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CHICAGO EMERGENCY AND PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION

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Yahoo Group of Chicago Anti-Terror News: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chicago-terror/

Police and Emergency Telephone Numbers:

Chicago Emergency Phone: 911

City of Chicago Web Site

877-745-INFO -- Chicago Emergency Information Telephone Bank

The Office of Emergency Management and Communications operates the City’s Emergency Information Telephone Bank - 877-745-INFO - during major emergencies or disasters. This phone bank may be utilized in case of emergencies when there are large numbers of injuries or deaths, or a widespread disaster affecting large areas or populations. INFO operators may provide information regarding location of victims; financial assistance or family support services available to victims or their relatives; or information regarding evacuation areas or other event-specific instructions. This information is gathered from Emergency Management staff that respond to major incidents in the field, from Police or Fire staff, or from the City’s Joint Operations Center. The 877-745-INFO telephone line provides a central source of information for callers that, in the past, would have flooded 911, 311, and various hospitals around the city. The INFO number is a permanent number, however, the line is not officially live until activated by officials from the OEMC. When the Telephone Bank is activated, INFO operators are prepared to: (1) provide facts about the event to the caller; and (2) collect data regarding a person the caller may be seeking. Due to privacy issues, INFO operators only provide hospital location information to callers. General information about the number and condition of victims is not provided, and the medical condition of any specific victim is never given. The caller must be seeking a specific person and must be able to provide the person’s name and a description. If INFO operators have information about the person, the caller will only be informed about to which hospital a victim was transported. If no information is available, the INFO operator gathers information about the physical description of the person, which may be used to later identify victims.

Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications' Web Site

The City of Chicago, Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) protects life and property by operating the public safety communications system and by coordinating and managing emergency situations

Office of Emergency Management and Communications:
Address: 1411 W. Madison St., Chicago, IL 60607
E-mail: oemc@cityofchicago.org
Telephone: (312) 746-9111
Facsimile: (312) 746-9120
TTY: (312) 746-9911

Local Emergency Planning Committee:
Bill Schatz
E-mail: bschatz@cityofchicago.org
Telephone: (312) 746-6455
Facsimile: (312) 746-9554

OEMC Media Affairs:
Telephone: (312) 746-9425
Facsimile: (312) 746-9534

Homeland Security involves the gathering of intelligence and public security advisories from various local, county, state and federal sources, as well as involvement with all existing committees and task forces in this area. This intelligence is analyzed and disseminated to the proper agencies, local authorities, City departments and the public.

OEM researches projects regarding Homeland Security issues concerning all areas of emergency management, and also acts as the City’s liaison with local, county, state and federal homeland security task forces & committees. The team tracks and analyzes homeland security advisories and patterns of regional events.

Also, the OEM monitors efforts and initiatives by city departments and sister agencies for homeland security concerns, and disseminates these initiatives to the appropriate OEM staff member.

Chicago Police Web Site

Chicago Fire Department Web Site

Illinois: Preparedness for Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Releases: A Citizen’s Emergency Guide

Chicago Bioterrorism Initiatives

The Chicago Department of Public Health's Communicable Disease and Acute Disease Surveillance Programs have a 24-hour notification procedure.

Urgent public health issues originating in Chicago or involving Chicago residents should be immediately reported as follows:

* In Chicago
Dial '311' and ask to speak to the Communicable Disease person on-call for the Chicago Department of Public Health.
* Outside Chicago
Dial (312)744-5000 and ask to speak to the Communicable Disease person on-call for the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Urgent Public Health Issues List
(to be reported immediately)

* Anthrax (suspected or confirmed)
* Botulism (foodborne)
* Cholera
* Foodborne or Waterborne Illness
* Measles
* Meningitis and other Invasive Disease due to Neisseria
* meningitidis (including suspected) or Haemophilus influenzae
* Plague
* Q fever
* Smallpox
* Tularemia
* Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
* Any illness associated with a suspected bioterrorist threat or event
* Any unusual case(s)/death(s) or cluster of cases(s)/death(s)

Illinois: Preparedness for Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Releases: A Citizen’s Emergency Guide

Illinois Emergency Management Agency Contacts
110 East Adams Street
Springfield, Illinois 62701
Director Burke, William C. (217)782-2700
Assistant Director
Wright, Gary N. (217)785-9868
Assistant to Director Desai, Lisa (217)557-6225
Communications Officer Myers, John (217)557-4890
Disaster Preparedness Fairow, Jana (217)785-6984
Disaster Assistance and Preparedness Smith, Dave (217)785-9890
Finance Miner, Dennis C. (217)557-0073
Nuclear Safety Wright, Gary N. (217)785-9868
Policy Advisor Chamness, Mike (217)557-5499
Information Technology Purcell, Kim (217)557-4785
Legal Counsel Kevin Mclain (217)785-9881
Operations Watts, Jim (217)557-4794
Personnel Kevin Sledge (217)782-3184
Regional Offices Donaldson, Cristy (217)557-7244
Media Contact Thompson, Patti (217)558-0546
SEOC Manager Gauvin, Scott (217)557-4793
Training Felchner, Gene (217)557-4791
24-hour Response Communications Center (800)782-7860
24-hour Automatic Facsimile Communications Center (217)782-2589

