Note the file photo from the 2014 WSI St. Patrick’s Day Parade! 2024 marks the 150th year of the Naperville Fire Department, always on the leading edge with innovative new programs such as CART. (PN File Photo)
Editor’s Update, Sept. 16, 2024 / CART Presentation Planned Oct. 2 / Citizens Appreciate Public Safety (CAPS) will present information about CART (Community Advocate Response Team) from 5:30 to 6:30PM Wed., Oct. 2, 2024, at the Naperville Municipal Center. The recently launched service provided by the Naperville Fire Department is available to all residents. The presentation aims to enlighten the community how the new CART program is designed to assist Naperville residents with non-emergency events.
Naperville Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis and Lieutenant Bill Kostelny will present the program downstairs in the Lunchroom of the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street.
Attendance is free. RSVP is encouraged at napervillecaps.com/events.
Public Safety Open House / Note also the annual Public Safety Open House is set for 10AM to 2PM Sat., Sept. 28, at the Naperville Public Safety Center, Aurora Avenue at River Road. CAPS volunteers, Crime Stoppers volunteers and other public safety initiatives with many kid-friendly giveaways will be among the table top exhibitors that day. Find out more about this year’s event via Soraya McLaughlin’s recent October 2024 column and Prepare, Practice and Prevent.
Original Post, Aug. 7, 2024 / I am so pleased to introduce a new program that the Fire Department has been doing since January 2024. The Community Advocate Response Team (CART) is an evolution of the Emergency Medical Service delivery model.
CART supports the community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Annually, the fire department responds to non-emergent requests of varying degrees. This can include lift assists, assists to and from the home, mental health incidents without injury, resource issues, transitional complexity, failure to thrive and family support services.
These incidents account for approximately 2,000 – 3,000 non-urgent EMS requests for the Naperville Fire Department’s EMS Division. The emergent or non-emergent Community Advocate Response Team will bridge the gap between ALS (advanced life support) response and community response.
Dispatching a unit with two trained front-line firefighter/paramedics provides a second tier of city services and helps leverage and connect residents with services throughout the community and neighboring counties when able.
The CART unit also works as a “patient advocate” after emergency calls are completed.
So, what does this mean for you? Business as usual. If there is an emergency, dial 911, and the dispatchers will determine the appropriate response vehicles.
Any questions, email me at mclaughlins@naperville.il.us.
As always, #StaySafeNaperville.
