City of Oak Creek

Common Council Report

Meeting Date:  5/18/04

Item No.:         16

Recommendation:  That the Common Council adopt Resolution No.   ,approving the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) agreement.

Background:  In January of this year the fire department presented information regarding the MABAS system.  At that time the fire departments in Milwaukee County were applying for inclusion in the MABAS system.  Once that request was approved the fire departments would then seek approval from their governing bodies to join the system.  Milwaukee County has now been designated as Division 107 and several Milwaukee County communities have approved the agreement in the last few weeks

MABAS has been in operation for over 25 years and has grown into one of the largest systems in the United States.  It covers most of the State of Illinois, smaller portions of Indiana, Missouri, and Iowa.  It has been gradually moving into southern Wisconsin.  Kenosha County and Racine County fire departments are a part of the system and Waukesha County fire departments are in the process of joining.

There are significant advantages to joining this system.  Instead of the individual mutual aid agreements signed with each community, we will only need to have one master agreement with the MABAS system that will cover all communities in the system.  The system uses common procedures and common radio frequencies to improve operations.

Because of the large number of communities in the system, it is not possible to modify the agreement.  Each member must adopt the standard agreement.  The City Attorney has reviewed the agreement and he has approved it as written.

Fiscal Impact:  The proposal will not significantly change our incidences of mutual aid given or received.  Therefore it should not create new costs

Prepared & approved by:

Gerard R. Hammernik

Fire Chief

Fiscal Review by:

Beverly A. Buretta, CMC

City Clerk