emergency response team (ert)

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM TRAINING

 The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept was developed and implemented  by the City of Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985.  They recognized that citizens would very likely be on their own during the early stages of a catastrophic disaster.  Accordingly they decided that some basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills would improve the ability of citizens to survive until responders or other assistance could arrive.  Thus this was the beginning of CERT training.  In 2003 President Bush asked all United States citizens to volunteer in the service of their country.

If available, emergency services personnel are the best trained and equipped to handle emergencies, and you should use them.  However, following a catastrophic disaster, you and your community may be on your own for a period of time because of the size of the area affected, lost communications, and impassable roads.  CERT training is designed to prepare you to help yourself, your family, and your neighbors in the event of such a disaster.  Because emergency services personnel will not be able to help everyone immediately, you may make a difference if you have received the training.

History of the Palatine CERT

Palatine’s Citizen Corps Council recognized the benefit of CERT Training when the train-the-trainer class was first offered in April of 2003. Palatine sent three instructors to the initial training and now has twelve trained volunteers capable of providing this instruction.

To date Palatine has conducted over 35 classes with over 450 citizens trained. Plans have been developed to utilize these trained individuals in the event of a disaster. Palatine CERT members have responded to Utica, IL in April of 2004 to assist in debris removal and to Florida and Georgia to assist the victims of the rash of September 2004 hurricanes that wreaked havoc in the South and to Mississippi, Florida and Texas for Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita in 2006, and finally assisted in the floods that occurred in Palatine in August 2007 and September of 2008.  Additionally, CERT trained volunteers have helped out at Palatine’s Street Fest and in other non disaster situations.

If you are interested in receiving the CERT training please continue to review the content of the training and the dates that the training is conducted by connecting to the links that appear in this portion of the web site.