Jun 16
Excerpts from MABAS-IL:
Subject: MABAS – Illinois Change in Leadership – Transition OverviewMABAS CEO Jay Reardon and the MABAS-Illinois leadership have been in discussions for some time regarding his retirement including an organized transition plan. Accordingly, effective June 30 ,2017, Chief Reardon will be stepping down as MABAS-Illinois CEO and Chief Glenn Ericksen, current MABAS Administrative and Finance Section Chief, will assume the duties of the Chief Executive Officer. Chief Reardon will becomes an advisor to the Leadership Team and Executive Board effective July 1, 2017 and serve in the position until December 31, 2017.
Glenn Ericksen retired approximately three years ago as the fire chief for the Village of Arlington Heights after forty years with the village. Upon his retirement, he accepted his current position as MABAS Section Chief. The MABAS Leadership Team supported Chief Ericksen’s CEO appointment unanimously.
Chief Reardon was elected as MABAS-Illinois President in 1999 while serving as fire chief for the Northbrook Fire Department. Following his election was an invitation for MABAS to become a member of Illinois Terrorism Task Force as the fire services operational and mutual aid advisor for fire, EMS, and special operations teams. On January 16, 2001 MABAS-Illinois and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency signed a first ever intergovernmental agreement allowing MABAS’ local agency resources to fall under the control of the Illinois governor’s direction as a mobile support team for declarations of disasters. On September 11, 2001 the world changed and so did MABAS-Illinois. Chief Reardon embraced the challenges and expanded citizen service expectations guiding MABAS-Illinois to a statewide mutual aid system which became known as one of the best in the nation. In August 2005, MABAS was tasked through a EMAC interstate mutual aid request to provide operational resources to New Orleans and eleven parishes in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina. Over the following six weeks MABAS-Illinois successfully served the Louisiana mission with over 900 firefighters and approximately 250 fire/rescue vehicles. Several years later, MABAS-Illinois assisted Louisiana once again in support of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. In 2008 Chief Reardon retired from the Northbrook Fire Department and was selected as the first full-time CEO for MABAS-Illinois. Since 1999, the MABAS organization includes over 1180 member fire agencies and 95 statewide response capable Special Operations Teams. Additonal accomplishments include the administrative coordination for over $135 million of federally awarded grants for MABAS capabilities and full ownership of the 74,000 square-foot MABAS Readiness Center, the headquarters for statewide MABAS operations.
News Channel 15 has an article which states that the Decatur FD will be reducing the number of firefighters:
The city of Decatur is reducing staff to avoid a budget deficit. The total projected budget shortfall is $1.6 million. A big part of the city’s plan to fill that shortfall is the elimination of 20 positions across the city, six of those being firefighters.
“We’ve eliminated 20 positions in the fiscal year 2014 budget,” said City Manager Ryan McCrady. “10 of those were individuals that were laid off, and 10 of those positions are vacant positions that are either currently vacant or will be vacant by the end of the year.”
All six of the fire positions fall into the latter group, with four of them currently open positions. “Two more firefighters have declared an intent to retire,” said McCrady. “So there won’t be any layoffs in the fire department. We just won’t fill those six positions.”
That will mean one less engine company operating out of Fire Station Number 1, which basically means the one fire truck and its crew.
“The optimal solution is to have nine companies, but our resources don’t allow for that,” said Assistant City Manager Billy Tyus. “And the only time we anticipate there might be a questionable response, is if you have multiple events going on throughout the community.”
The department will go from nine total companies to eight. Over the last two years, they’ve been operating part of that time with only eight companies, in a process called brownouts. “What we know from the past from running browouts is that we can adequately cover the city,” said McCrady.
City officials believe that even in a rare situation of multiple complicated events, they can still adequately respond.
“We do have good mutual aid agreements with neighboring districts,” said McCrady. “Since 911 there’s been something set up called MABAS, which is a mutual aid box alarm system.”
The Chicago Fire Department and several suburban MABAS Divisions are working a 24-hour mock-tornado drill in the Englewood section of Chicago today.
From NBC Chicago:
Chicago and suburban firefighters swarmed Englewood Tuesday morning for a massive, 24-hour disaster drill.
Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said the group will practice what to do in the event a tornado hits the neighborhood. The arriving companies won’t know what they are headed into, Langford said.
The drill began at 9 a.m. near West 58th Street and South Normal Boulevard.
Among the drills, firefighters will rescue dozens of mannequins as well as about 120 mock victims from two already collapsed buildings, one an apartment building and the other a parking garage.
Langford said each of the mock victims will be made up to look like they are dead or injured and some will be trapped. Each victim will have vitals on a card for the fire and EMS companies to triage.
Tim Olk is photographing the drill and submitted these images:
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
The Cook County Board President visited NIPSTA today and was shown many of the regional assets which have been funded either in part or fully by the county. On-hand were several of the MABAS specialty units, the ILTF-1 began a multi-day training exercise, Air One had four helicopters on-site, and the NIPSTA fire training classes were in progress.
Tim Olk and Larry Shapiro were at the event and submitted several images depicting what was on display.
