By David Fleet
Editor
Groveland Twp.– On the anniversary of 9/11 a major step forward toward preparedness in the event of a disaster will be unveild in the township.
From 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Sept. 11, the Michigan Mutual Aid Box Alarm System or MABAS storage warehouse will be open for pubic tours. The 17,000 square feet MABAS warehouse, 7337 Grange Hall Road was relocated from a hangar at the Pontiac-Oakland Airport and is now located on about two acres of township property near Grange Hall Road and I-75. The building was constructed by township builder Barry Bass and leased from the township by MABAS for $8,500 per month.

The MABAS warehouse is home to supplies and equipment used in the event of a major catastrophe including food supplies for workers, logistics, support vehicles, boats for surface water rescue, medical supplies, generators, ATVs, and vans to move the teams statewide.
“Preparedness saves lives,” said Steve McGee, township fire chief and MABAS 3201 president. We can get to 80 percent of the residents in the state within two and a half hours from here in the township. The location is key—teams can now mobilize and get to a major disaster within 72 hours anywhere in the state—by then FEMA will get there.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA would then provide long term assistance to the community.
MABAS is funded by state governments and designed to streamline emergency and fire services resources. In addition, MABAS coordinates large scale events such as major fires, train derailments, tornadoes, wildfires, domestic or foreign terrorism and other events that may overwhelm local resources. In the past some of the MABAS special teams have responded and supported first responders on incidents such as the Dundee tornado, the furniture store explosion in Westland, the Rochester Hills tornado and the Grosse Pointe Woods trench collapse.
“We have a medical unit in the warehouse that is equipped with a complete ER and surgical facility,” said McGee. “If a disaster occurs anywhere in the state we are equipped to take structural engineers, hazmat personnel, safety officers and meet with fire chief to a place of operation. If there are mass injuries we have mobile surgical hospital tents complete with beds and even a cafeteria to feed the workers.”
Some of the equipment stored at the facility is for building collapse rescue, added McGee.
“There are powerful hydraulic jacks to move building debris off individuals that may be trapped,” he said. “Listening and camera devices are available to seek those victims when a building collapses. We have search dogs available and supplies to care for the animals.”
Michigan, along with Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, have implemented the MABAS program.
The MABAS warehouse stores equipment in one place for Michigan Task Force 1—a team of more than 150 highly trained service personnel mobilized in the event of a disaster. Michigan is divided up into 22 MABAS Divisions if called upon by the Michigan State Police or state government. Those divisions includes Livingston, Lenawee, Ingham, Jackson, North Oakland, South Oakland, Western Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw, Downriver Wayne, St. Clair, Bay, Saginaw, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, Van Buren, Ottawa, Muskegon, Kent, Northern and Newago County.
The teams are comprised of fire departments, law enforcement, public health, public works, emergency management personal, structural engineers, heavy equipment operators, and disaster certified doctors to name a few.
“Consider how long it takes to ramp up a response team, if an event like a major tornado hit or a terrorist attack occurs,” he said. “We can be up and going within two hours of the first call. It’s our job to be the first responders until backup or FEMA can provide longer term support.
Officials statewide are expected to attend the opening of the MABAS warehouse in the township.
“The value for the township is to have the MABAS resources not in our backyard, rather now in our front yard,” said DePalma, township supervisor. “From a safety standpoint, it’s ideal and an asset to the community.”