Southeastern DuPage Citizen
Corp
COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM IS LOOKING FOR
VOLUNTEERS
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program is
intended to register, recruit, and train volunteers to assist in times of
crisis. In an emergency, fire, police, and emergency medical personnel may
be overwhelmed with a major crisis. Volunteers would assist first responder
personnel to enhance response procedures and safeguard the neighborhood.
CERT promotes a partnering between emergency management
and response agencies and the people in the community that they serve. The
goal is to train members of the neighborhoods and workplaces in basic
response skills. Then CERT teams are formed and maintained as part of the
emergency response capability for their area.
The basic CERT training program is a 21-hour course,
typically delivered one evening per week, (3-hours per evening) over a
7-week period. Training sessions cover disaster preparedness, fire
suppression, basic disaster medical operations, light search and rescue,
disaster psychology, team organization, and a new module on terrorism to
educate CERT members about BNICE (Biological, Nuclear, Incendiary, Chemical,
and Explosive). This awareness will help members identify situations where
these agents may have been used and protective actions that should be taken.
Eligible participants serving and assisting the Tri-State
Fire Protection District, Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District, Village
of Willowbrook, City of Darien, Village of Burr Ridge, and Village of
Woodridge must meet the following:
