Mission Statement
"MABAS-Illinois serves local fire agencies, MABAS Divisions, State of Illinois departments, and Cook Count UASI-DHSEM by providing a systems-based resource allocation and distribution network of robust traditional and nontraditional fire-EMS-rescue and special operations teams for emergency and sustained response within and outside of the State of Illinois. Accomplishment of the services requires cooperation, standardization, reliability, partnering, brokering and ongoing communication and compliance with customer specification and expectations. Customer trust and reliance on the MABAS system is built upon personal relationships, credibility, and ongoing customer support."
Organizational Structure
MABAS-Illinois is composed of 69 Divisions, many of which align with county lines, organized within 8 Regions. Each MABAS Division has its own internal leadership structure, all of which leads into the statewide elected leadership of the overall system.
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MABAS-Illinois maintains a professional staff of subject-matter-experts that are available to assist emergency services throughout the State of Illinois with a wide range of emergencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does MABAS stand for?
MABAS stands for Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, which is a standardized manner of requesting and distributing resources throughout the State of Illinois.
What is a "Box Alarm?"
Box Alarm is a term used to describe an incident where the responding local units are not sufficient to safely mitigate the hazard. When a Box Alarm is called, dispatchers refer to a Box Card, which is a predetermined list of resources for a particular type of emergency.
What is Automatic Aid?
Automatic Aid is an agreement made between two agencies for a response outside of one's typical jurisdiction when a particular type of emergency arises. Many fire departments rely on Automatic Aid to quickly receive enough resources and personnel for fire suppression, which limits the risk to life and property.
What is Mutual Aid?
Much like Automatic Aid, Mutual Aid is an agreement between to agencies for a response outside of one's typical jurisdiction. However, unlike Automatic Aid, the requesting agency must specifically ask for assistance from the providing agency.