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TechnographLocal volunteers assist with Illinois flooding relief efforts
By Renee chacko
Posted: 6/18/08 Section: News
As flooding continues to devastate southeastern Illinois, the City of Champaign is pitching in resources and labor to alleviate the burden of managing flood waters. Three city employees left early Wednesday morning to deliver and run the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System Division 28 Hazardous Material Decontamination truck in Quincy, Ill. The truck will provide hot showers for National Guard units and volunteers in the Quincy area working to control flood waters. With potential sediments and material in the flood waters, the deployment of the truck is critical.
"We don't know what could be in the muddy water," said John Barker, acting department chief of operations for Champaign. "We don't want the workers to bring back any of it to their living quarters."
Mutual Aid Box Alarm System is a state wide resource made up of more than 550 fire departments organized within 46 divisions. The system offers specialized operations teams for hazardous materials, underwater rescue and recovery and above and below grade, trench and building collapse rescues. Last Friday, the system sent a communications trailer to repair phone lines, fix radio frequencies and re-establish communications infrastructure in state disaster areas. According to Barker, the Champaign unit may be out there for another two weeks.
"Right now our primary job is providing showers, but that could change in the next week based on need," Barker said.
Although the state does not know how much longer southeastern counties will remain disaster areas, State Emergency Operations Center spokesperson Maggie Carson said the operation center is fully activated and running around the clock until all needs are met.
"We've been blessed with nice weather for the past few days, so there has been no additional rain to make the flood waters worse," Carson said. "We have dedicated professionals working long hours to minimize the adverse affects of the flooding."
Adams County in particular faced another major setback Wednesday as levees breached at Lima Lake and Indian Graves. In anticipation of more flooding, Gov. Rod Blagojevich made a pre-emptive declaration of disaster in Madison county and declared Knox County a state disaster area due to disruption in the water supply on Wednesday.
"We don't know what could be in the muddy water," said John Barker, acting department chief of operations for Champaign. "We don't want the workers to bring back any of it to their living quarters."
Mutual Aid Box Alarm System is a state wide resource made up of more than 550 fire departments organized within 46 divisions. The system offers specialized operations teams for hazardous materials, underwater rescue and recovery and above and below grade, trench and building collapse rescues. Last Friday, the system sent a communications trailer to repair phone lines, fix radio frequencies and re-establish communications infrastructure in state disaster areas. According to Barker, the Champaign unit may be out there for another two weeks.
"Right now our primary job is providing showers, but that could change in the next week based on need," Barker said.
Although the state does not know how much longer southeastern counties will remain disaster areas, State Emergency Operations Center spokesperson Maggie Carson said the operation center is fully activated and running around the clock until all needs are met.
"We've been blessed with nice weather for the past few days, so there has been no additional rain to make the flood waters worse," Carson said. "We have dedicated professionals working long hours to minimize the adverse affects of the flooding."
Adams County in particular faced another major setback Wednesday as levees breached at Lima Lake and Indian Graves. In anticipation of more flooding, Gov. Rod Blagojevich made a pre-emptive declaration of disaster in Madison county and declared Knox County a state disaster area due to disruption in the water supply on Wednesday.
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