The Rolling Meadows Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA) is an organization accredited by Cook County and the State of Illinois. Currently two administrators and 13 volunteers support this endeavor.

As part of the requirements for maintaining the accreditation, ESDA administrators maintain the City’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), coordinate table top and full-scale drills, train volunteers and file reports with the City and other government agencies.

Every two years, ESDA administrators with the assistance of the ESDA volunteers ask each City Department to review its contribution to the EOP in order to verify that the procedures it contains are up to date. Table-top and full-scale drills are held routinely to reinforce the procedures contained in the EOP as well as to test how well those procedures will work in the event of an actual disaster. These periodic reviews and drills ensure that the information contained in the EOP is accurate and that the staff members of all City Departments are well-versed in the procedures it contains. It also gives the participants an opportunity to interact with one another and fine-tune the procedures that would be followed during an actual disaster.

In the event of an actual disaster, the ESDA administrators would act as liaisons between the City and County/State to coordinate additional resources such as heavy equipment, additional personnel, shelter and transportation. In addition, ESDA administrators would ensure that proper documentation is filed with the County, State and other agencies on whose support we would rely. Among other duties, the trained ESDA volunteers would be responsible for providing administrative support in the EOC, assisting at shelters and acting as go-betweens for the EOC staff and emergency responders.

ESDA administrators and volunteers hone their skills throughout the year during regular training. Members are certified in First Aid and CPR, are trained to provide aid to their family and neighbors in the event of a major catastrophe, and are knowledgeable in the use of radiation detecting equipment and fire extinguishers, severe weather spotting, incident command, shelter management, emergency communications, ice dive procedures, auto extrication, police investigation procedures, downed power line hazards, and hazardous materials procedures. ESDA volunteers are also responsible for maintaining several pumps, generators and power tools for use during a disaster.

Several times throughout the year ESDA volunteers are called upon to support the efforts of the Fire, Police and Public Works Departments during times of crises. These incidents have included assisting residents whose homes were flooded, providing traffic control during major events and providing support during and after structure fires.

The help of our trained ESDA members does not stop at the borders of Rolling Meadows. When a nearby community needs support, our ESDA unit stands prepared to render aid. Rolling Meadows ESDA has assisted the City of Chicago with massive flooding, the Village of Buffalo Grove with a condominium fire and the City of Plainfield with the aftermath of a devastating tornado.

Rolling Meadows Emergency Services and Disaster Agency is an integral part of our City’s emergency response team. This organization ensures that updating of emergency procedures occurs on a routine basis, provides support to the City’s emergency responders and is prepared to assist at any major event that our City or neighboring communities may experience.