A National FIRE Mutual Aid System
Is it time for A NATIONAL FIRE MUTUAL AID SYSTEM ? A “simple and basic” system lead and coordinated by the International Association of Fire Chiefs in full cooperation with the national fire service organizations-and LOCAL fire departments?
This isn’t a new question. The concept has been discussed for decades in the fire service-and the need has been proven again and again … and now again, recently.
It is time for a national fire mutual aid system … and the Feds can support it and assist…since that is what the Government is supposed to do.
Maybe an expanded version of known existing state or regional fire mutual aid systems are the answer? Many areas of the USA have very successful and non-bureaucratic yet highly affective and organized FIRE mutual aid systems. There also are some areas of the USA that do not have effective and organized mutual aid systems.
So How Would This Work? Could This Work? What Are The Options for a NATIONAL FIRE MUTUAL AID SYSTEM?
Join “Through The Smoke” host Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder with his guests Chief Bill Killen — President of the Int’l Association of Fire Chiefs, Northbrook, Ill. Chief Jay Reardon & President of the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System — one of the nations LARGEST and MOST SUCCESSFUL fire mutual aid systems and Exec. Director Garry Briese of the Int’l Association of Fire Chiefs as they discuss the ideas moving toward the development of a NATIONAL FIRE MUTUAL AID SYSTEM!
Related Links:
• Mutual Aid Box Alarm System
• SW NH Fire Mutual Aid System
• Georgia Mutual Aid Group
Also check out the upcoming OCTOBER issue of FIREHOUSE MAGAZINE “Close Calls” Column for an in-depth review of the concept of a National FIRE Mutual Aid System.
If you have suggestions, questions or comments, please e-mail them to: podcast@firehouse.com
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I always assumed that this was the reason that we are required to have NST threaded outlets on the all new apparatus. If a situation happens that requires apparatus and firefighters to be moved around the country to fill in and support each other they would be able to operate.
Don’t forget the State of California Mutual Aid System. It is a standard for all to follow. There are over 1000 fire engines in the State that can be mobilized for movement on a phone calls notice, not to mention numerous FEMA USAR teams, and numerous other resources that can be mobilized for all risk responses.
Why have we ( fire service ) not done this? I was totally frustrated at watching the Katrina coverage and then realizing how dysfunctional the rescue effort was. We were told by FEMA not to self deploy. The fire service needs to turn that around and tell FEMA and the local Emergency Managers how WE want to deploy! What can I do in the State of Kentucky to assist with this mutual aid concept?
Thanks,
Captain Bob Sanborn
Bowling Green Fire Department (Ky)
The Rutland County (Vermont)Mutual Aid system is highly effective combining paid and volunteer departments. We share common frequencies and dispatchers (Vermont State Police). You call we come. no charge. It works well and is used often. We would be proud to pass on our experience to anyone wishing to have it.
I think it would be a wonderful thing for the fire service. I think it would take some time to do, but the benefits would out weight the “red tape.” We could take the “local” mutual aid system and start applying it to the state then federal, would do nothing but benefit our customers(public) in more way than we could think. For the first time in many years, we have 2 major natural disasters that will tap our resources to the limit.
I think national mutual-aid is a great road to go down, thought process would be overwhelming. Paid and Volunteers need to work together to get the job done, so much emphasis has been placed on the “large” career departments that many “small/rural” do not seem to fit into the current mold even though they have valuable experience and knowledge. It would be a huge underatking to develop such a system. I would say leave it to the State’s Office of Fire to develop state plans then let it go national.
A national mutual aid fire system? This is not a new concept. A number of years ago I wrote an article in a major fire service trade journal about this subject. I coined the acronym of “FFSNMAS.” In that article I suggested that our USAR Teams were already in place, trained, mobile and plugged into the federal response system. The teams could be assigned to large wildland/urban interface fires. The idea was met with mixed reactions and it was “tabled.”
There are protocols in place for a national M/A fire system. One is through the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) in Boise, Idaho that deals with wildland and W/UI fires and all other types of disasters. The other is the EMAC system or Emergency Management Assistance Compact. The feds also have in place ESF-4 that coordinates firefighting efforts on a large scale.
I am further suggesting that the USFA leaders meet with the leaders of the IAFF, IAFC and the NVFC along with the leaders of the above mentioned entities and develop a true Firefighter’s National Mutual Aid System, and the sooner the better.
National Mutual Aid already exists through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). This system to which 49 of the 50 states are legal signatories provides a mechanism for state to state mutual aid for ALL emergency assistance. For more information go to: http://www.emacweb.org. Fire services can access it by contacting their state emergency management agency and requesting that kind of mutual aid support.
USFA requested the opportunity to co-run ESF-4 with the Forest Service for Urban and Suburban fire fighting events, but was met with resistance and not allowed to by DHS and the Forest Service, when the national response plan was being developed.
Since FEMA is not always involved in every state to state mutual aid senario, EMAC is the best option.
Now is the time to work on a national mutual-aid system for the obvious reasons and especially with the National focus on fixing the communication problems and the incident command system. We need to be a part of the solution and receive the funding from Homeland Security that I am sure is to follow this latist disaster.
National Mutual Aid I am all for it. As a NIMS Instructor we have discussed this concept, but everyone has to be on the same page! We need to train every responder to a certain level (FirefighterII)
and a Rescue level and I agree all appartus should carry the same equipment so it is easily found and everyone knows how to use it. We should not be bound down by paperwork or government RED TAPE so to speak.I also agree that all responders be trained to a certain level of EMS also. Thank you.
I am one of almost 10,000 federal firefighters, and I would like to know why none of us are allowed to respond to the Gulf Coast, to help other firefighters that are working and most likely worn down at this point. At my particular instillation the firefighters are part of a regional urban search and rescue team that has deployed within my state on various rescue missions over the years, so when we were asked to be part of a team of about 50 firefighters that would go and relieve others that have been working for weeks now providing the fire and rescue services to the citizens and counties effected by the hurricane, I was devastated to fined out that we were ordered by IMA instillation and the Department of the Army not to deploy with a team that we have been apart of for many years. I was told that FEMA had to request assistance from DOD to permit us to help with this disaster even if we are responding with a unit that is already in place with the other cities in our area.
I think this is a great idea. However, speaking for my area in CT, we need more training and practice utilizing current regional resourses. There is a huge failure to “think outside the box”. Many departments still are trying to be self sufficient and are dangerously trying to handle all kinds of emergencies on their own. Once my area and places like it can grasp the concept of looking at the big picture, then we should take a step toward a national mutual aid system. While it seems some areas and departments are great at using mutual aid systems, I feel that others are severely lacking. It is time for the fire service to think about public safety, and not about themselves and their personal issues with those around them. The fire service has obviously come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.
In regard to national mutual aid, we need to address
the compatibility of hose threads. In one city that
I was volunteer fire chief of, for two years, the hydrants throughout the city had one of three types
of hose threads: National Standard, Waterous or
Chicago FD Pipe Threads.It was a nightware for our
department and would have been chaos if mutual aid
departments were called in. This is an issue that
every mutual aid effort, whether local, regional
or national needs to address.
Belltown is part of an association called the Big 5, these are the 5 volunteer (now combination) departments that protect the northern 3/4 of Stamford, CT. Through this association we have moved from no aid, to frquent mutual aid, to our current system of extensive automatic aid, and special called mutual aid when needed. This has worked well, and is in my opinion why generally we are so open to other mutual aid plans.
Is a National Mutual Aid System necessary? Just look at the major emergencies that have taken place in the United States in the past four years that required responders from outside agencies to lend assistance. One of the reasons this type of response has worked in the past, are the responders willingness to help their brother and sister firefighters in a time of need. A National Mutual Aid System is necessary because any local system can be overwhelmed, no matter how large your system may be. A national credentialing system should be pursued, along with minimum professional qualifications of responders that will be called upon to go to other parts of the country to lend assistance. There was much displeasure express by the fire service in the overall coordinating of resources for the Hurricane Katrina response. Fire service leadership should pursue interoperability, so that responders from one part of the country can be dispatch and deployed quickly to another part of the country without running into issues of communication; incompatible hose fittings and SCBA bottles; or issues of command and control.
As a member of MABAS dept in Northen Illinois, I can speak with great confidence that a large Mutual Aid system can work. When implemented properly, the MABAS system gets resources on the road quickly, without any arguments, and no self dispatching. It is well thought out and organized. If a larger respose is needed than the local MABAS division can handle, an Inter-Divisional is requested and again, you know what you are getting, NOW. All systems need to be evaluated but we have Divisions in almost all of Illinois, Southern Wisconsin, and Northwest Indiana. It works
A national mutual aid system would be an unprecedented step in emergency response. Would it work? Yes it could, but only in certain parts of this country. Montana for example would be a prime area where this would not work at all. Departments up there receive very little if any at all actuall NFA training, they have no criteria other than breathing and are currently not at a level where they would benefit even some of the smaller municipal departments across the rest of this country. It would take an amazing amount or communication and coordination on someones part to assure an effective and efficient system be built and put into place. Other wise what would be the benefit?
