MABAS FOR TELECOMMUNICATORS

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. 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 www.mabasradio.org

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