The Michigan Senate recently passed legislation sponsored by state Rep. Brian BeGole that will help save lives and assist people in emergency situations.

BeGole’s bill, House Bill 4301, is part of a bipartisan plan that allows emergency vehicles from the Michigan Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) to operate with red, white, amber and green lights on the way to an emergency and on site at an emergency to help improve response time and notify other drivers that the vehicles contain emergency personnel.

“These are vehicles addressing emergency situations and assisting people in need,” said BeGole, of Antrim Township. “This plan provides clarity and lets people operating on our highways and roadways know that these are response vehicles trying to get to a destination as soon as possible and first responders operating them have a clear path to that destination.

“These bills will bolster response and help protect the public.”

MABAS is a statewide mutual aid agreement that coordinates intrastate and interstate mobilization of fire, emergency medical services, and special operations resources during natural and man-made emergencies or disasters. Through this mutual aid, MABAS has the capability to provide emergency response locally or statewide when resources are needed and requested by a neighboring community, and the benefits of multiple communities pooling together emergency response resources are numerous.

In the last few years, the agreement has helped with response for a tornado that impacted Gaylord in 2022, the Midland dam failure and flood in 2020, an active shooter event on the campus of Michigan State University in 2023, and multiple other instances that required a larger presence.

Accompanying legislation, HB 4302, would allow MABAS employees to operate authorized emergency vehicles without a Commercial Driver’s License if they have met driving standards under the Firefighters Training Council Act. The requirement is currently an obstacle for recruiting and retaining emergency personnel who have relevant experience in operating these vehicles.

Following unanimous support in both the House and Senate, the bills now move to the governor for review.