National mutual aid is a must. Those who still think they can handle everything themselves simply haven’t been paying attention the past few years. When the largest fire department in the world needs to have help from the outside, that speaks for itself. Having used the MABAS system for thirty years now, I can attest to the fact that it is tried, true and well proven. It would not require much tweaking, if any, to adapt it to a national system.
We need to embrace such a system. Mutual aid training within such a system will identify and iron out the compatibility issues mentioned in an earlier comment. It’s time to realize that we all are, I believe, working toward the same goals. We need to give up the parochialism that is so pervasive in our profession. That’s exactly what’s held us back in many areas for the thirty years I have been a part of it. Too many chiefs and too many egos.
As I stated, MABAS works great as it is. It does not need to be manipulated for specific states or regions just so someone can put their mark on it. Let’s adopt it, it’s easy for everyone to learn and they’ll see how easy and effective it is to use. It’s time.
With almost 40 years in the Fire Service and my 3rd department I have been with MABAS here in Illinois for about 30 years. I have watched the MABAS system grow slowly though the years, but 9-11-01 brought a explosion to the system. Now Kitrina and Rita.. Mabas has gone from 280 departments to over 700 in a few years. Yes a National Fire Mutual Aid is possible and should be done. Lets strike while the iron is hot. My congrats to Chief Goldfeder airing this article. Now lets follow through.
I am a believer in using models that are proven and known to work. There is none greater in times of large scale disasters than the USAR teams. They have been mobilized and used countless times both here and abroad.
As we critique the fire service’s response to Katrina and look to see what our role was and will be in the future, why don’t we look at expanding the USAR model to other fire service resources. If regional firefighter teams (task forces or strike teams using ICS terminology) could be predetermined, formed and trained (using the USAR model), we could mobilize countless number of our brothers and sisters during times like this with no none of the uncoordinated mish-mash that is presently going on. Not to mention, self dispatch!
Regardless of the expanded role that the military may play in future disasters (based on last night’s comments), the fire service will always be the first responders that have the appropriate skill sets to play a key role in these events. If we have a national response system of state and local resources that can be quickly deployed (as self-sustaining resources) like the USAR model, we would be in a much better position to be more effective in our response.
This is a timely discussion in light of the dabacle that was and is the response to Katrina. Trained emergency responders are being used to pass out leaflets instead of what they are trained for. How long will the fire service keep its head buried in the sand?? We need a national mutual aid system that will ensure units and individuals are deployed in a sensible, usefull manner.
The concept is a good one. One major hurdle however is volunteer firefighters and emt’s not being able to leave thier fulltime employment. There should be a federal law that grants the same protections to our reservist and national guardsman when deployed. I know many, including myself that would of gladly gone to New Orleans but could not. I feel this type of legislaton would allow us to do so as we are and always be the first responders into any incident.
To have a national mutal aid program would be a vital part of the fire and ems service. I for one would be proud to have another fire ems service to help respond to my area if the need ever came. Just having people who are willing to go the extra mile and help someone not in their “district” just shows the kind of people who are in the emergency services. The recent disasters are showing the weak links in the government systems and where improvenment should be made, having a nmas is a good place to start.
Thanks to Mark Bourne from bringing up EMAC which seems to be working for requests out of the Gulf states. This is MNAS already in place. Regarding volunteers getting guarantees similar to the National Guard….a great idea…a program has to be implimented to get that off the ground. This needs to be pushed up to the Congressional Fire Caucus. Many volunteers are more than willing to be deployed, but the specter of losing salary, or using up vacation/personal time or not having a job when they return is a deterent.
Rick Edingers idea of State organized USAR like firefighting tems is another good idea that has merit and needs to be explored.
I think a National IMS would be a great addition to local and state IMS systems that are in place. I suggest you take a look at the State of Missouri mut aid plan. I think a Mut Aid Chief in each state that reported to a Battalion Chief in each time zone that reported to one chief at ICHIEFS would be a good structure. I would support and take part in any plan that is selected.
Chris Gibbons
Deputy Chief
I like to see a blue and gold team set up on sunday night blue team up for one week then the following sunday gold team is up for a week so on the team is ready to move with one call any where could be in your own county state or where ever .
update::: each fire company have 4 guys on each team ready to go with call that give you hundred of fireman going to call where needed
We already have a national mutual aid system in place through EMAC. It is my understanding that EMAC was working well in the south. However, it is my understanding that locally, the fire departments who did not go through EMAC and basically self-dispatched overwhelmed the resources. If we already have EMAC in place, lets educate departments in how that works and get rid of all of the self-dispatching. And let’s work with the feds in how they can work through EMAC to get the resources they need in the shortest amount of time.
