You just never know what the weather is going to do next, and all across America there are four-wheel-drive clubs and organizations that stand ready to help when natural disasters occur. It's a no-brainer really. The same 4x4s that we use on the trail are just as capable when roads disappear and people need help. Here in the Midwest we've had an interesting last few months that have included tornadoes, floods and snowstorms. One of the organizations that have helped Midwesterners in need is the Illiana Hummer Club's Hummer Emergency Respone Team (HERT).
They sent us a few images of their team in action during last summer's flooding. This volunteer force offers specialized disaster assistance to any local emergency or law enforcement agency in both Illinois and Indiana.
These folks are on the gas. On top of years of off-highway and extreme situation and extrication experience, team members have certifications and training 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, K9220, K9420, etc...
The HERT team began when members noticed that there were extreme situations in the Chicagoland area relating to dramatic weather conditions. At those times, emergency vehicles and personnel became incapable of providing services or help to individuals and businesses due to the extreme conditions.
In those instances, members of the Illiana Hummer Club (IHC) were called upon to assist in emergency situations with their vehicles. Seeing the need to have a trained, certified group that could offer disaster assistance, the IHC formed HERT.
The founding HERT members 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 might arise.
The HERT team trains every 2-3 months and this training varies from their urban training area in Gary, Indiana, to the extreme terrain at the Badlands in Attica, Indiana. Recently the HERT team acquired a Silver Eagle Humvee/Hummer trailer to be outfitted with specialized equipment for use by team members during activations. Relationships made during recent activations have led to signed Memorandums of Understanding with new agencies throughout the area.
So there you have it. A quick overview of a group of dedicated volunteers that use their Hummers to help folks when normal means fail. We imagine those that have suffered from natural disasters have good memories of a troop of Hummers coming to their rescue. If you're involved with a four-wheel drive club or organization that helps out when things go bad, let us know. We'd love to hear your story.