The Gurnee Fire Department’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program was developed because of the need for a well-trained civilian emergency work force.  These team members will assist the village by becoming self-sufficient for the first 48 hours after a disaster when the scope of incidents has overwhelmed the conventional emergency services. 

The ability of a business or community to effectively recover from the devastating effects of any disaster requires the active participation, planning, and cooperation of all levels of the community.  The fundamental responsibility for preparedness, however, lies with every individual.

Disaster preparedness and hazard mitigation can minimize the effects of a disaster and facilitate recovery.  The benefits of this program are numerous.  It increases our overall level of disaster readiness, provides emergency skills that people may use in day-to-day emergencies, enhances the bond between government and community, increases community spirit, and improves the quality of life for the people of our village. 

 

C.E.R.T. training will consist of fivethree hour long sessions covering the following topics.

 

Class 1: Introduction & Disaster Awareness

• Registration / Introduction
• Disaster Threats in Lake County
• Personal & Family Preparation
• Nonstructural Hazard Mitigation

 

Class 2:  Disaster Fire Safety and Light     Search and Rescue Techniques

• Fire Chemistry
• Fire Extinguisher Use
• Utility Control
• Building Size Up
• Search Techniques
• Rescue Methods

 

Class 3: Disaster Medical Operations

• Recognizing / Treating Life Threatening Emergencies
• Triage
• Treatment Area Management
• Head-to-Toe Evaluation

 

Class 4:  Hazardous Materials & Terrorism

• Disaster Psychology
• Evacuations
• Storage
• Terrorism

 

Class 5: CPR &AED

 

Policy of Participation

 

The applicant(s) must:

 

• Be a resident, own a business, or work in the Village of Gurnee or the Warren/Waukegan Fire Protection District. 
• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Supply a brief medical background.
• Have a background and driver’s license check ran by the Gurnee Police Department

 

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept was developed and implemented by the City of Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) in 1985.  LAFD 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.  The Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987 underscored the area-wide threat of a major disaster in California .  Furthermore, it confirmed the need for training civilians to meet immediate emergency needs.

 

The training program that the LAFD initiated proved to be so beneficial that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) felt that the concept and the program should be made available to communities nationwide.  In 1994, the Emergency Management Institute (EMI), in cooperation with the LAFD, expanded the CERT materials to make them applicable to all hazards.

 

In 2003, President Bush asked all Americans to volunteer in the service of their country.  The Citizen Corps program was created to spearhead this effort to harness the power of every individual through education, training, and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and disasters of all kinds.  CERT was selected as one of the primary programs offered to the American public to meet this challenge.