Great concept, but the fire and emergency services are flooded with alphabet soup mutual aid concepts. I speak about the new federal requirements of NIMS. It is hard enough to bring small departments on line with these requirements even though they are federally mandated and now we need to create a new mutual aid system.
The issue with any concept we implement in the fire service is killed by local and state agencies fighting over DHS monies to remain in existence. We need to fix the DHS grant process before we create another program to improve mutual aid.
I hear the battle talk over career and volunteer every time there is a new issue in the fire service. A lot of us in the trenches are tired of hearing about this childish communications block. I work in a response system that is flooded with this issue to. The only fox for this is to create a state run or federal run fire service. Stock everyone with the same equipment and assets. This would end the arrogance over “I have this and you don’t attitudes.”
Another issue withthe fire service is that we serve to many masters, local, state and federal regulations. We are over regulated. This over regulation is the avenue for fines and penalties when a department can’t be compliant with a desk worker regulation that is written.
I say we start at the bottom of the problem with the fire service before we develop a new response concept that only well funded fire departments can afford to belong to. We need to establish and adopt at every level of governemnt stringent fire training certification training. Through this training we can instill a national response concept. Start them early with learning the concept in hopes that the future leaders in all candidate classes will understand the concept and push the concept forward as they progress in their careers.
I agree a new concept is needed and that the NRP and NIMS are nothing more than federal requirements created to decertify departments for federal funding unless 100% compliance is met, but the system is in place so why not improve the current system and amend the system as needed. We have pounded the NIMS concept into every responder in this nation and now we say we need a one? From a State Fire Instructor in New York State I would like to thank you for turning my words of pushing the NIMS concept into nothing more than Friday night at the Volly House fire department beer politics. Fix the system in place first!
Out here in the Phoenix area, we have 24 departments all dispatched by Phoenix FD, using AVL(automatic vehicle locators satellite) and there are no boundries. CLosest truck/engine goes. We call it automatic aid. We are trained, equipped and staffed the same.
We all could make it work, any body who wanted [could]be used, register like you do when you turn 18 for the selective service system. we could list our training level and medical liscense level then there would be a database established from which to draw from.
A National FIRE Mutual Aid system already is in place through EMAC (Emergency ManagementAssistant Compact}. This is state to state Mutual Aid so why reinvent the wheel? First, we should look at what we have in place and correct any problems or inconsistency’s that maybe inplace before creating something else.
A National FIRE Mutual Aid system already is in place through EMAC (Emergency ManagementAssistant Compact}. This is state to state Mutual Aid so why reinvent the wheel? First, we should look at what we have in place and correct any problems or inconsistency’s that maybe inplace before creating something else.
When speaking of a National Mutual Aid System, you must first speak of some form of National Standardization. The United Kingdom, though much smaller, is a model for National Standardization. If we are to respond to other regions, what assurances to we have that the police, practices, and standards meet ours?
WHAT IS NEEDED IS A STATEWIDE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN SUCH AS THE ONE WE HAVE IN PLACE IN FLORIDA, FOR EACH STATE. THIS IS THE FIRST STEP. WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED STANDARDS FOR RESPONSE AND WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING TO GET THE TRAINING DONE STATEWIDE. THIS PLAN WORKS VERY WELL AND IS COORDINATED BY THE FLORIDA FIRE CHIEF ASSOC. OF COURSE THERE ARE OVER 160 PAID DEPARTMENTS IN OUR STATE. THIS BRINGS UP ANOTHER ISSUE. MY PERSONAL FEELING IS THAT IF COORDINATION IS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, THERE MUST BE A PAID FIRE CHIEF AND/OR EMERGENCY MGT DIRECTOR IN EVERY COUNTY IN THIS COUNTRY. IT IS A SHAME THAT WE CANNOT PAY FOR AT LEAST ONE OFFICAL WHO WOULD COORDINATE THESE EFFORTS IN EVERY COUNTY IN THIS COUNTRY. DO WE HAVE VOLUNTEER POLICE DEPARTMNETS? MISSISSIPI AND LOUISANA WISH THEY HAD THAT IN PLACE. MY POINT IS NOT TO ARGUE VOLUNTEER VS PAID, BUT ONLY TO POINT OUT THAT DISASTERS SUCH AS THE RECENT ONES, REQUIRE A FULL TIME PLANNING AND RESPONSE EFFORT IF WE ARE TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
WE MUST IMPLEMENT ICS STRUCTURES SUCH AS NIMS NOW AND THEY CANNOT BE IGNORED. THERE ARE STIL MANY MANY DEPARTMENTS AND CITY LEADERS WHO DO NOT KNOW WHAT ICS IS. ONCE WE ACCOMPLISH THESE THINGS I BELIEVE WE CAN HAVE MUTUAL AID ACCROSS STATE LINES IN A VERY ORGANIZED AND SUCCESFUL FASHION. BE GALD TO HELP IF NEEDED.