Police officers assigned to Air One demonstrate tactical positioning on one of the helicopters. Tim Olk photo
The Cook County Board President was shown the MABAS, ILTF-1, and Air One assets by department heads. Larry Shapiro photo
ILTF-1 mobile vehicles transport equipment packed in metal storage containers. Larry Shapiro photo
One of the MABAS Support Units which provides a mobile office. Larry Shapiro photo
ILTF-1 flatbed lumber truck. Larry Shapiro photo
A DOT owned Huey which is part of Air One. Larry Shapiro photo
An officer is rides on the helicopter skids. Tim Olk photo
Another Air One helicopter. Larry Shapiro photo
An ex-Marine Corp helicopter which is part of Air One. Larry Shapiro photo
View from one of the helicopters looking over Glenview towards Chicago. Larry Shapiro photo
A view of the railroad repair at Shermer Road from the July 4th train derailment. Larry Shapiro photo
Another MABAS Support Services Unit with slide-out sides to increase the interior work space. Larry Shapiro photo
ILTF-1 communication equipment and satellite. Larry Shapiro photo
Part of the MABAS tent city, Larry Shapiro photo
Regional MABAS Assets: Division 3 Communications Unit, Division 3 Air Unit and Division Decon Unit. Larry Shapiro photo
Larry has a gallery with more images HERE. Tim has a gallery HERE..
Oct 29
Dennis McGuire, Jr. found a summary article HERE from a downstate Bloomington publication about MABAS.
BLOOMINGTON — Mutual aid for fires or a variety of other disasters is just a single call away with a statewide system called Mutual Aid Box Alarm System.
MABAS, headquartered in Wheeling, has 68 divisions and includes all but one county in the state, said Greg Peters, finance section chief. The organization also has relationships with other states and is hoping eventually to provide mutual aid across state lines, Peters said.
Peters said the MABAS system was created in 1968 to provide the Cook County area with an emergency box alarm system.
After the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, a terrorist task force was created by Illinois’ governor. MABAS already had a system in place, so it became a charter member of the task force.
Jeff Rudolph, a regular contributor to the website and blog, has update his Flickr photo gallery with many photos. Jeff has images from recent fire scenes that he has covered as well as an abundance of apparatus shots. The rig photos show current fleets in addition to those that have been replaced over the years. The older images will be included in the historic galleries that are being added to each fire department listing on the website.
There are photos of department decals and a comprehensive showing of MABAS apparatus from several divisions.
On December 6th of last year, The Chicago Fire Department issued an administrative order adding a new tool to the arsenal of the Special Operations Division. Rescue Vac Unit 5-2-4 was established as a new CFD asset. Assigned to the Special Operations facility at 39th and Honore, 5-2-4 is an X-Streets and Sanitation sewer vac truck that many may have seen displayed last summer for the International Fire Chief’s Association trade show at McCormick Place. It is on an LN Series Ford chassis and has been modified by Rescue Vac Systems, a local company that upgrades the equipment for emergency rescue operations. 5-2-4 will respond to city-wide trench rescue incidents and will be available for suburban trench rescues through the MABAS Box Alarm System.
Chicago Rescue Vac Unit 5-2-4 shown here on display last August at the Fire Rescue International Trade Show at McCormick Place. Larry Shapiro photo
The Chicago Fire Department made modifications to this sewer vac truck that previously saw service with the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation. Larry Shapiro photo
The Evanston Fire Department had a fire Christmas morning at 1809 Laurel Avenue. When companies arrived, they found fire in a two-flat structure and detached garage. The fire went to two extra alarms, gutted two other garages, and damage a neighboring home before being struck out. During the overhaul phase of the incident, one Evanston firefighter went down and a Mayday was issued. FirefighterCloseCalls.com posted the following description:
One firefighter was hospitalized and 2 others were treated on the scene after they were hurt this morning … at a fire that ran thru 3 garages and 2 dwellings in Evanston. Companies arrived and found a fire that was spreading quickly from at least one garage towards other garages and dwellings. The fire left three garages and two homes damaged. Toward the end of the fire, a “Mayday” was called when a firefighter became hurt. The FF was accounted for but needed help …was not burned, and 2 other firefighters were also hurt but suffered only minor injuries and were not hospitalized.
Karl Klotz arrived after the fire was knocked down and submitted several images of the scene plus a shot of Evanston’s new 2010 Pierce Arrow XT Engine at one of it’s first fires. Karl has posted a gallery of images HERE.
The Chicago Sun Times has an article HERE.
The house at 1809 Laural in Evanston was gutted along with the detached garage and two neighboring garages. Karl Klotz photo
One of three detached garages which sustained heavy damage Christmas morning at an extra alarm fire in Evanston. Karl Klotz photo
Firefighters perform overhaul at 1809 Laurel Avenue in Evanston which was gutted by fire Christmas morning along with three detached garages. Karl Klotz photo
Firefighters pickup hose after the fire was knocked down at this two-story residential building in Evanston. During the overhaul phase of the operation, a Mayday was called for a firefighter who collapsed. He was later transported to Evanston Hospital. Karl Klotz photo
Evanston Engine 23 is a 2010 Pierce Arrow XT which was recently put into service. Funding for this engine came from Northwestern University which is recognized by a Northwestern Wildcats decal on the middle windows on each side of the cab. Karl Klotz photo
Aug 31
Another photo gallery has been posted detailing the MABAS 90-90 Response Drill from last Friday. The gallery by Larry Shapiro can be viewed by scrolling down on the page found HERE. Yesterday, Hank Sajovic posted a gallery of images which can be seen HERE.
This is the pad at NIPSTA in preparation for the arrival of 11 task forces, each consisting of nine units. Larry Shapiro photo
This is the view from the same location after all of the task forces were in place. Larry Shapiro photo
Each task force brought three ambulances to the staging area. Larry Shapiro photo
The task force from Lake County (IL) Division 4 is shown arriving at north staging. Larry Shapiro photo
Staff personnel at two computer stations checked in all personnel via bar-coded MABAS issued ID cards. Larry Shapiro photo
Although media coverage for the response drill was extensive, evidently it was all centered at the north staging site at NIPSTA in Glenview. Reportedly the sites in Hoffman Estates and Tinley Park received much less media attention. Larry Shapiro photo
For the finest department portraits and composites contact Tim Olk or Larry Shapiro.
