Palos Park Police Forming Community Emergency Response Team

PALOS PARK, IL — Palos Park police are recruiting volunteers for a community emergency response team (CERT). Volunteers must complete a six-week training course to be held on Wednesdays starting March 18, with the last training session to take place on Saturday, April 18. The program is open to Palos-area residents.

The events of Sept. 11, 2001 and mass shootings around the United States made it clear that public safety departments could become overwhelmed or delayed in responding to a disaster or other major incident. Citizens wanted to help and it became apparent that the most helpful volunteers were those with some level of disaster-relief training.

A CERT is a neighborhood-based team that receives special training to enhance their ability to recognize, respond to and recover from a major emergency or disaster situation. As an organized team, volunteers can provide vital services while waiting for the arrival of first responders which could take several hours.

Palos Park Officer Frank Flores, a nationally recognized expert in emergency/disaster management, preparation, mitigation and recovery will lead classes. The program will involve class sessions and a drill/practical exam, including six classes approximately two-and-a-half hours and reading assignments. Also included are practical, table-top and team-building exercises. Classes cover personal and family preparation and safety; recognizing and treating life-threatening and non-life threatening injuries; fire safety techniques; and light search and rescue operations.

Participants will learn how to:

• Assess situations and properly advise emergency responders when they arrive.
• Recognize the potential hazards associated with a particular type of event and take appropriate action.
• Take steps to get to safety and/or help others organize a safe path of escape;
• Help identify staging areas for operations and triage.
• Identify, organize and utilize local resources.
• Assist others with the emotional distress associated with major emergencies and disaster conditions.
• Administer First Aid and/or triage casualties.
• Perform needs assessments, document and communicate needs to local authorities.
• Support effective and efficient allocation of emergency resources.

The CERT classes will meet at the Palos Park Recreation Center, 8901 W 123rd St. from 7 to 10 p.m. on the following Wednesdays:

• March 18
• March 25
• April 1
• April 8
• April 15
• and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 18.

The Community Emergency Response Team concept was developed and implemented by the City of Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985. Fire officials recognized that citizens would very likely be on their own during the early stages of a catastrophic disaster and that, with some basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills, they would be better able to survive and help others until responders or other assistance could arrive.

Residents interested in becoming CERT team members may contact Officer Flores by phone at 708-671-3770 or by email at fflores@palospark.org.