, it's coming to Michigan....Started in the Chicago burbs in 1968, one of the ideas is if you call for aid, you know exactly what is coming through the box card system, and who you call will not deplete more than 20% of their own resources. It also, through signed agreements, keeps liability with each department. Anything you want to know, www.mabas.org
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Permalink Reply by Dustin Sandrock on
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my dept uses it, and it works really good. the biggest thing is just getting people to use it and how it works. it is a great thing for small rural depts. i feel. its one less thing the ic has to worry about when needing mutual aide.
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97% of the depts in Illinois belong, with a scattering of adjoining states in the mix. States that are working on their own, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Missouri. MABAS has a representative currently working with all adjoining states to work out the legal aspects of running MA calls across state lines since work comp is different state to state. It's tough for us to us it on a normal call, we have automatic aide in place, but in the last couple of years we have had 2 large downtown fires and this is where it shines, 1 call gets it all. Box cards are set up to 5 levels, you just need to determine what level, in our case we called box XX-XXX and this brought 5 engines, 2 ambulances, 1 ladder, and 2 additional chief's, we have since added tenders to this as was never considered when in town, but even with 300,000 gal in storage, flowing big water doesn't take long to make the water dept nervous. MABAS has a huge amount of assets placed with depts around the state along with that they have trained and validated 63 fully equipped hazmat and 42 technical rescue plus 15 IMAT teams, to complement that several mobile command and communication trucks. The idea is if you have that oh-shit, everything you need will be there in 1 hour.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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Brent,
You explained it right. Basically a set alarm response for establishing who responds and for what when outside resources are utilized. MABAS has been new for us up here too, but has been in Dane County and area for several years now. I'm not sure how much Madison Fire was established within MABAS, but they were utilized on several incidents and used MABAS for the Commercial St fire a few years back.
From my understanding through the grapevine was that in order to secure funding grants that there had to be a MABAS plan in place, which is probably why you see more agreements being made. I don't have a link to that at all, but I trust the source of it. I can imagine what the tif is about and we pretty much had the same issues, so far those issues have not come to light, such as we would be going out to our neighbors more or it gives an excuse to cut.
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Wouldn't you have the same problems with any mutual aide? MABAS just gives you a uniform set of standards, and covers liability. We have had this problem, but only isolated, I believe Bettendorf IA, city of maybe 30,000 only had 4 full-timers and used the system to the point that it was obvious, they have since hired more. Some union leaders we concerned that vols would be used to ease overtime but this has never been a problem. As for the grants, it won't affect individual depts, but if you want the terrorism dollar it might.
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we called a mabas for a four alarm fire. ( different dept's covered 9 of our houses, and I appreciate them helping us out. The only problem I have is this....
1. We only have ONE channel in which to talk to them.
2. We use a Mcgard hydrant lock, our surrounding cities do not. and our dept sure isnt going to buy more mcgard wrenches, cause god forbid that will cost money. so if they get a fire while in one of our houses, what are they to do.
3. the dept's around us us storz connections. We only have 4" with storz, and only on about 6 of our engines.
So for us to use mabas right now, its a cluster.
Then someone said it was federally mandated that we be in mabas. When in all accuality, its not. and as someone said earlier, its only being used by us to save money so our Chief and Mayor can try to justify cutting more of our rigs and staffing.
I dont like to sound negative. I believe that mabas is a good thing. Just not when its being used the way our admin is using it. - Attachments:
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HydrantLock01_bg.jpg, 4 KB
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I agree, not the way to use it....
Chicago had the same problem as you, their were several names for it but was called the "Chicago" thread, and they were the only ones. Mabas officials, through grants, got knox boxes on each station, with all required adapters in them.
Communications, there's a road block for everyone, and we have a plan; When you sign an agreement you are suppose to abide by certain standards, one of which is an communications plan. Mabas holds the license for 8 channels, 6 are fire-ground, low power, and 2 paging frequencies and everyone is to have them in their radios, do they?...no but were are working towards it. AFG grants for radio interoperability are almost a sure thing, if you can get say 100% of your mabas division or county depts on board.
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Radio issues, yep here too, don't really care for the solution right now.
Hydrants, the city has different steamer threads than the neighbors, which leads to some challenges, easy to mitigate because one can use the 2.5 outlet, but still an issue. Chances are that two 2.5's may have to be used for supply lines, which may be your issue too.
As for the wrench thing, the responding depts SHOULD be made aware of the issue and SHOULD supply their own in order to sign on. Staffing was an issue for us and it is required for another dept to match our staffing if they are going to come into the city, so some concerns can be addressed.
We have used MABAS a few times already, rarely has a MABAS rig made it to a scene. Right now they do station coverage until reserve rigs are staffed and placed in service. When we're requested outside, it tends to be for RIT because of the different SCBAs and radio issues right now.
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Permalink Reply by Oldman on
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Departments in the Houston Area have been using it for many years. There may be occasional glitches, but as a rule, it allows for less confusion when working multi-alarm responses. There are a couple of departments in a nearby county, where the dispatcher must be told which department to call, otherwise they don't have a clue. There is also a County Wide mutual aid agreement that all 54 city and county departments.
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