How MABAS works
How MABAS works
MABAS is a mutual aid system that may be used for deploying fire, rescue and emergency medical services personnel in a multi-jurisdictional or multi-agency response. Equipment, personnel or services provided under MABAS are at no charge between municipalities, and participation in the program is voluntary.
In any participating fire department's MABAS alarm box, there is a card for each specific type of emergency situation, such as a structural fire, brush fire, an EMS situation, hazardous materials, a technical rescue, a target hazard, and even an all-out citywide disaster. Each card has a chart of alarm levels, indicating which local or regional emergency service departments would respond with their own specified piece of equipment or personnel - engines, ladder trucks, ambulances or specialized equipment, squads, chiefs, or taking charge of quarters.
MABAS box alarms are designed so that by calling for only one piece of equipment from each participating department, no community is left unprotected in the event of a neighboring community's need for help.
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Brewery Fire: 1875
The brewery in downtown Monroe began in 1845 on the very spot where it sits today. It produced 1,200 barrels annually, employed four men and had an annual payroll of $3,000 per year. One horse still powered the brewery.
On a very cold night on December 27, 1875, a terrible fire destroyed that first brewery.
The fire was put out using "green beer." Firefighting took seven hours. The loss was $12,000, but the brewery was insured for only $5,000.
By 1884, the brewery was producing again, 3,000 barrels annually, and in 1885, it had revenues of $12,000.
Source: minhasbrewery.com
MONROE - A seemingly routine fire call suddenly became an "Oh, my God" moment when Monroe Fire Chief Daryl Rausch turned the corner onto 12th Street at 2:31 p.m. Nov. 21, just three minutes after the call came in.
Thick, yellow smoke billowed from somewhere near the middle of Minhas Craft Brewery, the oldest brewery in the Midwest.
"I knew we were in for a long day and evening," Rausch later told his crew. He even questioned the viability of saving the business.
The fire
Yellow smoke is one of the characteristic signs of a potential backdraft, the explosive occurrence when oxygen is re-introduced to a confined area where the oxygen has been mostly consumed; the heat continues to produce flammable gases and the gases are heated beyond their ignition temperature, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
The thicker the smoke is the more likelihood of a flashover or rapid fire spread when all exposed surfaces reach ignition temperature more or less simultaneously and fire spreads rapidly throughout the space.
Minhas President Gary Olson said the stairwell, where much of the fire was concentrated, acted like a chimney and sent fire temperatures at the top of the staircase to nearly 1,900 degrees.
Rausch believes the high temperature was also caused by a large amount of a highly flammable liquid foam product accumulating in the stairwell and even dripping to the ground floor. Olson said the foam, which is power washable once it hardens, was being used to construct a tank cellar on the second floor.
An investigator found the temperatures in the top of the stairwell exceeded 1,500 degrees and deformed the steel roof and stair components, Rausch said in his after-incident report to the Monroe Fire Department crews.
The MABAS way
Rausch immediately issued a Monroe Fire Department Code Red alert, a second call designed to "bring everybody," he said.
Within the first minute of arriving on the scene, Rausch and Deputy Fire Chief Lane Heins had determined to use the region's Mutual Aid Box Alarm System and immediately requested MABAS Box 5-8-1 to the second alarm level.
Then, just in case there was any doubt Monroe needed all its firefighters and equipment on hand, Rausch said he issued "a rare, third alert - an ALL CALL."
Monroe's Engine 2 and Ladder Truck 7 arrived two minutes later.
MABAS Box 5-8-1 is designated for "Target Hazard" incidents. Minhas is classified as a target hazard because it has no sprinkler system, Rausch said. Four other top target hazards in Monroe are the Green County historic Courthouse, the high school, the middle school and Abraham Lincoln elementary school.
The second-level alarm call for MABAS 5-8-1 brought equipment or squads of personnel at the first alarm level from Juda, Monticello, Brodhead, and Orangeville; Monticello's fire chief; and New Glarus' Rapid Intervention Truck (RIT). The second level added South Wayne, the city of Freeport, and Browntown; Green County EMS; Brodhead's Fire Chief; Green County Emergency Management mobile command; and Monroe Police Department's Public Information Officer.
Rural Freeport's engine crew and chief and a squad from Cedarville took charge of quarters at the Monroe's fire station, in case another call was received: On Nov. 21, another call did come in - a death at a Monroe residence.
Just 30 minutes into the fire, MABAS Mobile Ventilation Unit, from Boone County Fire District near Belvedere, Ill., was also requested to clear the building of smoke and find hidden areas of fire.
Even after the fire was knocked down, there was so much work to be done that Rausch called for an extra squad of personnel but not the extra equipment from Davis and Orfordville, at the third and fourth alarm level. Normally, a MABAS alarm level is not broken apart.
"I broke my own cardinal rule," he said.
The later stages and cleanup areas are always the most difficult at a fire incident, according to Rausch, because the initial response crews are worn out and in need of rest or, at least, light duty.
The Minhas fire incident used 32 pieces of equipment and 116 people from 16 different agencies. Forty of Monroe's 48 firefighters were on hand; the remaining personnel were from MABAS.
