MABAS....Do you like it? What are your thoughts?

[Dickey]

In my area, we are exploring the option of forming a MABAS division. We are in the very early stages and we have just officially asked for help in the process for establishing it.

I have read and researched this extensively and have seen the checklist that MABAS has for starting up. I just wanted to know your experiences with working with it, starting it, ending it, or any comments you might have good/bad/otherwise...

Thank you for your help.

[CooterRob]

I am on two depts. in northern IL (Div. 12 and 13) and when I've had the priviledge of sittting down on a critique of major incidents, it left me astonished to see how well the system works for anything more than the "run of the mill" building fire or EMS incident.

If you ever have time to track down the tapes from the NIU event for Div. 6, I highly recommend it. It shows how well MABAS works and why it's existance had helped DKFD, DPD, NIU PD and Dekalb Co. Sherrifs to perform as well as they did... UNIFIED!

The only gripe I have is that MABAS heads don't have more influence on who's auto-aid to other near-by depts. on fire alarms, ambo calls, etc. I've seen many depts. get passed up on auto aid agreements b/c of some sort of political view. Enough political talk for me... I don't to borrow trouble! LOL

Good Luck with it all... these two websites have some great info.

www.mabas.org

www.mabasradio.org

[Dickey]

I regularly visit those sites and other MABAS division pages too. I have heard some dispatches on youtube and read several example box cards too.

Is there some sort of software out there for using MABAS box cards? I just can't see us taking away a dispatcher to be totally dedicated to this one incident like they want. We have a 4 position, (soon to be 5 position) comm.center for 100,000-105,000 population county. All 4 dispatchers can do calltaker/dispatcher duties at each position. I really don't see us taking away a dispatcher for everything else going on to dedicate to one incident. It just won't happen.

[MrJim911]

Dickey, I'm a Dispatcher for MABAS Div 13. You may not want to dedicate a person to that one incident, but depending on how big that incident gets, they won't have time to do anything else. You are responsible for coordinating the response of all required units; make sure their center got the request, make sure they are coming, and finding a replacement if they can't come. Among a multitude of other things. We are also a center that staffs 3-4 people on Day and Evening shifts and 2-3 on Mids with a population of about 120,000. It can be difficult, but it can be done. But make it clear to the powers that be, your concerns about staffing so they are aware.

There is currently no software that incorporates into a CAD system, but we have computerized our MABAS cards so they are on a computer screen at each console. We also have binders at each console that we can pull out when needed that are always updated with changes.

I cannot advise you on starting up as my center has been Div 13 longer then I've worked here, but I'm sure it will be well worth the effort. MABAS is a great way to handle a large incident without depleting any one agencies resources.