ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Close to 40 fire department rescuers from Illinois have reached Texas to help with the aftermath of the state’s devastating flood.
On Saturday, officials from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency announced that 39 crew members were en route to Texas through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). Their deployment could last up to two weeks.
The Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team is set to work in the Austin area, with team members as of Sunday morning still awaiting their assignments, as reported by MABAS leadership. Illinois is one of roughly two dozen states that have responded to Texas’ call for aid following flooding that claimed the lives of at least 129 individuals.
“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,” IEMA-OHS Acting Director Theodore (Ted) Berger said in a news release.
The crew — USAR Task Force 1 — was sworn in at the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security in Springfield before driving to Texas.
The assistance is part of a mutual aid agreement among states — in which they pledge to help each other during emergencies and disasters. Along with Governor JB Pritzker’s approval, the IEMA and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) activated the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). The EMAC was formed in 1996 and and has aided in the responses to hurricanes, floods, wildfires and other disasters.