National Mutual Aid is a great concept. However, the fire service is it’s own worst enemy. There are many fire departments in the US that don’t even use local mutual aid. Until everyone in the fire service realizes that our job is not to maintain our own little territory but to provide the best fire/rescue service we can provide for our citizens we will fall short of our goal.
There are emergency responses where a mutual aid department has a station closer than the department whose area the response is in but the mutual aid departments aren’t dispatched. Why… Because they don’t want the other department beating them to their emergencies or they just don’t like the other department. What will their citizens think ????
Until fire departments can work together in harmony on a dialy basis (which can be done as we see in major emergency situations) a mutual aid system that includes all fire / rescue departments will not work.
National Mutual Aid- it’s a good thing and we already have it in EMAC. Problem is, we need, in order to secure the proper resources, standards in the form of qualifications for individuals and typing for apparatus and teams. The US Fire Service can’t even agree to agree on NFPA standards, much less something else, and those are CONSENSUS standards (meaning you all have input). If I call for a “truckload of truckies”, I should be getting the same thing in Texas as I would if I asked for that resource in Minnesota.
The fire service can’t get their collective selves together to agree on something as fundamental as basic firefighter training; what makes you all think they will be able to agree on what to send if you call for a particular asset?
Everyone reading this column needs to talk this up through the ranks to the elected officials. We all need to cowboy up and do the right thing- hold our firefighters to a consistent industry standard and set up our teams according to an industry standard. But so long as there are big departments out there who say, “we aren’t doing it that way, we’re better than all of the rest of you” (and you know who you are), there will never be a good standard and never a workable mutual aid system.
EMAC is NOT a fire mutual aid resource that can RAPIDLY respond to requests for IMMEDIATE fire and rescue needs. EMAC’s beaurocratic system does not use the closest, capable, available resources, hence for Hurricane Katrina, Illinois fire resources were mobilized and had drove 1100 miles while Tenn. and Georgia were bypassed. A National FIRE Mutual Aid System (not a federal system or a emergency management system) administered by FIRE personnel using FIRE resouces using models already in place in Florida and Illinois as a guide is needed and it will work.
Mutual Aid starts at home. Many of our Fire Departments are so worried about territorial rights that Mutual Aid agreements or standards are the furtherest item from their thoughts. The NFPA has written standards for everything but Mutual Aid because it was beleived to be a no brainer that everyone was doing. Guess we all need to take a lesson. The NFPA needs to establish a standards committee immediately to resolve this problem. They need to set a goal of six months to get this accomplished. We need a standard that requires local mutual (or automatic) aid that continues to the state level and then a teired response for national problems. It should never come down to a question of who is paid or who is volunteer. We all do the same job. Simply put that is to save lives first and to minimize damage if possible. If California and Florida as examples can do this, then why can’t we develop a National Standard? Its possible if WE want work together.
I think the “National mutual aid system” doesn’t go far enough, nor does it start in the right place. The fire service in the US needs to be NATIONALIZED. This will enable the federal government to standardize training (and provide it free of charge), create standard resource designations and types and provide the Department of Homeland Security with the “army” it needs to address problems like Katrina and Rita. Put us all on the same page!!
The national mutual aid should have been done years ago, not just after 9/11. but for other emergencies around the country
A new set of initials and another batch of regulations would add to the problem, not help the solution!
I would hate to see a new federal fire service bureaucracy set up in the name of mutual aid. It would probably be headed up by a political hack who gets the job as patronage. Can you say FEMA?
I’ve been a FF for 28 years. I’ve served in four different states. I have experience with five different fire departments, urban full-time career, suburban and small town combination, and rural all volunteer. All except the career department had no problem with mutual aid. When the career department was overwhelmed, they broke precedent and asked their neighbors for help. Their neighbors came at once and helped put out the fire. All the other departments used mutual aid routinely. Two of those communities are close to state borders, but I’ve never been a cross-border problem when help was requested.
Firefighters have the know how and the heart to help their communities and their neighbors. Can we find a way to help each other on a larger scale without the federal bureaucrats and complicated regulations that too often do not make sense on the ground?
