Northwest suburbs in 60 seconds

CERT classes to begin

The Palatine Emergency Management Agency is offering free emergency preparedness training for the federal CERT program, or Community Emergency Response Team. The first of eight evening classes, which total about 20 hours, begins Sept. 8. They're held over a two- or three-week period in village hall, 200 E. Wood St. Topics include light search and rescue, fire safety and mock disaster drills. For details, contact Tom Smith at (847) 359-9056. or tsmith@palatine.il.us.

Des Plaines hosts police academy

Des Plaines police will hold a police academy for seniors starting Wednesday. Over 10 weeks, seniors are invited to attend the academy from 10 a.m. to noon every Wednesday. The class is free. Participants will learn about identify theft, scams, fraud and pick up tips on how to avoid becoming a victim. Attendees must be at least 60 years old with no criminal background. Attendance is limited.

Learn about local gangs

"Gang Awareness and Prevention" is the topic 7-9 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Maine Town Hall, 1700 Ballard Road, Park Ridge. Township Trustee Laura Morask, a prosecutor with the Cook County state's attorneys office and an expert on local gangs, will provide a look into gang identifiers specific to a neighborhood such as signs, colors and names. She will also go over the reasons why youths join gangs and what happens if your child is involved in a gang. Attendees must preregister by calling Michele Biondo, (847) 297-2510, ext. 271. More information is at www.mainetownship.com.