New Lenox CERT

05/18/2026

Thank you to the four members of New Lenox CERT that met at the Village Hall this morning to update and repack our IFAK bags. We carry these bags at events and concerts in the Village of New Lenox, Illinois. Tuesday we will have our monthly training where we will review the contents and train on their use.

05/13/2026

🚆 New Lenox CERT Metra Passenger Train Preparedness Training
On Tuesday evening, May 12, 2026, New Lenox CERT welcomed 30 of our members along with 10 members from Alsip CERT for a Metra Passenger Train Preparedness class at the New Lenox Public Works Classroom. The training was led by Inspector Carl Cicero of the Metra Police Department.
After a quick welcome and safety briefing from Program Coordinator Simon Harris, Inspector Cicero covered train basics, stopping distances, railroad crossing laws, and safe working zones around trains. Members also learned about train block, restricted speed, and the role of Train Spotters when operating near the tracks.
The class included an overview of All Hazards rail incidents — collisions, derailments, fires, terrorism, and active shooter situations — along with hands on instruction on opening passenger doors and emergency windows from both inside and outside the train. Videos and photos throughout the evening highlighted the real-world dangers trains pose and the importance of situational awareness.
The session wrapped up at 9:30 p.m. A huge thank you to Inspector Cicero for sharing his expertise and giving our teams a solid introduction to passenger train operations.

05/10/2026

Last Sunday, May 3, 2026, seventeen members on New Lenox CERT participated in the 46th Annual Loyalty Day Parade in New Lenox. The weather started out with a little rain, but the sun came out an hour before the parade, and it stayed sunny for the parade. We all met at the staging area at 12:45 to decorate the CERT SUV with bunting and flags. We also unboxed all the candy and set it up for the team to give out during the parade. The parade started at 2:00pm and was one and a half miles in length with seventy-two entries. After the parade, the team was thanked for their time and help and everyone left to enjoy the rest of their Sunday.
Thank you for your time and help!

05/08/2026

On Saturday, May 2nd, New Lenox CERT held the final exercise for Basic CERT Class #22. Fifteen Evaluators and moulage team members gathered at 7:30am to set up the scenario and to apply moulage to eight Lincoln Way AFJROTC students. They were our actors for the exercise.
The nine members of Class #22 arrived at 8:30am and waited for their briefing. At 9:00am the exercise started and went until 10:30am.
After stowing all the gear back in the trailer, everyone went into the classroom and held a debriefing with the evaluators, actors, and students. We then broke for lunch from 11:30 to noon.
At noon, Bill Byerley, New Lenox Emergency Services Director gave Class #22 the IEMA oath and swore them in. Mayor Tim Baldermann joined us for his 22nd graduation and thanked all the volunteers present and CERT as a whole. He told the new CERT members what CERT means to the Village and welcomed them to the team. At that time, the new members were presented with their CERT ID's, Certificate of Completion and a CERT backpack containing basic emergency supplies.
Welcome to New Lenox CERT Class #22!!

05/02/2026

This was a great event for everyone!

04/30/2026

On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, thirty-nine New Lenox CERT members attended our monthly training. This month’s training was: Traffic Management and Communications.
At 7:00pm, Simon Harris, New Lenox CERT Coordinator started the meeting with some announcements about upcoming training opportunities, he then went over the basic traffic management signals and what to be aware of when working around traffic. It was stressed that we don’t control traffic, we manage it. Safety was the number one point stressed repeatedly. After we had reviewed the hand signals used in traffic management, Simon split the group into two.
The first group went to the upper Village Hall parking lot where they were met by three members of New Lenox Emergency Management. The CERT members were instructed to direct a car driven by a member of NLEMA to stop, pull forward, and then turn either left or right. The NLEMA drivers were instructed to not always follow directions every time to give a more realistic feel for traffic management.
The other half of the group went over radio communications, and incident forms with two of our Search and Rescue team members. The correct radio procedures were stressed and how to relay information using plain speak, no codes. They group also went over the forms we use during an incident with emphasis on signing in and signing out. Both groups had an opportunity to ask questions and discuss CERT communications.
At 8:20pm, both groups met back in the Community Room and after a quick debrief, the team was thanked and the class ended.
A big thank you to all the trainers from this month’s training and all the team members who came out.

04/02/2026

Our next CERT Basic Class starts on Tuesday, April 7th. There is still time to sign up!!

03/31/2026

03/30/2026

On Thursday March 26, 2026 Thirty-six members of New Lenox CERT attended our monthly training. This months topic was Transport and Treatment. John Schuld took the lead on the nights training. After going over the nights schedule, Dan Johnson, NLSAR Team Lead explained how transporting an injured person can be challenging and may require changing carriers. After the group was instructed on the use of portable litters, they broke into the two teams. The treatment team set up the red, yellow, green and black tarps, while the transport team set up their teams for three litters. We had ten Lincoln-Way Central AFROTC students volunteer as victims which greatly increased the realism of transporting and treating the injured. After all the injured were transported to the treatment area and treated, the students were thanked for a job well done and released. Our CERT team met back in the Community Room and did a debriefing of the evenings training.

03/09/2026

🌪️ Looks like everyone’s feed is filling up with “Get ready for the storm tomorrow!” posts… So we’ll ask the real question — are you ready?

Take a quick minute to check a few basics:

✔️ Do you have at least two ways to receive weather alerts?
✔️ Does your family have a communication plan if you get separated?
✔️ Are your emergency supplies stocked?
✔️ Is your safe place clean, clear, and easy to access?

A few small checks today can make a big difference tomorrow. Stay weather aware, Will County! 🌩️📱