?General information type maps with no UTM grid, in a disaster environment without street signs, few recognizable landmarks with no response specific data were very nearly useless? An actual accounting of all the requests for emergency assistance that went without, or the delay encountered by the countless movements of personnel, food, and equipment will likely never accurately be tallied?.?* (Katrina? Find the answer below.)
The generals, in meeting with the Pres two days ago, described search and rescue operations after Hurricane Katrina as a “train wreck” and suggested that the U.S. needs a national plan to coordinate search and rescue efforts following natural disasters or terrorist attacks. “With Rita, we had the benefit of time. We may not have that time in an earthquake scenario or similar incident.” (Gen. White)
There is one important factor in this map-driven enterprise not addressed at all in NIMS, the National “Response Plan,” or even between USAR Teams in SOPs when they are working in the field: maps, mapping, supported by technology (GPS, GIS…), all using the same reference system (interoperability/common ops picture) to facilitate precise and accurate communications, especially in areas devoid of street signs.
Unified command? Incident command system? Without a common map grid? System?
Feet made of clay.
The first ever US Fire Service Needs Assessment (USFA/NFPA 12/2002) reported that “The vast majority of (fire) departments with a map coordinate system have only a local system, which means the system they have is unlikely to be usable with global positioning systems (GPS) or familiar to, or easily used by, non-local emergency response partners, such as Urban Search and Rescue Teams, the National Guard, and state or national response forces. Moreover, interoperability of spatial-based information systems, equipment, and procedures will likely be rendered impossible beyond the local community under these circumstances. This reliance almost exclusively on local systems exists across-the-board, in all sizes of communities.”
This matter of “preparedness” is such a relatively easy thing to address and correct for little or no cost over time. Dept’s can, if they choose, continue to use their legacy map reference systems, but supplement with USNG-NAD (interoperable with MGRS-WGS84) and have everyone trained to use a map properly to communicate “location” anywhere they are dispatched with USAR or otherwise. Use your members with military experience or local National Guard to facilitate same.
Many new GPS have USNG-NAD83, older units use MGRS-WGS84.
Also in terms of preparedness, communities/states should have stockpiles, or reliable means of rapid reproduction, of many large-format and properly gridded maps for when the “cavalry” does ride into town, fire service, military, or otherwise… all singing from the same map sheet of music. “Gas station maps” just won’t hack-it, especially if different teams operating in the same AO use a different gas station map. Sure the job will get done, but at what cost?
If the military in their “capstone doctrine” for domestic support ops (FM 100-19), developed a year after H. Andrew, used the word “critical” in terms of military and civilian using the same map grid, should the military be expected to use each communities individual reference (that won’t work with GPS in most cases)? Or rather, should the fire service lead the way towards true common ops picture whether new technology or old, for mutual aid large incident or small?
Just one piece of a larger puzzle, but if the White House termed US National Grid nearly four years ago “One of the three most important immediate steps that the Government could take to improve homeland security,” perhaps we should take them at their word.
PS> This is not the Federal government telling anyone what to do, the standard was brought to the feds by a private non-profit of concerned citizens many years ago, it went through an extensive standards process including public review and comment, and was adopted by the FGDC two months after 9/11; to date the standard is voluntary and should remain so.
Leadership local/state/fed is also voluntary.
As bad as this past month has been, those familiar with such risks and others know that we got off very lucky re. Katrina. What will we tell the American people the next time?
For more info see http://www.fgdc.gov/usng.
*From the Hurricane Andrew GIS Coordinator?s after-action report to the Center for Army Lessons Learned, 10/06/92
PSII: USNG/MGRS are based upon UTM.
Mutual Aid Systems throughout the country have proved to be extremely effective in mitigating emergencies larger than the subject jurisditction is capable of handling. The Federation of Mutual Associations of New Hampshire undertook the Developement, Implementation and Training for a Statewide Fire Mobilization Plan. This undertaking required thriteen (13) seperate Mutual Associatioons to come together and develope the plan as well as member departments to train and work on the plan. I believe the country deserves a Nationwide Fire/Rescue Mobilization Plan and applaud the IAFC for stepping forward.
What’s the Holdup? We’ve had such a system here since the 1920’s. I certainly support a Nationwide system, BUT, it must be totally operaded by the Fire Service. As one who is familiar with EMAC, it’s my opinion that there are still too many of the old “Civil Defense” types who are still active in Emergency Management. Operational Control of First Responders must be by people who ARE First Responders themselves. Those who are trained to respond in seconds must not be controlled by those who were trained to respond in weeks. To reconfigure an old phrase: “Of the Fire Service, By the Fire Service, For the Fire Service”. This is where we should be going.
