C.E.R.T. co-founders invested thousands of dollars in outfitting the organization’s trailer. 

By Mary O’KEEFE

Oct. 22 was a tough day for the Crescenta Valley Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) leaders and local co-founders Paul and Lisa Dutton when they discovered the trailer they use for the organization was stolen from their business driveway. 

“We are angry,” said Paul Dutton after he discovered the trailer gone. 

He said losing the trailer was disturbing but what made it worse was losing all the medical supplies, radios and C.E.R.T. preparedness equipment he and wife Lisa have been collecting for years. 

The Duttons started the CV C.E.R.T. program in 2006 and since then they have administered over 33 training sessions, certifying more than 600 individuals in CV. They prepare individuals to not only prepare for the worst – fires, earthquakes and floods – but to learn how to help their neighbors. The couple are the CV C.E.R.T. coordinators for the program. The stolen trailer is owned by the CV Sheriff’s Support Group. 

Community members have seen the green C.E.R.T. canopy at numerous events including the recent CV Town Council’s Wildfire and Emergency Preparedness Fair in September. Members of C.E.R.T. can also be seen with emergency responders at fires and floods.

The items that were stolen from the trailer have been collected, and in many cases paid for, by the Duttons. 

“It was the best of our C.E.R.T. supplies [including] disaster medical triage bags, first aid kits, backboards and command boards for the C.E.R.T. program in the event of an disaster,” Paul said. 

Other items stolen included premium C.E.R.T. bags filled with equipment for 25 members as well as radios and ham radio equipment. 

“I am hoping someone saw [the trailer] pulling out of our driveway,” Paul said. 

It was in the early morning hours of Oct. 22 that the thieves stole the trailer from the driveway in the 2700 block of Foothill Boulevard at the Dutton Real Estate building. The trailer had to be hitched to another vehicle to get it out of the driveway.

This is a business office and there was a person at the location until about 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 21. 

“They must have waited for the perfect time,” Paul said. 

The trailer was seen via security footage traveling eastbound on Foothill Boulevard and turning southbound on Ocean View Boulevard at 4:07 a.m. on Oct. 22, according to LASD Det. Rowell Quemuel with the TRAP (Taskforce for Regional Auto Theft Prevention) unit. 

Investigators are looking for any information regarding this incident, including anyone who may have security footage in the area, as well as any witnesses. 

For those who have information please contact Det. Quemuel at (626) 632-7304.