Title
Resolution to Approve the Participation of the City of Ann Arbor Fire Department in the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) Division - Michigan
Memorandum
Local communities may be faced with emergencies which overtax their local Fire/EMS and special operations capabilities. A "local" emergency may not warrant a State Declaration of Disaster and its accompanying statutory powers. Without a Declaration of Disaster or Declaration of an Emergency, statewide mutual aid cannot be activated nor can the statutory powers such a Declaration provides related to liability, workman's compensation coverage and assistance reimbursement be accessed. Communities are dependent on requests for mutual aid assistance, which responses are voluntary without formal written Mutual Aid Agreements between the locality and the assisting agency.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was created to address this gap. MABAS was originally formed in 1968 in Chicago, quickly grew into Divisions with the state, and then regionally with current Divisions in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan.
The purpose of a MABAS Division is to have local governments commit through a signed resolution to provide pre-determined resources when called upon to assist another jurisdiction beyond a mutual aid agreement.
A MABAS Division is comprised of a number of local adjoining municipalities that create a substructure within an assigned region.
The benefit to participating in MABAS-Michigan:
· Improves disaster response capabilities
· Reduces impact of disaster on community
· Strengthens interstate mobilization
· Brings fire service stakeholders together
MABAS participation does not replace current City of Ann Arbor Mutual Aid Agreements or alter the City or replace the City participation in the Michigan Emergency Mutual Aid Compact (MEMAC) previously approved by City Council.
Participation in MABAS is recommended.
Staff
Prepared by: Mary Joan Fales, Senior Assistant City Attorney
Reviewed by: Ollice Hubbard, Chief, AAFD and John Seto, Chief AAPD, Safety Services Area Administrator
Approved by: Steven D. Powers, City Administrator
Body
Whereas, the City of Ann Arbor, a Michigan municipal corporation, has the power, privilege and authority to maintain and operate a fire department providing fire protection, fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue, hazardous incident response, and other emergency response services ("Fire Services");
Whereas, Fire Services can further be improved by cooperation between political subdivisions during times of public emergency, conflagration or disaster ("Incidents");
Whereas, The Michigan Constitution of 1963, Article 7, § 28, and the Urban Cooperation Act of 1967, Act No. 7 of the Public Acts of 1967, Ex. Sess., being MCL 124.501 et seq. (the "Act"), permit a political subdivision to exercise jointly with any other political subdivision any power, privilege or authority which such political subdivisions share in common and which each might exercise separately;
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor desires to enter into an interlocal agreement, pursuant to the Act, to further improve Fire Services;
Whereas, The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), is a mechanism that may be used for deploying personnel and equipment in a multi-jurisdictional or multi-agency emergency mutual aid response;
Whereas, As a result of entering into an interlocal agreement to further improve Fire Services, the Parties are creating the City of Ann Arbor Fire MABAS Division; and
Whereas, The City Administrator has the authority to execute this Agreement pursuant to resolution of its governing body;
RESOLVED, That City Council, being fully apprised in the matter, finds it is in the best interest of the citizens of the City of Ann Arbor from a safety and fiscal standpoint to enter into an Interlocal Agreement creating the City of Ann Arbor Fire MABAS Division and appoint the City of Ann Arbor Fire Chief, or his designee, as the City of Ann Arbor member to the MABAS Executive Board; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator be authorized and directed to execute the Interlocal Agreement and all supplemental documents necessary for the creation of and operation of the MABAS Division, subject to approval as to form by the City Attorney.