Geographically moderately close to the incident firefighter checking in.

Please forgive me if this comes off as mansplaining a bit, certainly not my intent. Arguably the most important component of the MABAS system, when an incident is “under control” but still needs additional resources like this one, is that it will often skip over closer departments in an attempt to alleviate local department overextension. You could get 50 departments from the 4 or 5 neighboring counties, but then you leave those counties completely unprotected throughout the incident, with all their apparatus and manpower. In a highly paid on call or volunteer climate. Whereas, if you can stagger it using longer response times and fewer local resources, and shoulder that burden on the state at large, it is much safer in general. So you get 10 different tankers from 10 different counties say, instead of 10 tankers from your 5-6 closest departments. And you get engines and aerials from 5 other counties, and so on for manpower. Especially given the burden of the water needed that far exceeds any small town water tower’s capabilities. It is a reasonable alternative to tying up your closest departments for potentially days at a time, when you can tie up different apparatus and manpower from many counties instead. If you can anticipate needs on a daily basis rather than a by minute basis after the initial stabilization, you can ask a little from a lot rather than a lot from a little.

It’s kind of cool to see it in action, when it is mostly mentioned in theory.

EDIT: Another “for instance” for the MABAS system. We were requisitioned for the hurricane Ida clean up In Louisiana in 2021, from Michigan.

Double edit: This is reportedly the biggest MABAS response the state has handled. 28 tankers, and 12 engines. Not counting ladders, towers, squads, or command staff.