CERT Team Refresher Training
Over 25 CERT members, veterans and recent graduates alike, came out September 26th for the refresher training course offered at Fire Station #4. The 4-hour course was intended to reinforce skills already presented at prior training sessions and allow members to meet and socialize with other. The threatening weather did not interfere with the schedule of inside and outside events. The morning activities concluded with a “pot luck” lunch that included grilled burgers and dogs with all the fixins’.
1. Extinguish Fires 2. Patient Transport 3. Search and Rescue 4. Triage and Splinting
1. Key components of the training were recalling the effectiveness of different types of extinguishers, attacking a fire with a low sweeping motion, starting far enough back to avoid flare-ups, and starting upwind to avoid being coated with chemical deposits. We then completed a hands-on exercise.
QUIZ: How long can a 2.5# extinguisher be used effectively?
2. Patient transport covered moving victims with 1 or 2 rescuers, both with and without supporting equipment (e.g., tarps, chairs, stretchers). Each process was practiced. This put on a great show for the line of residents waiting to unload hazardous materials at the drop-off center.
QUIZ: In a 2-person transport scenario, who directs the actions of the other?
3. A nearby field with a nice scattering of typical evidence provided the setting for a practice evidence search. The Search and Rescue roles of leader, marker, and anchor were reviewed. Re-enforcement was given covering hand/whistle signals and the importance of maintaining a consistent search pattern.
QUIZ: What is the signal for indicating you have finished your individual 360° search and have found nothing of importance?
4. The basics of triage and splinting were reviewed before participants practiced on each other. Creative items for splints, the meaning of colored triage tags, the difference between a dressing and a bandage, and the ABC’s of Airway, Breathing, and Circulation were all discussed.
QUIZ: How many attempts are made to open a blocked airway?
► Victims were triaged and transported to nearby aid stations by ambulance crews. Aid statige coordinators categorized, tracked, and reported on the number of victims received, treated, and processed.In order to facilitate communication between multiple agencies, two specialized equipment vans created a unified command center.
The Salvation Army Disaster Relief Van was deployed to provide beverages and nourishment to victims and responders alike.
The experience gave our CERT members a more thorough understanding of how they would be able to assist public safety professionals in a large scale operation, along with a greater respect for the tasks emergency responders may be called upon to perform. This exercise reinforced the concepts that preparedness is essential and that any good training plan builds on repetition.
The goal of this first of its kind drill in Cook County was to test and improve interagency communications, cooperation, and coordination among the multiple participating entities. Over six months of planning went into the drill, funded by a $249,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security. The exercise was evaluated by third party senior public safety professionals to provide consistent, unbiased, and useful feedback.
Submitted by Joe FerreriAdditional information and pictures can be seen at: http://www.wjinc.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=15213
Ribfest Support
July 3 - 5
The Naperville CERT teams supported the Fire Department and NEMA/Firecorps during Ribfest. Twenty-four individuals covered eleven shifts during the four day event. The teams kept the ambulance ways free of concert goers. There was the water wagon that our CERT Teams used to keep the “Fest” goers hydrated in the heat. Always at hand were band-aids to put on small cuts and skinned elbows and knees. The CERT teams appreciated the opportunity to work again this year with NEMA/Firecorps and the Naperville Fire Department.
Search and Rescue Training
June 27, 2009
Will County Search and Rescue trainers Lt. Domingo Kaller, Jeff Marvin, and Lauren Magosky met the Naperville CERT team at 
8:00 AM to begin a day long training session on search and rescue. The morning was spent in classroom discussion covering the many aspects of search and rescue. Search and Rescue (SAR) is the application of all available resources to locate and assist persons who are, or are feared to be, in actual or potential distress. The training covered common lost person strategies, the behaviors of lost people from young children to the elderly, and what to expect from various classifications of lost individuals. Search techniques such as the Hasty Search procedure, Efficiency Search, Tight Grid, Sound Sweep and Thorough (Evidence) Search were all reviewed for the class. The class heard about the equipment needed to successfully conduct search and rescues. The search crew positions and responsibilities were learned first in the classroom.
After lunch, the classroom training was put to the test in the field. The class was divided into three teams. Three different search situations were provided so the teams learned how to deal with different conditions. T
hose situations ranged from looking for small items in an Evidence Search to the simulation of a lost child in an area of heavy undergrowth. The 90 degree temperature required the teams to maintain safe practices by taking rest and water breaks. Searcher safety is the cornerstone of search and rescue. An injured rescuer is no good to the victim. Proper clothing was essential. Although the temperature was high and the terrain was difficult to navigate, each team successfully covered the areas locating the objects of their search. The CERT members were challenged with one final question. After this experience, is this something they would be willing to commit to doing on a frequent basis as a means to further sharpen their skills?
CERT Class Graduates
May30, 2009
On Saturday May 30th the May 09 CERT class completed their classroom training and field exercise at Fire Station # 4. The class adds and additional roster of 18 volunteers that are ready to assist in Naperville if there is an emergency situation. All six instructors agree that this class will be a great asset to the Naperville CERT organization.
We would like to extend a special thank you to the volunteers that participated in the afternoon field exercise. The volunteer’s added an aspect of realism to the exercise that challenged the class to apply all that they had learned.
Naperville, IL CERT Responds to Flooding
On Sept. 14, 2008, the Naperville, IL CERT was activated by the Naperville Fire Department to help fill sandbags for residents affected by flooding in the area.
August 8, 2009
On Saturday, August 8, members of the Naperville CERT team participated as victims in a large scale disaster exercise held on the grounds of Dominican University in River Forest, IL. A total of 15 municipalities were represented in the all day drill, along with other Cook County, State, and Federal Emergency Management Agencies. Over 250 public safety personnel and 75 volunteer victims were involved in the simulated attack on the campus. Highlights of the simulation included:
► An explosion in the chemical laboratory triggered a full response from the Fire Department’s specialized Hazardous Materials Team. Victims and firefighters alike had to undergo a thorough decontamination process.
► A simulated shooting and hostage situation involved specialized law enforcement (SWAT) team members from nearby communities. Police Officers cordoned off the area and set up a perimeter. Special Response Teams were deployed to neutralize the gunmen, rescue the hostages, and transport victims who were wounded.
► The Cook County Bomb Squad, along with its remotely controlled robot responded to search the area and deactivate a car bomb.
► A Search and Rescue was performed in the nearby forest preserve by law enforcement members on horseback.