The 20th anniversary of 9/11 is now just two days away. The event changed the way crews across the country plan for and respond to emergencies, and that includes here in Wisconsin. There’s one system more than 86% of fire departments use when disaster hits in Wisconsin, the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, or MABAS.
When most would run away from trouble, Fort Atkinson Fire Chief Daryl Rausch rushed to it.
“I’ve been doing this for 41 years. This is the largest event I’ve ever managed,” says Chief Rausch.
Chief Rausch knew right away that he needed help fighting a large warehouse fire. “As soon as I turned onto Main Street, I called the county and requested the MABAS box alarm,” says Chief Rausch.
Forty-eight different departments spanning five counties and two states all came together thanks to one emergency response tool.