H.E.R.T.

"The Illiana Hummer Club’s Hummer Emergency Response Team (& Illiana K9 Search & Rescue) is a specialized Search & Rescue group of trained & certified volunteers that offer specialized disaster assistance to any local emergency or law enforcement agencies in both Illinois and Indiana.  Team members have various training and certifications such as FEMA IS 15a, 100, 200, 700, 800, PADI w/ underwater rescue, C.E.R.T., HazMat, heavy machine operation, CDL, CPR & AED, SAR Tech II, SAR 200, SAR 250, K9 220, K9 420, etc…

Most importantly, each H.E.R.T. member is an expert Hummer driver with years of off-road extreme situation driving extrication experience.”

The H.E.R.T. Team originated in N.W. Indiana due to dramatic weather conditions where emergency vehicles and personnel became incapable of providing services or help to individuals and businesses. In a few of those instances, local authorities called upon members of the I.H.C. to assist in emergency situations with their vehicles. Seeing the need to have a trained, certified group that could offer effective disaster assistance 24 hours a day, the I.H.C. formed the Hummer Emergency Response Team (HERT).
The founding directors were deputized by Lake County Sheriff John Buncich and have been involved in keeping the HERT Team trained and ready to assist any emergency or law enforcement agency in any situation that may arise. 

Currently…

HERT training is done every 2 to 3 months and varies from urban areas such as in Gary, IN to extreme rural situations found at the "Badlands" in Attica, IN & Camp Atterbury in Nineveh, IN.  Team members have varying certifications and qualifications such as…

• First aid/CPR/AED
• Heavy Machine Operation
• HazMat
• PADI (w/ underwater rescue)
• IS-05.A      (Intro to hazardous materials)
• IS-15.A      (Special events contingency planning for public safety agencies)
• IS-100        (Intro to Incident Command System)
• IS-102        (Deployment basics for FEMA response partners)
• IS-200        (ICS for single resources & initial action incidents)
• IS-230        (Fundamentals of emergency management)
• IS-235        (Emergency planning)
• IS-240        (Leadership & influence)
• IS-241        (Decision making & problem solving)
• IS-244        (Developing & managing volunteers)
• IS-317        (Community Emergency Response Team course)
• IS-700        (Intro to National Incident Management System)
• IS-800        (Intro to National Response Framework)
• SAR150     (Technical Rescue Awareness)
• SAR200     (Ground Search III - Awareness)
• SAR220     (Basic tracking/trailing techniques for K9’s)
• SAR300     (Ground Search II - Operations)
• SAR320     (Intermediate tracking/trailing techniques for K9’s)
• SAR400     (Ground Search I – Technician)
• SAR420     (Advanced tracking/trailing techniques for K9’s)
• Numerous hours of off-road driving to ensure safe & effective insertion/extrication for personnel & equipment during activations. 

Most recently, HERT has added a specialized K9 Search & Rescue/Recovery group to our roster. This group of dedicated & DHS/FEMA certified volunteers is able to provide additional support where & when the need may arise. 

Disasters will happen.  We will be ready… will you?