VIDEO: Rock County law enforcement agencies are setting up a system to streamline their emergency response and save time in case of a crisis. The system is called MARS, or the Mutual Aid Response System. It’s similar to MABAS, or the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, already used by fire departments statewide. Representatives from the agencies met at Blackhawk Technical College on Wednesday to sign the agreement. ... But MABAS cards used by fire departments in the county for years streamline the process by creating a sort of shorthand for calling on help, organizing levels with predetermined agencies according to types and the severity of situations.
"Predetermining those resources allows the incident commander to focus on the emergency at hand,” Beloit Fire Chief Bradley Liggett said.