Several firefighters from Lake and McHenry counties who were deployed through MABAS to assist with the Texas floods have returned home to Illinois.
Approximately a dozen firefighters from Lake County, along with one McHenry County firefighter, returned home last weekend.
The firefighters were deployed with the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) Illinois Task Force 1 to assist in the aftermath of the floods that struck central Texas last month.
The team was sent to support local agencies in communities overwhelmed by record rainfall and rapidly rising rivers that resulted in the loss of at least 138 lives after they were activated through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
Huntley Fire Protection District Lt. Kelly Gitzke worked alongside responders from across Illinois.
She served as the medical specialist for the team, managing and coordinating medical resources while assigned to flood-damaged areas.
The team initially operated in Leander, Texas, located in Travis County, before moving west into heavily impacted communities throughout Kerr County.
Responders faced long hours, unstable conditions and persistent extreme heat that added to the physical demands of the mission throughout the two-week deployment.
“After 24 years in this profession, being able to assist people in their time of greatest need is something I will never take lightly,” Gitzke said.
“It was hard to see the damage and heartbreak, but I’m proud of how our team supported the community and one another throughout,” she said.
Lake Bluff Fire Department Firefighter-Paramedic Niko Stefani, who also works as a Firefighter-Paramedic for the Evanston Fire Department, said his function on the team was a logistics specialist.
He was responsible for ensuring equipment was ready for use, loads were secured to the trucks and that the team had all of the required equipment to support the mission.
Stefani was also responsible for helping repair equipment onsite to keep the team moving without interruption.
“We also coordinate our travel plans for transport to and from the mission. We can operate heavy equipment if the mission tasking requires it,” he said.
The team spent two weeks searching rivers and creeks and performing secondary searches for missing people.
“We worked in hot and humid conditions alongside other task force teams from other states as well as military personnel,” Stefani said.
The team also worked with multiple canine teams from other task forces and law enforcement agencies. “Some terrain was fairly easy to search while other terrain was very difficult to get through,” he said.
The team returned to the MABAS Readiness Center in Wheeling last weekend.
Gitzke and Stefani, along with their fellow team members, were welcomed by family, friends and members of the fire service.
Huntley Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said Gitzke’s involvement reflects the broader commitment shared by departments across Illinois to step in when help is needed most.
“The Huntley Fire Protection District is grateful for the collaboration, planning, and statewide support that made the response possible and allowed MABAS Illinois Task Force 1 to carry out its mission safely and effectively,” Vucha said.
“Even though the team has returned, the work is far from over for the devastated communities in Texas. Recovery will take time, and the thoughts of those who responded remain with the families and first responders who continue to face the aftermath,” he said.
The Lake Bluff Fire Department said they were proud of Stefani, along with their other members — Lt. Brandon Collazo, Lt. Brian Collazo and Firefighter-Paramedic Craig Gilsinger — for their deployment.
“These dedicated professionals served with courage and compassion in support of communities in crisis. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to their families—your strength and support made their service possible,” the fire department said.