Springfield—An Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team from Illinois is headed to Texas to assist with operations after deadly flooding this week. This group of 39 rescuers from fire departments, deployed as part of the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) as USAR Task Force 1, will be on the ground in Texas for up to 14 days.
IEMA-OHS Acting Director Theodore (Ted) Berger said, “This nationwide mutual aid agreement allows states to share resources and personnel during emergencies, and tasks for this operation include wide-area search and rescue as well as debris pile clearance. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this devastating tragedy and hope we can be of service.”
Illinois is one of close to two dozen states offering assistance to flood-ravaged Texas. “Just as many towns, cities, and counties in Illinois have agreements to assist each other in times of disaster, states have agreements to do the same,” explained Berger. Gov. 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).
The Emergency Management Assistance Compact 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.