Hanover Township emergency group recruiting members
Barely a few feet from his former place of employment, ex-Bartlett Police Chief Dan Palmer talks about the volunteers who make up the Hanover Township Emergency Management Agency.
The agency aims to help local police and fire departments, handling jobs like directing traffic and delivering basic first aid. That frees up police and fire to handle more pressing tasks, which is a key when the economy has left most departments short staffed said Palmer, the agency’s director.
Other towns, including Hoffman Estates and St. Charles, have similar groups. The volunteers are not there to replace law enforcement, but to supplement.
“We don’t engage anybody; that’s not what we’re about,” Palmer said. “We’re extra eyes and ears.”
Palmer wants to raise the profile of the agency, which was established in 2008. Many times it’s only after an emergency that a police or fire department remembers the agency is around.
The agency’s biggest contribution may have been helping move stranded cars off the road during the Blizzard of 2011.
“You see a group of guys (volunteers) get out — just to help you get out of there, to get you home,” said volunteer Mike Liacone of Bartlett. “The look on their faces, how thankful they are — it doesn’t get any better, it really doesn’t,”
Liacone, 36, runs a warehouse in Elgin and bartends. He is one of 25 volunteers from different walks of life that make up the agency. Five more candidates stand ready to join the group, which recently took up quarters on Main Street in Bartlett at the former headquarters of the Bartlett Volunteer Fire Department.
Palmer’s goal is to see ranks increase to about 50, so the agency can be fully staffed at all times in case any of the communities that make up Hanover Township need assistance.
The agency is insured and members receive training from former police and fire department members. Often it’s the same training as law-enforcement personnel receive.
“It’s always safe; everything is safe,” said volunteer Mick Rogala, 54, of Bartlett, who recently retired from a job as an industrial engineer. “We work in pairs; we’re watching out for each other.”
Rogala and Liacone talked about the camaraderie members experience. They drive patrols in unincorporated areas, serving as a neighborhood watch.
It’s a large time commitment and agency members won’t see action until after a 90-day probationary period when they receive training. The team is equipped with water pumps, electrical generators and shovels to help in a variety situations, including working in heavily flooded areas.
Palmer’s the only paid member. Volunteers undergo a background check, which includes criminal history. Applicants have to be at least 18.
Kevin Forkin, the agency’s deputy director, raves about his volunteers’ passion for the job.
“The dedication level of these volunteers is unbelievable, I don’t know how to put it into words,” Forkin said.
Forkin and Palmer said they are amazed with the quality of the volunteers, saying they are not “police wannabes.”
“People are just part of the community and want to volunteer,” Palmer said.
The volunteers meet weekly on Wednesday for training sessions where they learn things like how to spot severe weather patterns so they can storm watch and how to direct traffic, which isn’t the easiest task, Palmer said.
The Hanover Township agency has an annual budget of about $100,000, Palmer said. Call (630) 837-0301 for more information or go to hanover-township.org.