Mathias Awarded by MABAS

The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) awarded State Rep. Sid Mathias (R-Buffalo Grove) for his dedication to “First Responder Response Readiness” throughout Illinois. Mathias was chief sponsor of HB 1303; legislation authorizing emergency funding for the maintenance, operation and capital expenses of MABAS. The legislation was a key component of public safety initiatives championed by Mathias last year.

“This legislation allows MABAS the necessary resources to respond, protect and safeguard our communities during a national or regional emergency,” Mathias said. “I am honored to receive this award from MABAS and proud to have partnered with them on this proactive piece of legislation.”

MABAS is a regional mutual aid system, headquartered in Illinois, with 1500 member fire departments in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri.  In emergency services, mutual aid is an agreement among emergency responders to lend assistance across jurisdictional boundaries, which may occur due to an emergency response that exceeds local resources, such as a major disaster.

MABAS, which has been in existence since the late 1960s, has rapidly grown throughout the State of Illinois and the Midwest where alarms are systematically designed to provide speed of response of emergency resources to the stricken community during an ongoing emergency. The legislation ensures that the system has the necessary resources to safeguard all of Illinois.

— Submitted by the office of Sid Mathias