Monroe's Public Works and Police departments, Green County Sheriff's Department, Alliant, WE Energies, and the American Red Cross also responded. Monroe volunteer firefighters' family members and several Monroe businesses provided food. Some Minhas employees stayed on scene with the command vehicle to help direct firefighters through the building's labyrinth of hallways and additions.
The fight to save Minhas
With all the calls and alarms sent out, Rausch and Heins made a plan of attack on the fire.
Monroe firefighters from Engine 2 and Ladder Truck 7 worked the main point of fire, entering the burning stairwell via a narrow aisle between sections of the facility. Through extreme heat and blackout conditions, the engine crew fought its way up the staircase one landing at a time. One officer reported to Rausch that they had to spray water up to each level above before advancing to it. Even then, Rausch wrote later, the only way to find the fire was through the use of thermal imaging cameras.
When the fire had reached the top floor and a flat roof, it traveled horizontally and began extending past a brick wall separating the old and newer parts of the building.
Monroe Engine 1 and Juda crews entered on the west side of the building and stopped the fire from advancing further west across the roof.
"Had more fire gotten into the oldest part of the building, I have no doubt the building could not have been saved," Rausch reported.
Olson agreed, saying if the fire had gotten a hold on the old wooden structure, the fire department would have had a "hard time to control it."
"The old, historical section of the building is about 140 years old," Olson added. "It's really kind of cool."
But in a north room adjacent to the stairwell, the fire and heat devastated newly installed electrical service equipment, including transformers, Olson said.
Rausch said the heat also melted all the plastic conduits in the stairwell and exposed the 480-volt electrical cables overhead.
Brodhead's ladder truck and Monroe Engine 5 crews were stationed on the north side of the building, and Freeport's ladder truck crew took watch over the top of the building.
Rausch declared the fire "under control" at 3:43 p.m., and little by little all MABAS and Monroe crews were released. Finally, Monroe Engine 5 crew stood watch throughout the night and was released at 6:10 a.m. Nov. 22.
The results
One "Mayday" was declared about 45 minutes into the stairwell fight, when a firefighter experienced respiratory problems and was transported for treatment. His team was able to get him down the stairwell before New Glarus RIT had to go in and get him. No other injuries were reported.
Olson said Minhas employees had been quickly and safely evacuated.
The incident cost to Monroe Fire Department was more than $20,000, Rausch said. The remaining MABAS departments together probably incurred more than $30,000, a cost for which they will not be reimbursed, "except for fuel to get home," he added.
Rausch's early estimate of damage to the Minhas facility was more than $500,000.
Olson said he didn't know the full extent of the damage to his facility, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The brewing side of the plant was shut down for cleaning and repairs, with the help of employees who would not be without a job in the meantime. There is plenty of smoke and fire damage, but the caustic soot is an alarming concern to Olson.
The packaging side continued operations as usual. The bulk beer already brewed and in storage can't be pumped without the power grid that was destroyed, but would stay good and cold enough in the winter weather.
"Mother Nature is helping," Olson said.
Olson said the plant should be back up and brewing again in January. Luckily, the holiday orders were filled, and after the holidays is a slower time for the business.
The MABAS system worked on Nov. 21 exactly as it was designed to work, Rausch said. Without all the help, he believes the likelihood of injuries would have been higher and Monroe would have lost an historic treasure, a major industrial manufacturer and employer and a property that contributes significantly to the city's tax base.
Thick, yellow smoke billowed from somewhere near the middle of Minhas Craft Brewery, the oldest brewery in the Midwest.
"I knew we were in for a long day and evening," Rausch later told his crew. He even questioned the viability of saving the business.
The fire
Yellow smoke is one of the characteristic signs of a potential backdraft, the explosive occurrence when oxygen is re-introduced to a confined area where the oxygen has been mostly consumed; the heat continues to produce flammable gases and the gases are heated beyond their ignition temperature, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
The thicker the smoke is the more likelihood of a flashover or rapid fire spread when all exposed surfaces reach ignition temperature more or less simultaneously and fire spreads rapidly throughout the space.
Minhas President Gary Olson said the stairwell, where much of the fire was concentrated, acted like a chimney and sent fire temperatures at the top of the staircase to nearly 1,900 degrees.
Rausch believes the high temperature was also caused by a large amount of a highly flammable liquid foam product accumulating in the stairwell and even dripping to the ground floor. Olson said the foam, which is power washable once it hardens, was being used to construct a tank cellar on the second floor.
An investigator found the temperatures in the top of the stairwell exceeded 1,500 degrees and deformed the steel roof and stair components, Rausch said in his after-incident report to the Monroe Fire Department crews.
The MABAS way
Rausch immediately issued a Monroe Fire Department Code Red alert, a second call designed to "bring everybody," he said.
Within the first minute of arriving on the scene, Rausch and Deputy Fire Chief Lane Heins had determined to use the region's Mutual Aid Box Alarm System and immediately requested MABAS Box 5-8-1 to the second alarm level.
Then, just in case there was any doubt Monroe needed all its firefighters and equipment on hand, Rausch said he issued "a rare, third alert - an ALL CALL."
