MABAS stands for Mutual Aid Box Alarm System and is a user-driven system designed to streamline the requesting and providing of emergency and fire services resources across Michigan for day-to-day mutual aid and for large-scale events such as major fires, train derailments, tornadoes, wildfires, domestic or foreign terrorism and other events that may overwhelm local resources.

Michigan joins Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and several other Midwest states that have implemented the MABAS program. Currently, there are 31 MABAS divisions in Michigan covering the state's Emergency Management Regions: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7. Within these regions, there are over 500 member fire departments, an Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, Technical Rescue Strike Teams, Hazardous Material Response Teams and an Incident Management Team. Several more divisions are in the process of forming.