An Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team from Illinois is headed to Texas overnight to assist with operations after deadly flooding this week. This group of 39 firefighters from deployed as part of the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS-Illinois) as USAR Task Force 1, will be on the ground in Texas for up to 14 days. Tasks for this operation include wide-area search and rescue as well as debris pile clearance.

 

Illinois is one of close to two dozen states offering assistance to flood-ravaged Texas. Governor JB Pritzker authorized this assistance by directing the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) to activate the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). EMAC is a congressionally ratified mutual aid agreement among states to provide assistance across state lines during emergencies and disasters. Since its inception in 1996, EMAC has facilitated thousands of deployments in response to hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other disasters.