Third District Chiefs' Association
MABAS 24 Hazardous Materials Response Team
The 3rd District Fire Chiefs Association sponsors the 3rd District
Hazardous Materials Response Team. Chief Kevin Welsh, of the Glenwood
Fire Department, is the coordinator for the team. All 28 departments of
the district donate money and manpower to support the team. All team
members are from 3rd District Fire Departments. They are the responsible
party, in the south suburbs, for responding to hazardous materials
incidents and acts of terrorism, when called upon by a department of the
district.
3rd Dist. Haz-mat Headquarters, Holbrook, IL
The purpose of the Third District Hazardous Materials Response
Team, MABAS 24, is to provide a specialized team of personnel
with specialized hazardous materials training and specialized equipment.
The team is capable of responding to hazardous materials incidents in
order to contain and/or control the incident and to prevent further
damage to life and property. The Team operates with some limitations.
This Team is not considered a Team of experts, but a Team of technicians
who provide assistance, resources, mitigation and specialized knowledge.
The Team is not a "clean-up company".
The Team is made up of a maximum of fifty qualified members of
individual Third District Departments, signatory to the Hazardous
Materials Response Agreement. The number of members is determined by the
Hazardous Materials Advisory Committee with the approval of the Third
District Fire Chief's Association. Each member has been trained to meet
the standards as set by the Hazardous Materials Advisory Committee in
accordance with all federal, state and local requirements.
The team has been designated a level A team which is the highest
rating in the MABAS system. Because of this the team has been a
recipient of the equipment provide by the federal government under the
Illinois Terrorism Task Force.
The team is ready to respond 24-hours per day and are dispatched on
the command of the affected community. The Incident Commander of
community in need of help merely calls for a Hazardous Materials Box.
This alerts the advisory team and they respond to the incident. If
mitigation is needed then a second alarm is called and this brings the
entire team along with the Hazmat Vehicles, Squads 9901, 9902, the
Claumet City and South Holland Hazmat Squads.
Squad 9901, a 2001 box truck, is equipped with a command center,
personnel protective equipment, radios, communication equipment,
detection meters, identification tools and various other supplies to
allow us to enter hazardous atmospheres in a relatively safe manner.
Squad 9902 is a fire engine that was donated to the team by the Hazel
Crest Fire Department and has been modified for hazardous materials use.
It carries equipment to reduce or completely stop the problem. It is the
mitigation vehicle carrying booms, sorbents, oil dry, neutralizers,
foam, containment vessels, and plugging and diking equipment.
MABAS 24 received a new mass decon unit from Cook County and the ITTF.
The number of the new unit is 9903 and is stationed at Tinley Station 4
at 7800 W 191 St.
The team members put many additional hours, above and beyond their
normal fire response duties, into training and responding to hazardous
materials incidents. The cooperation of the various member departments
allows the district to protect its citizens at highest level at the most
reasonable costs.
| 
