1. MABAS FOR TELECOMMUNICATORS
22ND ANNUAL
APCO-INENA-ICC CONFERENCE 2006

2. PRESENTATION COVERAGE
HISTORY OF MABAS
BASIC DISPATCHING TECHNIQUES
NEW BOX CARD FORMAT
THE STATEWIDE PLAN
QUESTIONS??

3. A BIT OF HISTORY……
City of Chicago divided into 18 battalion districts after Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Companies relocated to provide coverage where needed when call volume higher.

4. More History…
Elk Grove FD adopted procedure creating 1st MABAS Box Cards in 1968 for Northwest Suburbs
Over 1300 fire departments from Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana and Iowa make up MABAS today

5. Primary Purpose
Coordinate effective and efficient provisions of mutual aid during an Emergency, Natural or Man Made Disaster

6. Provisions Immediate Assistance Special Response Teams
Specialized Equipment
Contractual Agreement covering responsibilities and liabilities for all member departments
Standard policies

7. Current Illinois MABAS Divisions
70+ Divisions in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri & Indiana
More Divisions coming on board every month!

8. Box Alarm Cards Each department has their own
Basic Templates available for - Structure Fire, Tender, Brush, EMS, Special Rescue, Target Hazard
Can be assigned based on special circumstances or geographic areas
Provides for change of quarters companies
Distributed to surrounding departments and dispatch centers

9. New Box Card Design
Standard template created to assist new and existing Divisions redesigned in 2004
Changes made to the “Traditional Style” to make it easier to understand and reduce errors.
4 Letter abbreviations eliminated and full names of departments are used.
Change of Quarters section incorporated to each level. Station number added in ( )
No limit to number of levels
Last level reserved for “Interdivisional Request”
Tankers replaced with Tenders

10. New Box Card Design-Complete

11. Or… adapt them to suit your needs
The MABAS executive committee has okayed the adaptation of box alarm cards within the dispatch center as lo9ng as pertinent information is not changed.
If the FD format doesn’t work for your center -
Here are some examples of other formats that may make it easier:

12. Paper Card Option Portrait option List Towns/Equipment
Not Equipment/Towns
Bold your own towns
COQ’s stay at bottom

13. Browser Option This option works like a website
Does not require an internet connection – just a Windows Browser
Point and click accuracy
Allows for access to more functions

14. Communications
MABASRADIO.org
Valuable resource for Advocacy Statements & Recommended Practices. Everything needed for MABAS radio communications

15. Communications (cont’d)
Each MABAS Division designates a Primary and Back Up Dispatch Center
Both with paging capabilities
All MABAS alarms and dispatches carried out over IFERN.
Narrow-Band Channel IFERN2 coming soon to be used during disaster ops by Statewide Response Teams

16. National Incident Management System
NIMS
National Incident Management System
Adopted as the SOP for all MABAS members for incident management in 2003
NIMS provides a consistent nationwide template to enable all government, private-sector, and non-governmental organizations to work together during domestic incidents.

17. Communications (cont’d)
6 Current Fireground Frequencies
Red, White, Blue, Gold, Black, Gray
Low power
Incident Scene Coordination

18. Statewide wireless voice radio system by Motorola allowing users to talk virtually anywhere in the state
Effective and Cost Efficient network giving users interoperability they could not achieve on their own
ITTF offered every PD, FD, EMA, Public Health Agency and Com Center in Illinois a control station or radio in 2004
More information available at

19. Box Alarm Requests
Emergency situations that exceed a stricken departments capabilities can generate a MABAS Box Alarm Dispatch
Organized Box Cards prevent self-dispatching and overloading the IC or Local Dispatch center
If you’re not asked for – DON’T GO!

20. Box Alarm Request (cont’d)
Procedure
Mutual Aid need determined by IC
Appropriate Box # and level determined
Staging area determined
Local dispatch center advised MABAS is being activated
MABAS dispatch center contacted to request the Box on IFERN by IC

21. Box Alarm Request (cont’d)
Information MABAS Dispatcher Needs
Requesting Department
Box Alarm Number
Level
Nature/ Location
Staging
Authority

22. Incident Communications
IC and Staging Ofcrs. must monitor IFERN
Primary fireground frequency monitored by the Incident Commander or his designee
Dispatch and IC communications on IFERN
Scene operations occur on fireground freqs.

