City Seeks Volunteers for Crisis Response Team

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has announced volunteer opportunities for individuals living or working in the City of Los Angeles to become a member of the City of Los Angeles’s Crisis Response Team (CRT). The program is particularly in need of volunteers with bilingual capability in Spanish or Korean.

“The Crisis Response Team is an important part of our City’s ability to respond to emergencies,” said Mayor Villaraigosa.  “Here in Los Angeles, we’re fortunate to have residents who are willing to join CRT and help their neighbors during a time of need.”

The Crisis Response Team is composed of community civilian volunteers that respond to traumatic incidents at the request of the Los Angeles Police & Los Angeles Fire Departments.  The teams of volunteers provide immediate on-scene crisis intervention, attend to survival and comfort needs, acts as a liaison between the victim & emergency personnel, and provide referrals to victims and their families affected by a death, a serious injury, a violent crime, or other traumatic incidents.  These include homicides, suicides, serious traffic accidents, natural deaths, and multi-casualty incidents.  

The Crisis Response Team program is managed by the Mayors Office of Homeland Security & Public Safety and is operated in collaboration with the City's Fire and Police Departments.

Volunteers must be at least 21 years old and in good physical condition. CRT volunteers participate in 48 hours of intensive training designed to help them develop the skills, knowledge and relationships necessary to function effectively in the field. The eight-week training sessions begin on October 15 and run until December 5, 2012 on Monday and Wednesday evenings at LAPD headquarters in Downtown Los Angeles.

Residents interested in learning more about volunteering for the Crisis Response Team should contact the Crisis Response Team at 213-978-0697 or by email:  LACRT@lacity.org.