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Permalink Reply by Trainer on December 20, 2008 at 3:51pm

Interesting and welcome from 31; if I read this right you are trying to set up a 1 or 2 man IMAT. Novel concept, but you may be micro-managing a bit. You know the system, each div has a IMAT trailer and some div are listed for response; most normal, if there is such a thing, will not need what you described, only for large scale. Are you talking about a few people per div? What does Mother MABAS think? I’m not trying to talk you out of this, but time may be better spent on educating and implementing for each dept, that’s where the problems are, old habits do dye hard. Now if you are thinking large scale response, then go for it.

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Permalink Reply by Ryan Wessels on December 20, 2008 at 5:11pm

Currently the main reason for the adviser idea is that it is SUCH a new concept for all the departments here that it makes more sense to use an adviser concept as both an assistance tool during incidents but also so that ultimately at least ONE person in each department will become an 'expert' therefore increasing the flow of knowledge outside of a regular incident. Honestly this is the first I"m hearing about IMAT, the original department I was on in Illinois was a member of Div24 and there was no IMAT. They ran the advisory as well, what I've written is sevearly structured for a 90% or higher rural division and almost 90% volunteer staffed division as well. Thanks for the input I will defiantly be looking at IMAT.

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Permalink Reply by Trainer on December 21, 2008 at 6:19am

I may be wrong about every div having an IMAT, now that I think about it our secondary div does not. I like the idea of an expert from each dept, should make the transition a lot easier. Way to often the chief does not pass along enough or to little information. Training will be the easy part; getting 1 or 2 from each dept will be the tough part. One key I see is you div president needs to be very active in the mother origination, attend all meetings, in general keep up on all new info. I believe Wisconsin is pursuing their own origination?

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Permalink Reply by Ryan Wessels on December 21, 2008 at 8:18am

I believe you are correct it's falling under "MABAS-Wisconsin" and in addition to being quite a foreign concept quite a few of the newest divisions are without a lot of the internal organization that I'm use to.

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Permalink Reply by Trainer on December 23, 2008 at 7:48am

WOW! A tough job even tougher. We were lucky in our div that an origination was already in place; we just added mabas. Illinois mabas was lucky, its timing was right, it had a good start, then 911 and the federal money flood gates opened, that’s when it really spread. The amount of equipment and training they has distributed is staggering; last I knew 75mil over the last 6 years. It’s easy to get depts. to join with incentives like that. Now if you are not a member you’ll get left behind, currently I think 98% of the state. There’s no other state in the nation that can deploy like we can, well with the exception of the military. Of course you know this already, and now you begin again, but you do have a better start then most. You going to the conference?

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Permalink Reply by Lee Jones on September 11, 2010 at 10:45am

Adopting what we do here in division 24 is a very good idea. Our advisors assist the I.C. with command level tasks. They do not take over. This means giving advice where it is needed, there to answer questions, and be a resource for them. IMAT is a totally different beast. That includes a safety officer, rit chief, plans chief etc. Now we have a on call advisor that responds too every mabas box. Once the alarm is upgraded to a 2-11 alarm it is a automatic advisor all call. Many times the advisors will fill in as a safety officer, sector chief, staging etc. Now with that said the new task I'am helping start up is similar to a IMAT but for communications. Our group will respond and provide communications in the command van or to the IC. Letting him focus on his fire ground channel and operation. The rest will be handled by the communications team. tactical work sheets, accountability, ifern, and local dispatch communications. I work as a fire dispatcher for the mabas division I also work in. Which allows us to have a huge resource on scene in the command van. I bring everything I have in my dispatch center on my toughbook for immediate resource look up and decision making.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on September 14, 2010 at 10:33pm

Welcome to MABAS from Bartlett, IL (MABAS Div 2). Best of luck with your new endeavor!

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