Briefly In Public Safety: Holiday weekend has police on high alert

The Laguna Beach Police Department announced it will be increasing patrols over St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Police saturate the city with extra officers during certain holiday weekends to help identify and remove DUI offenders from the roads, according to a statement from Police Chief Paul Workman.

The police department hopes that publicizing the increased encforcement will deter holiday revelers from drinking and driving.

In order to stay safe this weekend, police recommend: planning a safe way to get home before heading out for the night; designating a sober driver; taking a taxi; calling 911 if you see a drunk driver; and taking the keys away from a friend who might be impaired.

Funding for the DUI saturation patrols is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

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Volunteers sought for CERT training

Registration has begun for the inaugural Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training course from the Laguna Beach Police Department.

CERT is a group of trained volunteers who are ready and able to help the community in case disaster strikes. Members must attend 25 hours of classroom work and participate in hands-on training.

Training begins March 28, and classes will meet from 6 to 9 p.m. for six consecutive Wednesdays, with one Saturday morning exercise drill.

Training topics include fire safety, disaster preparedness, traffic control and scene management, disaster medical operations and more.

Attendance is mandatory at all classes, and volunteers must be at least 18 years old with no felony convictions.

Applications can be found at https://www.lagunabeachcity.net and must be filled out and emailed by March 21 to CERT Coordinator Jordan Villwock at jvillwock@lagunabeachcity.net.

—Kelly Parker

Twitter: @KellyParkerTCN