* Press release…
Gov. JB Pritzker announced today a 46-member Urban Search and Rescue Team, and the required mission equipment, will deploy to Louisiana to aid with water rescues caused by life threatening flash flooding and dangerous storm surges caused by Hurricane Ida. These first responders hail from the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) IL-Task Force 1 from northern Illinois and are made up of members from various fire departments throughout the state. The team will be deployed to the affected area for 16 days.
The Urban Search and Rescue teams work alongside local rescuers to conduct search, rescue, and recovery missions for humans and animals in flooded environments. In addition, the team is capable of providing on-the-spot emergency medical care, emergency transportation for medical necessities and supports helicopter rescue operations in water environments.
“Illinois is ready to help our fellow Americans, and Hurricane Ida is doing untold damage in Louisiana,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This life-threatening storm is creating extremely dangerous conditions for residents who did not evacuate and Louisiana’s first responders. Illinois’ brave first responders are well-trained and will work alongside local rescue teams in the coming days to provide essential support for affected residents.”
Requests for assistance are coordinated through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a mutual aid agreement that allows states to request assistance from other states during emergencies. Officials from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) have been in regular contact with EMAC representative and are currently reviewing the anticipated needs drafted by the state of Louisiana and neighboring states.
The MABAS team will depart Monday morning from Wheeling after receiving event identification, mission and safety briefings and mobilization assistance. This process ensures the accountability and readiness of personnel and state assets prior to departure. All costs associated with these deployments will be paid for by Louisiana.
Illinois, and its public safety agencies, stand ready to provide assistance in response to further EMAC requests as the Gulf Coast and southern states responds to the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.
* Related…
* We’re Hitting the Limits of Hurricane Preparedness: While Ida was a well-predicted storm, 60 hours of warning was too short for New Orleans officials to issue a mandatory evacuation order in the days before it landed. The limits of the city’s highways mean that the city must issue an evacuation order at least 72 hours before tropical-storm winds hit land. Officials said last year that the coronavirus pandemic means they may need 82 hours of warning, to account for the increased difficulty of moving and sheltering people.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 30, 21 @ 12:59 pm:
Good to see. They are going to need all the help available,
- Anon - Monday, Aug 30, 21 @ 1:08 pm:
Well, that answers the question of what the convoy was on I-57 near Champaign about an hour ago.
- Amalia - Monday, Aug 30, 21 @ 1:25 pm:
Wonderful. New Orleans is without power, but the damage southwest of there is just terrifying. Weather Channel giving much news of the damage. still don’t know the full extent but people are trapped. glad Illinois can help.
- AFFI member - Monday, Aug 30, 21 @ 1:44 pm:
Illinois for all it’s faults has an excellent mutual aid system for local, regional and national emergencies. After Katrina, Illinois provided the Gulf Coast, particularly Louisiana with an enormous response.
- Payback - Monday, Aug 30, 21 @ 2:56 pm:
In other news, there are record numbers of shootings in the city of Chicago, and a record drought in Illinois farm areas outside Chicago, but let’s get some headlines for the Guv. He cares about people- (some people). Maybe we could use our firefighters here?
These “mutual aid” compacts/agreements/whatever smell like what we used to call regional government/the NWO back in the First Gulf War era. Let’s send some Blackwater mercenaries too, to “keep order” like after hurricane Katrina.
- Chicago 20 - Monday, Aug 30, 21 @ 4:19 pm:
Last year in 2020, Hurricane Laura, Delta and Zeta caused $26 billion just in Louisiana.
One of these days someone is going to realize Louisiana is a very dangerous and expensive place to live.
- MyTwoCents - Monday, Aug 30, 21 @ 5:08 pm:
AFFI member has it right, Illinois has a great system for mutual aid and it goes beyond fire/ems. Law enforcement, emergency management, public works, they all have their mutual aid agreements to assist when a disaster/incident overwhelms local resources. It really is a strength, particularly for the smaller and more rural areas of the state.