Palos Park’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers dedicate more than 1,500 hours each year to training, emergency response support, public education and community service, providing an important resource to the village.
“Communities across the nation are strengthened when individuals are prepared, connected and empowered to take an active role in emergency preparedness, response and recovery,” said Palos Park Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters.
National CERT Week 2026 recognizes the importance of emergency preparedness and the volunteers who help strengthen their communities.
The Palos Park CERT program was established in 2022, while the national CERT initiative dates to 1986. The program educates and trains community members in disaster preparedness, basic response skills and ways to support their communities during emergencies.
Milovich-Walters said the village recognizes the invaluable contributions of its CERT volunteers and supports efforts to expand emergency preparedness, increase community engagement and ensure the program’s mission continues for generations to come.
This year’s National CERT Week theme, “Carrying the Torch 40 Years & Beyond,” honors the legacy of those who built and strengthened the CERT program over the past four decades while inspiring the next generation of volunteers to continue advancing preparedness, resilience and community service.
Through training exercises, emergency response support and public education, Palos Park CERT volunteers demonstrate how individuals can make a difference in their community before, during and after an emergency.
