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Posts Tagged MABAS-Illinois
Of interest … MABAS
Sep 22
Excerpts from Haixusa.com:
MABAS is an organization that jumps into action in the event of a major incident where the local fire department would be unable to cope on its own. The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System coordinates the response to large fires, train accidents, hazardous material incidents, airplane crashes, earthquakes, and other emergencies with large numbers of causalities, providing intelligent and effective standardized rescue methods. It can mobilize 38,000 of the 40,000 firefighters in Illinois, and assists fire departments in Iowa, Indiana, and Wisconsin, while also providing equipment. The system is funded by its member organizations and no one is charged for its services.
HAIX® traveled through the suburbs of Chicago and up north to Wheeling, the home of MABAS Division 1. As we traveled the facility, there were trucks of all sizes loaded with tons of equipment and trailers with back-up material, including 500 ladder trucks, 1,300 ambulances (many paramedic capable), 250 heavy rescue squads, and 1,000 water tenders. Fire/EMS reserve units account for more than 1,000 additional emergency vehicles. These are the vehicles that a single fire station could never afford. There are also double-decker boat trailers, mobile ventilation units, and mobile post commands.
In 1970, the MABAS system was established to provide a swift, standardized, and effective method of mutual aid assistance for extra alarm fires and mass casualty incidents. Today, the organization includes nearly every fire department in Illinois, as well as many areas of Iowa, Indiana, and Wisconsin. MABAS-IL includes approximately 1,000 of the states’ 1,200 fire departments organized within 67 divisions. MABAS-IL divisions span an area from Lake Michigan to the Iowa border and south almost into Kentucky. Twelve Wisconsin divisions also share MABAS with their Illinois counterparts. The cities of Chicago, St. Louis, and Milwaukee are also member agencies.
MABAS-Illinois news
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.
New MABAS web site and FB
May 14
From MABAS IL:
Please be sure to visit out new website and to like us on Facebook.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MABAS-Illinois/989583321052963
MABAS Website: http://www.mabas-il.org/Pages/default.aspx
The Daily Herald has an article about a retirement announcement of the Arlington Heights fire chief:
After almost four decades with Arlington Heights, Fire Chief Glenn Eriksen announced Monday that he will be leaving the department next month to take a position with MABAS-Illinois, the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System. Ericksen will end his 39 years with the Arlington Heights Fire Department on Feb. 13. He is only Arlington Heights’ fourth fire chief since the village switched from a volunteer department to a full-time paid department in 1958
Ericksen will be working as section chief of administration with MABAS-Illinois, according to the release. MABAS is a statewide mutual response system for fire and EMS teams.
Ericksen’s final salary at Arlington Heights was $139,711, according to the village’s human resources department. Ericksen could be eligible to earn up to 75 percent of that salary in annual pension, in addition to his new salary at MABAS.
Ericksen started as a fire alarm operator with the Arlington Heights Fire Department in 1974 and became a firefighter in 1981. He was a firefighter/paramedic from 1986 until 1993, when he was promoted to fire lieutenant. He had also been a fire captain, fire commander and deputy fire chief before being named chief in 2004.
During Ericksen’s time as chief, the fire department obtained a grant that allowed it to hire an additional nine firefighters and was honored with the 2010 SAFE Communities Designation from the National Safety Council on behalf of the World Health Organization. He also oversaw the addition of an emergency operations center, which is used as a communication headquarters for the village in case of a local disaster.
Dixon said he will name an acting fire chief next month before starting an open search for Ericksen’s replacement.