It?s been 4 long years since our political and social complacency had almost literally ripped this great nation of ours apart. The events of 9-11 shook the entire country, but in an effort to try to control the ?mass hysteria?, and focus on being ?prepared?, in a few short months, we became arrogant and complacent once again.
The good news is that as a nation, once again, in the devastation of several of our states due to ?acts of god?, we pulled together to help our fellow Americans. Unfortunately, once again, politics had failed us.
The responsibility of effective emergency management is not an easy burden, however, it still should remain simple? COMMAND, OPERATIONS, SAFETY, FINANCE, of course, however, in focusing on these simple positions, we loose the basic principles of true emergency management. The management, which begins on a local level, and should filter UP. The local E.M. responsibility falls on the individual, then the family, next the neighbors, then the community, and only THEN can the local ? authorities? effectively manage an emergency. If ANY of these fail, then they ALL will fail.
It is NOT the individuals fault, nor the family or community when failure occurs in management, it is in the preparedness stage for which the local authorities are responsible for ensuring that local citizens know what to do. It starts with local government ensuring the safety and posterity of its citizens, even if it means chancing potential panic, PRIOR to having an emergency. What the events and results from the recent catastrophic storms has taught us is that the events of 9-11 have long been forgotten, because of the pain it causes. Instead of finding a solution, the citizens of this nation choose to forget, instead of taking up the responsibility of being prepared, running drills, stocking up with a basic preparedness kit, ensuring they keep their vehicles full of gas. Due to economic times, much of this does NOT seem to be a priority, but then looking in the rear view mirror, how much is your life worth? How much does it cost to be prepared as apposed to being hit by tragedy and then TRY to rebuild?
The Federal Government DOES and WILL provide for effective mitigation and preparedness and response, however, it ALL falls on the shoulders of the locals to initiate a Nation-Wide Mutual aid plan. We can?t count on FEMA, or DHS, or any other agency to provide for us what is OUR responsibility. If there seems to be too much red tape to effectively manage an emergency, you have to start snipping at it as an individual, then as a family, and so on. Wake up America, we ALL have a duty to act, for human sake, for what is right. My department is not your typical fire department. Our goals go much deeper than see a fire, put it out?(most of you know what I mean), as Chief said, it has proven itself time and time again that there is a very real need for national mutual aid, and there is a need to be prepared, willing, and able to meet that demand when it arises. It has to start with YOU. Every member of the public safety and emergency services groups on a local level. What can you do to NOT cause riots and chaos, while instilling the fear of complacency? Giving your community a good swift kick in the butt to make them realize that if we?d planned for this, as individuals, we may have made it as a family. If we had put our pride aside, and lent a helping hand BEFORE this happened, would my neighbor be alive today?
This is a very deep subject for some, but maybe it?s carma that says?.they didn?t learn from 9-11, let?s just throw them a couple of storms side by side, let?s see if they wake up then. It IS TIME TO WAKE UP?.GET YOUR DEPARTMENT TOGETHER WITH ITS COMMUNITY, AND TEACH THEM WHAT YOU KNOW. TEACH THEM WHAT TO DO. When the individual KNOWS their job in light of a catastrophe, then we have all the resources we need to help our neighbors.
The tools are there, we should have built these national mutual aid agreements years ago, let?s get them moving NOW, before unforeseen or even predicted events ruin the lives hundreds or thousands more!
Our department is in, and all we?ve gotten is road block after road block. We are NOW focusing on the individual. Teaching them that emergency management starts with them, and that it should be learned just as if they were learning to write the own names.
Good luck!
Its good to see that others havebrought up EMAC. I suggest departments join together to form regional response teams or task forces that would be ready to respond to such tragedies.
Once formed work with the state emergency management agenciesm who wold be the ones coordianting the EMAC requests from other states.
EMAC is a large national mutual aid agreement, that identifies who covers liability, and who will cover costs.
When there are events such as 9/11 and hurricanes and earthquakes, any agency such as fire, ems, law enforcement should coordinate their efforts through EMAC, so they are deployed to the areas that need the help. When indiviuals or departments self deploy they risk impeding other response efforts, duplicating resources, losing money and incurring liability. EMAC is a great partnership, emergency services should know how to utilize this.