Monroe's Engine 2 and Ladder Truck 7 arrived two minutes later.
MABAS Box 5-8-1 is designated for "Target Hazard" incidents. Minhas is classified as a target hazard because it has no sprinkler system, Rausch said. Four other top target hazards in Monroe are the Green County historic Courthouse, the high school, the middle school and Abraham Lincoln elementary school.
The second-level alarm call for MABAS 5-8-1 brought equipment or squads of personnel at the first alarm level from Juda, Monticello, Brodhead, and Orangeville; Monticello's fire chief; and New Glarus' Rapid Intervention Truck (RIT). The second level added South Wayne, the city of Freeport, and Browntown; Green County EMS; Brodhead's Fire Chief; Green County Emergency Management mobile command; and Monroe Police Department's Public Information Officer.
Rural Freeport's engine crew and chief and a squad from Cedarville took charge of quarters at the Monroe's fire station, in case another call was received: On Nov. 21, another call did come in - a death at a Monroe residence.
Just 30 minutes into the fire, MABAS Mobile Ventilation Unit, from Boone County Fire District near Belvedere, Ill., was also requested to clear the building of smoke and find hidden areas of fire.
Even after the fire was knocked down, there was so much work to be done that Rausch called for an extra squad of personnel but not the extra equipment from Davis and Orfordville, at the third and fourth alarm level. Normally, a MABAS alarm level is not broken apart.
"I broke my own cardinal rule," he said.
The later stages and cleanup areas are always the most difficult at a fire incident, according to Rausch, because the initial response crews are worn out and in need of rest or, at least, light duty.
The Minhas fire incident used 32 pieces of equipment and 116 people from 16 different agencies. Forty of Monroe's 48 firefighters were on hand; the remaining personnel were from MABAS.
Monroe's Public Works and Police departments, Green County Sheriff's Department, Alliant, WE Energies, and the American Red Cross also responded. Monroe volunteer firefighters' family members and several Monroe businesses provided food. Some Minhas employees stayed on scene with the command vehicle to help direct firefighters through the building's labyrinth of hallways and additions.
The fight to save Minhas
With all the calls and alarms sent out, Rausch and Heins made a plan of attack on the fire.
Monroe firefighters from Engine 2 and Ladder Truck 7 worked the main point of fire, entering the burning stairwell via a narrow aisle between sections of the facility. Through extreme heat and blackout conditions, the engine crew fought its way up the staircase one landing at a time. One officer reported to Rausch that they had to spray water up to each level above before advancing to it. Even then, Rausch wrote later, the only way to find the fire was through the use of thermal imaging cameras.
When the fire had reached the top floor and a flat roof, it traveled horizontally and began extending past a brick wall separating the old and newer parts of the building.
Monroe Engine 1 and Juda crews entered on the west side of the building and stopped the fire from advancing further west across the roof.
"Had more fire gotten into the oldest part of the building, I have no doubt the building could not have been saved," Rausch reported.
Olson agreed, saying if the fire had gotten a hold on the old wooden structure, the fire department would have had a "hard time to control it."
"The old, historical section of the building is about 140 years old," Olson added. "It's really kind of cool."
But in a north room adjacent to the stairwell, the fire and heat devastated newly installed electrical service equipment, including transformers, Olson said.
Rausch said the heat also melted all the plastic conduits in the stairwell and exposed the 480-volt electrical cables overhead.
Brodhead's ladder truck and Monroe Engine 5 crews were stationed on the north side of the building, and Freeport's ladder truck crew took watch over the top of the building.
Rausch declared the fire "under control" at 3:43 p.m., and little by little all MABAS and Monroe crews were released. Finally, Monroe Engine 5 crew stood watch throughout the night and was released at 6:10 a.m. Nov. 22.
The results
One "Mayday" was declared about 45 minutes into the stairwell fight, when a firefighter experienced respiratory problems and was transported for treatment. His team was able to get him down the stairwell before New Glarus RIT had to go in and get him. No other injuries were reported.
Olson said Minhas employees had been quickly and safely evacuated.
The incident cost to Monroe Fire Department was more than $20,000, Rausch said. The remaining MABAS departments together probably incurred more than $30,000, a cost for which they will not be reimbursed, "except for fuel to get home," he added.
Rausch's early estimate of damage to the Minhas facility was more than $500,000.
Olson said he didn't know the full extent of the damage to his facility, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The brewing side of the plant was shut down for cleaning and repairs, with the help of employees who would not be without a job in the meantime. There is plenty of smoke and fire damage, but the caustic soot is an alarming concern to Olson.
The packaging side continued operations as usual. The bulk beer already brewed and in storage can't be pumped without the power grid that was destroyed, but would stay good and cold enough in the winter weather.
"Mother Nature is helping," Olson said.
Olson said the plant should be back up and brewing again in January. Luckily, the holiday orders were filled, and after the holidays is a slower time for the business.
The MABAS system worked on Nov. 21 exactly as it was designed to work, Rausch said. Without all the help, he believes the likelihood of injuries would have been higher and Monroe would have lost an historic treasure, a major industrial manufacturer and employer and a property that contributes significantly to the city's tax base.