NW Illinois News

Illinois Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) has acknowledged State Senator and Moline firefighter/paramedic Neil Anderson for his passionate work serving the community both in emergencies and in the state legislature.

Anderson shared information about the new award he'd received in a December 7 Facebook post. 

"Honored to be recognized by MABAS-Illinois this morning for my duties in both the fire service and as a State Senator," Anderson wrote in the post. "In 2006, I joined the Moline Fire Department as a professional firefighter and in 2015 I became a member of the General Assembly. Blessed to be able to do both and continue to serve!"

MABAS alongside The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) has created a statewide mutual aid response system for fire, EMS, and specialized incident operational teams. According to the MABAS website, the system established a planned methodical response to any area in the state when a disaster is declared by the governor. 

In the Senate, Anderson currently serves as a minority spokesperson for both the licensed activities and public safety committees. He's on the commerce, criminal law, energy and public utilities, and transportation committees. 

Back in October, Sen. Anderson's professional words collided when Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) visited Anderson on the job at the Moline Fire Department. When sharing McConchie's Facebook post, Anderson wrote "Thanks for stopping by Leader!"