Emergency Operations Plan
The Village of Barrington Emergency Operations Plan defines the emergency response roles and responsibilities of various Village personnel in the event that an emergency occurs. The plan addresses a wide variety of potential emergency scenarios such as severe weather, public health emergencies, and hazardous material releases.
The Emergency Management Team regularly reviews the plan and updates it, to reflect the latest in emergency response methodology. To view a copy of the current Emergency Operations Plan, click here.
NIMS Compliance
NIMS stands for “National Incident Management System”, an initiative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). NIMS is a standardized system for emergency operations and terminology that will eventually be utilized for every unit of government in the United States. The need for a standardized system was dramatically highlight by both the 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina disasters.
FEMA has directed that local jurisdictions become NIMS compliant (adopt certain practices and have personnel attain NIMS certifications). In order to be eligible for federal funding for emergency management. The Village of Barrington is 100% NIMS compliant. More importantly, the Village is recognized as a leader in local government emergency management planning and NIMS compliance. It also should be noted that the State of Illinois is considered to be one of the most emergency-ready states in the country.
Training
All Village of Barrington "first responder" employees, such as Police, Fire, and certain Public Works personnel, undergo regular emergency response training as part of their employment. In addition to this, the Village, provides training to all of its employees, to prepare them to effectively react to emergencies and to prepare them to assume special roles and responsibilities that may be necessary when emergencies occur.
The Village also regularly conducts training and exercises for employees, such as setting up a mock emergency operations center and conducting exercises such as the simulated distribution of medications.
Connect-CTY Community Notification System
The Village of Barrington provides instant communication to our residents via the Connect-CTY service ("reverse 9-1-1"). With this service, the Village can send personalized voice messages to residents and businesses, with specific information about time-sensitive or common-interest issues, such as road closures, utility problems, missing child alerts, crime alerts, etc. Participation is 100% free and completely voluntary. You can opt-out at any time. We know that maintaining the privacy of your personal information is important, and rest assured that the Village of Barrington will not share your information with anyone.
If you would like to provide additional contact information, you are encouraged to click the Connect-CTY image to sign up. Or, if you prefer, you can call 847-304-3300 with your name, address and the phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses you wish to add.
Medical Reserve Corps
The Village has formed a Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), composed of nurses, paramedics and other medical personnel, who are organized to be deployed in the event of an emergency. The MRC conducts regular training for its members, and has participated in Village emergency excercises. The Village's MRC is certified through the Office of the Surgeon General. If you are interested in joining the MRC, please contact Deputy Fire Chief John Feit at 847-304-3600.
CERT
CERT stands for “Community Emergency Response Team”, a national program (administered locally) that recruits and trains citizen volunteers to assist in emergency situations. In cooperation with the Rotary Club, the Village has initiated a local CERT program. To date, we have provided training for approximately 40 citizen volunteers. This program is still in its early stages. If you are interested in becoming a CERT volunteer, contact Assistant Fire Chief Chris Toussaint at ctoussaint@barrington-il.gov or (847) 304-3600.
Tornado Preparedness
Advance planning and quick response are the keys to surviving a tornado. Everyone should be aware of the signs of an approaching tornado. Tornado danger signs can include:
- An approaching cloud of debris or funnel cloud. Sometimes an approaching cloud of debris indicate a tornado, even if a funnel cloud is not visible.
- Still air. Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still.
- Thunderstorms. Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.
In addition to conducting a tornado drill each year in late winter or early spring, families can prepare for tornadoes by making sure they have the right equipment and supplies on hand. Click here for more information.
Other Emergency Preparedness Information
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