Pontiac, MI - Oakland County is providing personnel and resources to the unprecedented flooding in Midland County caused by heavy rains and two dam failures.
“This is the ultimate example of what I mean by Oakland Together,” County Executive David Coulter said. “We, as a county, region, and state, are leveraging our resources in order to help our neighbors up north in Midland County.”
Oakland County’s Incident Management Team is working alongside the Region 3 Incident Management Team to provide on-scene incident management resources in Midland County including the communication support team which has a trailer with the ability to set up a radio system with 100 portable radios as well as connect with other radio systems. The team also has taken the Incident Support Vehicle (see attached photo). Much of the equipment the Incident Management Team is utilizing was purchased through grants obtained by Oakland County’s Emergency Operations Center.
Oakland County’s Incident Management Team consists of personnel from various fire departments, law enforcement agencies, public works departments, public health, and emergency management staff from around the county.
This is not the first time Oakland County’s Incident Management Team has helped its neighbors during a disaster. They responded to the tornado that devastated Dundee in 2010 and more recently assisted with the set up and on-site management of the alternate care site for COVID patients at the TCF Center in downtown Detroit.
In addition, Coulter has authorized Oakland County’s Emergency Operations Center, already in full activation for the county’s COVID response, to send Mike Loper up to the Midland County Emergency Operations Center to help them with their needs as they respond to the flooding. Mike is an Army veteran, a retired police officer, and has worked for the Oakland County Emergency Operations Center for 19 years.
Also, Michigan Task Force 1, which is housed in Holly Township, responded last night with a swift water rescue team. Last fall, Michigan Task Force 1 sent a team to Florida and North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, the Category 5 hurricane that ravaged the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Eastern United States.
This all occurs under MABAS – the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System – which is designed to streamline the requesting and providing of emergency and fire services resources across Michigan. Currently, there are 28 MABAS divisions in Michigan covering the state's 7 Emergency Management Regions. Within these regions, there are over 500 fire departments, an Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, Technical Rescue Strike Teams, Hazardous Material Response Teams, and an Incident Management Team.
“I want to thank our local first responders who are running towards the danger to help protect the residents, homes, and businesses of the Midland area,” Coulter said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted by the flooding.”