News

Emergency preparedness is an important component of a successful community.  All too often, severe weather related tragedies are reported on the news and remind us of the importance of disaster preparedness. The West Chicago Police Department and the City of West Chicago would like residents to know that the West Chicago Citizen Corps is offering another Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) course.

The West Chicago Citizen Corps has worked hard to educate the public on important actions to take in the event of a natural or manmade disaster through an eight-week training course. The CERT course will meet every Wednesday evening, starting September 12, 2018 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. There is no fee for this course.  Participants must be at least 18 years old and live or work in the City of West Chicago or the West Chicago Fire Protection District.

CERT training is designed to provide basic training in disaster preparedness, which increases the ability of citizens to survive until responders or other assistance arrives. The eight-week course will include instruction on the following: Weather Safety, Fire and Life Safety, Medical, Light Search and Rescue, CERT Organization, Psychology and Terrorism. Participants will also be trained in CPR and AED use.

Those who attend the course learn valuable lessons that may save the life of a family member, neighbor or their own. Skills taught will include the proper way to bandage an injury, use of a fire extinguisher, how to lift a heavy object that has someone trapped and more.

According to former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, “No matter how much the federal government, the State or the local officials do to prepare, we can’t do it alone –  individuals and families must do their part to be ready in case of an emergency. The public is the most important member of the nation’s emergency management team.”

This course will be conducted at the West Chicago Fire Protection District training center located at 320 Kress Road. To enroll, residents should email Detective Robbi Peterson at rpeterson@westchicago.org with their name, address and contact number.