Mutual Aid

Mutual Aid and Special Operations

The Canton Fire Department is a member of the Western Wayne County Fire Department Mutual Aid Association (WWCFDMAA), made up of nineteen member communities to provide for fire, rescue and emergency medical services mutual aid. The association is also responsible for managing regional hazardous materials response (HMRT) and urban search and rescue (USAR) teams.  These specialized teams have a regional response area that encompasses three counties including the nation’s 11th busiest airport, Detroit-Wayne County Airport (DTW).  The Canton Fire Department currently assigns 2 personnel to the HMRT team and 4 personnel to the USAR team.  

The HMRT team was established in 1987 and in 2005 became one of eighteen Regional Response Teams for the State of Michigan increasing the team’s response capabilities.

The USAR team was established in 2007 and is capable of responding to high angle, confined space, trench collapse, structural collapse, and machine rescues at a technician level.   

The department also supports the Western Wayne County Special Operations Team or SWAT by providing 2 tactically trained Firefighter/Paramedics.  These firefighters have received specialized training in tactical operations; wound care and are deployed with the team.

The WWCFDMAA is a member of the Michigan Mutual Aid Box Alarm System or MABAS, which provides for statewide mutual aid.  MABAS is a user-driven system designed to streamline the requesting and providing of emergency and fire service resources across Michigan for day to day mutual aid and for large scale events such as major fires, train derailments, tornadoes, wild fires, domestic or foreign terrorism, and other events that may overwhelm local resources.  There are currently seventeen MABAS divisions in Michigan covering the state’s seven Emergency Management Regions.