REMA: A Half-Century of Service

They’ve been around for at least 50 years.

That’s how far back Coordinator Mike Littrell has been able to trace the history of the . The oldest documents Littrell has been able to find regarding REMA are from 1961. Back then, it was known as the Civil Defense.

While they might not wear a badge or draw a salary, the men and women who make up the organization’s ranks are highly dedicated.

“The last thing we want people to mistake us for is police,” emergency services Sgt. Ted Kruczek said. “We’re equipped to support, and that’s what we do — we support the village's first responders.”

Currently, 28 unpaid volunteers help provide backup for the police and fire departments, along with any other village department that might need assistance. That can mean anything from providing lighting at a nighttime crash site to directing traffic or assisting during roadside checks.

“We’re there to provide a safe working environment for the crews,” Kruczek said, explaining that REMA takes care of smaller details so police and firefighters can tend to more pressing issues.

Volunteers understand that responding to a call can mean a major time commitment.

“And we’re prepared for that,” Kruczek said. “ … There’s a lot of pride in our service to the community.”

REMA also has mutual aid pacts with nearby emergency management agencies, including Plainfield, to offer assistance in the case of major accidents or disasters.

During a disaster, REMA’s facility at 195 S. Old Budler Road is intended to serve as an emergency operations center. From there, officials would be able to allocate resources and coordinate response.

REMA is equipped with a fleet of vehicles, mostly retired squad cars and ambulances refurbished by its members.

“We do everything here but the striping,” Kruczek said.

Littrell said REMA has operated out of the Budler Road facility since 2003. Before that, the organization moved around quite a bit, including stints working from a trailer next to the fire department headquarters and the basement of the old village hall.

“We had to design this building,” said Littrell, who also served as the general contractor.

“We’re pretty self sufficient,” Kruczek said of REMA’s current digs. “We’re pretty big for a municipal EMA.”

Weather spotting

The REMA facility also has a bunk room equipped with a bed, TV and even a kitchen, “in case we’re here for an extended time,” Kruczek said.

That was the case last February, when REMA volunteers assisted first responders during the 2011 blizzard and helped transport stranded motorists to the village’s warming station at the Romeoville Recreation Center.

In fact, weather is a major part of what REMA members do.

“We’re weather spotters,” Kruczek. Each volunteer has basic weather spotter training, while some members have taken advanced weather seminars.

When the skies turn ominous and a tornado siren sounds, that’s also REMA’s doing. The agency is responsible for activating the 16 sirens throughout the village to warn residents that a funnel cloud has been spotted.

“We’re responsible to alert the community,” Kruczek said.

During threatening weather, volunteers are dispatched to posts around the village to be the first line of defense. The nine designated spots give volunteers a good vantage point to observe weather systems as they approach the village.

The sirens aren’t just for tornadoes, Kruczek said. They can also be activated to warn residents of disasters like chemical spills or other hazardous situations.

Getting involved

To become a member of REMA, volunteers must be at least 18 years old, have a valid driver’s license and have a clean criminal background.

All members are trained in response including traffic control, pump outs, first aid, emergency lighting, search and rescue, emergency shelter and communications.

“We consider ourselves a family,” Kruczek said. “I trust each one of these members with my life, and I hope they trust me.”

REMA meets at 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday at the Old Budler Road facility.

Anyone interested in becoming a member should contact Littrell at Mlittrell@Romeoville.org, or call 815-886-4085.