By Meghan Streit
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

No one ever wants to think about the possibility of a natural disaster or other emergency, but in this day and age, being prepared is the best prevention.

That’s why 11 members of Monarch Landing’s security team completed Naperville’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training earlier this year. The group completed 20 hours of classroom and hands-on training that certifies them to assist city and government officials in the event of an emergency.

Protect and serve
The team worked together in mock search and rescue missions and practiced administering first aid. Monarch Landing Security Director Patrick Hayes says the training not only gave his staff an important credential to serve the community, but also made them better equipped to do their number one job—protect and serve residents.

“Having this certification on paper is one thing,” Hayes says. “Going through role-playing exercise together was really beneficial—we built camaraderie among the entire team.”

Hayes says the security team is planning to start a program to involve residents in CERT training. He says that many of the skills needed in a community emergency response, such as dispatch, organizing, and documentation, would benefit from community members’ involvement.

“Some residents have already expressed interest,” Hayes says. “We think it would be beneficial [to the CERT program] if they play an active role.”