Committee hears bills to classify Michigan mutual aid vehicles as emergency vehicles and to align driver training

LANSING — The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee heard testimony on two bipartisan bills intended to update Michigan’s motor vehicle code to support the Michigan Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) and Michigan Task Force 1.

Representatives and emergency-response witnesses said House Bill 4301 would explicitly allow MABAS vehicles to use red, white, yellow and green oscillating lights while responding to or operating at emergencies. House Bill 4302 would allow MABAS members to operate emergency vehicles without a commercial driver’s license if they meet driving standards under the Michigan Firefighters Training Council.

The bills’ sponsor, Representative (name given in transcript as) Beguel told the committee the measures are “bipartisan” and aim to help MABAS operate and equip emergency vehicles “to respond to emergency safely and more efficiently.” He introduced Trent Atkins, a former MABAS executive director and current Shiawassee County emergency management coordinator, who provided operational details.

Atkins described MABAS as an opt-in mutual aid agreement that, he said, has been signed by roughly 800 of Michigan’s 1,135 fire departments. He said MABAS sponsors Michigan Task Force 1, the state’s only Type 3 urban search-and-rescue team, a self-sustaining unit of about 100 specialists supported by roughly 43–46 departments and equipped with what Atkins estimated as more than $10,000,000 in gear.

“At the moment these white vehicles that say Michigan Task Force 1 on the side are not considered emergency vehicles under the motor vehicle code,” Atkins told the committee. “Without putting the lights on there, that not only puts the responders at risk but also the public.”

Atkins said classifying MABAS vehicles as emergency vehicles would allow them to display emergency lights so other motorists and law enforcement recognize them when they travel to or operate at large incidents. He also said the firefighters’ training council’s driving standards more closely match the specialized driving needs of emergency-response personnel than the federal commercial driver’s-license (CDL) regime.

Committee members asked whether the proposed lights and colors could create confusion and how MABAS units communicate with state systems. Atkins said MABAS units have channels on the state 800 MHz system and are integrated into the state emergency plan and state emergency operations center. He also said that common policies and procedures would guide how lights are used to avoid confusion.

Department of State staff and trade groups were read into the record as neutral or not wishing to speak on the bills. Representative Mike McFaul, sponsor of HB 4302, was present and described his bill as supporting “consistent training for these firefighters” so their driving requirements align with firefighter operational needs rather than duplicative CDL training.

Why it matters: Supporters said the bills would clarify vehicle classification, reduce operational confusion during large responses, and streamline training and registration/insurance classification for statewide mutual aid teams. Committee members pressed for specifics on training equivalency and operational rules for lights; witnesses said policies and the Firefighters Training Council would guide those details.

The committee did not take a final vote on HB 4301 or HB 4302 during the hearing; testimony concluded after members’ questions and additional record cards were noted.