23. MABAS Dispatch Communications
Dispatcher monitors IFERN continuously
Acknowledges request for Box Alarm
Locates Alarm Card and prepares the dispatch
Activate Tones
Dispatch Box Alarm
Keeps IC abreast of any updates/changes

24. Statewide Mutual Aid The Coloring Book
Guideline created by the MABAS Executive Committee in conjunction with the Office of Homeland Security and the Illinois Terrorism Taskforce.
Designed for the specific purpose of planning for activation of the Statewide Mutual Aid Plan and local subsequent responses.

25. Statewide Mutual Aid MABAS vs. Statewide
MABAS - SPEED of Response:
RADIO - IFERN – STAGING
STATEWIDE PLAN - QUANTITY of Response:
TELEPHONE - RECEPTION AREA - SUSTAINMENT

26. Statewide Mutual Aid Statewide Plan Methods
MABAS / ITTF / IEMA Driven
MOU Signed January 16, 2001
Activated by Declaration of Disaster
Governor’s Mobile Support Teams
Liabilities, Reimbursements, Authority
Links MABAS & Non-MABAS Agencies
Fire/EMS/Special Ops - State Asset
4 Region Design
All Hazards / All Risks

27. Checklists RED - Security Validation Code
Communications Authentication Code (MATRIX)
FACT Message
On Scene Visual Validations (ARMBANDS)
Homeland Security Threat
Status Checklists

28. Located in Northbrook at Fire Station #12
Dispatch center for 6 Suburban Fire Departments and 3 Fire-Protection Districts
Dispatch center for MABAS Division III
Lead dispatch center for Statewide Mutual Aid Box Alarm System
Orland Central Dispatch is their backup

29. Activation of Statewide Aid
Activation information will by given by RED Center, Orland or IEMA EOC when the plan is activated.
-including requested equipment, routing, reception site and validation code. The POD chief will get this information from Tri-Com only if RED Center is unable to.

30. Activation of Statewide Aid
MABAS Dispatch Centers-
Will contact Local Dispatch Centers by phone.
Local Dispatch Centers will use tone w/generic message too have the fire departments call their dispatch center for information or call them by phone. Relay information given by RED via phone to command officer.
Use checklists to track all apparatus, manpower & equipment reported by the fire departments.

31. Activation of Statewide Aid
Local Dispatch Centers-
Will use tone w/generic message too have the fire departments call their dispatch center for information or call them by phone. Information received from MABAS center will be relayed.
Contact MABAS Center back with availability of requested equipment and personnel within 30 minutes

32. Activation of Statewide Aid
Fire Departments-
Need to acknowledge the box alarm and availability of their resources within 20 minutes and contact local dispatch via phone or local radio frequency if possible
Responding units en route to the POD and responding to reception area SHALL NOT transmit on IFERN!
Once at the reception area, a staging officer will then direct frequency assignments for operations
All units will respond together as a “package”

33. Activation of Statewide Aid
MABAS Dispatch Center-
Will gather the information from the dispatch centers.
Will fill in a requested resource not available from a primary fire department, with a secondary fire department resource on the box card
When the highest ranking officer in the POD calls, he will report his name, rank, department, that he is in the POD ready to receive information. He will give a call back number and hang up.
The MABAS center will verify the ranking officer’s identity Then call RED and relay the name & call back number for RED to relay routing, reception and validation code.
Only if instructed by RED will MABAS Division relay any security information

34. Activation of Statewide Aid
Deployment Procedure-
Available Chiefs will respond to the POD to help organize and activate the responding “package”
POD Coordinator maintains a log of all activities on form and assign other duties to responding chiefs (i.e.)
Accountability Worksheet Emergency Contact Information Personal Equipment Check Electronic Equipment Check Deployment Bag Worksheet POD Activity Log MABAS Communications Directions & Maps Vehicle Assignments Money Transfers
The apparatus designated by the statewide box card will meet at the POD. NO MORE – NO LESS!

35. Activation of Statewide Aid
POD Arrival-
Check in for accountability - Picture ID and PASSPORTS required
Incident briefing
Member information form
Additional personal clothing/equipment cache issued if required
Security: personal gear will be searched. Electronic equipment will be inventoried and collected. Items will travel with the team and may only be used for emergencies or when authorized by the team leader.
Team leader will be issued a cash stipend for operational needs.

36. statewide deployment is
Activation of Statewide Aid
REMEMBER
Response to the POD for
statewide deployment is
NON-emergency!