THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2008
Program Helps Residents Prepare For Emergencies
The Village of Arlington Heights will host a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program every Wednesday night at the fire department headquarters, 33 S. Arlington Heights Rd., from Sept. 24- Oct. 22 from 7 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 25 from 8 a.m. to noon. The CERT program is a 20-hour course taught by certified instructors in the village's fire department. The instructors prepare participants to help themselves, their family and neighbors in the event of a catastrophic event.
During the training, each participant will learn to:
* Take steps to prepare themselves for a disaster
* Identify and reduce potential fire hazards in their homes and workplaces
* Work as a team to apply basic fire suppression strategies, resources, and safety measures to extinguish small fires
* Apply techniques for opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating shock
* Conduct triage under simulated conditions
* Perform head-to-toe assessments
* Select and set up a treatment area
* Employ basic treatments for various wounds
* Identify planning and size-up requirements for potential search and rescue situations
* The most common techniques for searching a structure
* Use safe techniques for debris removal and victim extrication
* Methods to protect rescuers during search and rescue.
The course also teaches participants how to apply basic response and organizational skills to situations when the community's professional response may be overwhelmed or delayed. The skills learned also apply to daily emergencies.
This program is not restricted to Arlington Heights residents, as the village recognizes the benefit of making CERT training available for the entire region.
The program is offered through the Arlington Heights Emergency Management Services, in conjunction with the Arlington Heights Fire Dept. and the Arlington Heights Citizen Corps Council.