Listen to Bob Winston. NIFCI does a very good job, but like any federal agency it still takes 48 hours to get on the ground. Us hicks in Montana have put together an intrastate mutual system that provides true mutual aid–24 to 48 hours of self sufficient help until bigger government help can arrive. Realize that mutual aid responses in our state can take up to five hours plus 30 minute mobilization, I-90 Fire — Bozeman to Tarkio –August 2005. Actually, we’re prepared to go much farther afield to help our neighbors. As to the comment that firefighters in Montana are nothing more than breathing blobs of bovine dung, think again. Our structure departments are already cross trained for wildfire suppression which means we know how to operate under NIMS. Our people are sent all over the country in wildfire capacities, disaster response and recovery. My very small volunteer department sent a truck to New Mexico in 2000 for initial attack. Another department in our county sent a truck to Florida in 1998. Someday, maybe the rest of our country who have not yet experienced a natural disaster,will witness as we did in 2000, a time when all national wildfire resources were deployed, a lightning bust was imminent, and we had to operate in explosive fuel conditions knowing that only a very thin red line remained between the dragon and a 1910- like conflagration. At our morning briefings we felt like the doomed, but we didn’t cut & run or give up. We do need a national mutual aid system, but let’s keep turf and ignorance out of the mix.
The only problem I see with a national mutual aid system is the fact that the volunteer fire departments are always second.I have been a volunteer for fourteen years in one of the largest departments in Connecticut.The volunteer orgasnizations have very well trained fire personnel.In my town we train every Monday night.If the fire service can get past the career vs. volunteer problem then we will be able to have a national mutual aid system that could benefit all fire departments.I feel that if every state put together a list of all their resources available for situations like this than the feds could use that list to deploy teams from all over the country. Yes this would be a huge undertaking, but the end result would benefit all of us. As for the government dropping the ball and using fire personnel for handing out flyers to the public that was just wrong.
I am proud to say that I was part of the second deployment from Illinois to New Orleans after Katrina. The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), used throughout Illinois, allowed us to deploy 600 Firefighters with rigs and equipment within 24 hours of the EMAC agreement being signed. The second deployment had 220 and the third 125.
We had issues dealing with the other responders on an operational level but, they were limited to thread type, radio frequecies and developing a common set of terms. We integrated Illinois with New Orleans and FDNY crews and effectively ran many fire calls.
Look at your state and develop a state-wide MABAS system and then integrate that with a national mutual aid agreement.
The MABAS system utilized in Illinois should be and is the model that the country should take a hard look at following as a nation wide syetem. At the same time the Illinois MABAS was deployed in New Orleans, within 35 minutes of a major incident (Commuter Train Derailment) just south of downtown Chicago, suburban MABAS departments were able to put 50 ambulances in a staging area to be used at the incident and also response throughout the south end of the city. The City of Chicago is a MABAS division within the state with numerous divisions surrounding the city and now expanding throughout the state and currently into southern wisconsin and northwest indiana. With one radio transmission, an interdivisional alarm is in action with companies moving, regardless of their being a career, combo or volunteer department.
I can only speak as an observer of Mutual Aid in Massachusetts. Mid size cities in Eastern Mass are so dependent on Mutual Aid that A three alarm fire in one city, and a two alrm fire in a neighboring city leaves the Mutual aid system strapped. In a National Disaster or Terroist act, The mutal aid system would be overwelmed. Many smaller or mid size cities in Eastern, Mass. tend to be understaffed with the thinking that Mutual aid will bail them out. Certainly this is true in most cases. However in todays climate Fire Departments have to expect Mutual aid will be slow in coming if a natural disaster or terrorist act encompasses a broad area.
As the others have said, I agree with the National Mutual Aid System. Beaver County, PA many years ago had every fire department in the county sign a mutual aid agreement to eliminate the need of our communications center have to make the decision as to who responds. After the fiasco in the aftermath of Katrina, I suggested to our county 911 leaders to establish a list of 100-150 volunteers, who have gone thru all the background checks required by FEMA, be on file with the center to use as a reference/call up sheet to respond these personnel. I’m sure the different USAR teams already have this in position.
Thank
I completly agree with your idea. However if it is going to work not only will need a system in place but common radio frequencies to go along with the plan. I was just in the beginning process of my Master Degree Thesus and when I responded to New Orleans with the Illinois Task Force. I was not shocked or even surprised to see personnel carrying 2-3 radios just to go work. To me this seems crazy. We carry and do our job but to have multiple “fireground” channels that would be nationwide. Then if we go to another major disaster we can once again work toegther and be on the same frequency. If we have multiple channels we can use one as a dispatch, fireground, logistics, etc. This concept would not be any different for Police and EMS. Keep up the Good work and Stay Safe.
The FCC has assigned 5 channels for interoperability on a national basis in the VHF High Band. There is one calling frequency which should be in all 911/Dispatch centers, and 4 “Tac” channels. All operate with a PL of 156.7. You can google> V-TAC V-CALL Interoperability
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