Disaster Preparedness for Chicagoans

Disaster Preparedness

* Maintain a disaster supply kit in your home or office.
* Become familiar with your home and business emergency plans.
* Become familiar with your children’s school emergency plan.
* Establish two meeting or "phone-in" locations for your family; one in your neighborhood and another outside of your neighborhood.
* Post emergency telephone numbers in your home and offices. Teach your family how and when to utilize them.
* Make sure everyone in your household knows how and when to shut off water, gas, and electricity at the main switches.

If Disaster Strikes

* Try to remain calm and patient.
* Listen to radio, television and/or office or building announcements for current information or instructions.
* If advised to evacuate your home, office or neighborhood, follow the instructions immediately. Do not stray from designated evacuation routes, as short cuts may not be safe.
* Upon reaching your family or office’s designated area of safety, continue to monitor local radio and/or television reports for updated information from local, state, or federal authorities.

Disaster Supply Kit
We recommend that you maintain, in an easy-to-carry container, a disaster supply kit in your home or office. Include essential supplies, such as:

* Battery-powered AM/FM radio or television with extra batteries
* At least a three-day supply of non-perishable food and drinking water
* Flashlight with extra batteries
* Small tool kit
* First aid kit
* Sanitation supplies (soap, toilet paper, etc.)
* Charged cell phone
* Special needs items (infant formula, medication(s), eyeglasses, etc.)
* Cash and copies of important family documents (birth certificates, licenses/state identifications, etc.)

Please share these preparedness tips with everyone in your household, including your children. Being prepared, understanding your risks, and taking steps to reduce those risks, can minimize the impact of the disaster.

===============================================

For Immediate Release
Contact: Monique Bond
Phone: (312) 746-9454
E-mail:
Thursday, October 21, 2004

Chicago's Office Of Emergency Management And Communications Announces New Technology To Identify Cell Phone Call Location

CHICAGO - October 21, 2004 - Today, the City's Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) announced plans to enhance location-based technology for cell phone users at the facility's 9-1-1 Center.

Plans to upgrade the 9-1-1 Center's capability to capture the location of a cell phone call include integrating technology from wireless carriers with OEMC's computer aided dispatch system.

The new technology called "triangulation, " uses a geometric process that locates the location of cellular calls by determining how long it takes a call to reach each of three cell towers, then utilizes a system known as "time distance on arrival" to calculate the location of the call. The location information appears on a screen in a map format displayed in front of the 9-1-1 call taker.

"Upgrading the 9-1-1 Center's existing location based technology will be another valuable tool the City uses to assist people calling for help. Everyday we receive calls from people who need help and are not sure of the location they are calling from," said OEMC Executive Director Ron Huberman. "This next phase of technology will triangulate between cell towers and allow dispatchers to pinpoint the location of a cellular call to 9-1-1 within 400 feet, enabling them to guide our first responders to the scene of an emergency with a high level of accuracy in an environment where every second counts," Huberman added.

Currently, Chicago's 9-1-1 Center handles both traditional landline and cellular calls. Landline calls transmit the name, telephone number and location of the phone call directly to the emergency dispatcher's screen, and the appropriate emergency resources are immediately dispatched to the location. In some instances, the call taker also has the ability to call the individual back if the call is disconnected or terminated prematurely.

Until recently, the same technology has not existed for wireless cell phones. Call takers have been limited to receiving the caller's cellular number and location of the closest cell phone tower, which could be miles away from a caller's exact location.

Cell phone use is a fast, emerging trend and is oftentimes the primary source of a household's method for communications. An average of 18,000 calls are handled daily at the 9-1-1 Center, with more than 40 percent being attributed to cellular calls.

The use of location technology benefits a variety of demographic groups across the board. From young children to seniors, the ability to track a cellular call when the caller is uncertain of their location is a lifeline to the 9-1-1 call taker.

Chicago's 9-1-1 Center will be fully integrated with location-based technology by the end of this year with cell phone providers that include Verizon, Cingular, US Cellular, Sprint PCS, T-Mobile and Nextel.

The cost for the hardware associated with this technology is being paid for by the cellular providers at no cost to the City. Software upgrades to the computer aided dispatch system will cost $500,000 and are part of the OEMC's on-going capital improvement projects.

CHICAGO - November 17, 2004 -- The Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) successfully integrates advanced technological tools with emergency management to make Chicago more secure.

Ron Huberman, Executive Director for the City's Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) told the Committee on Budget and Government Operations that his Office has made significant progress during the first six months of his appointment building partnerships, developing integrated exercise programs, and implementing new technology that augments existing public safety and emergency response services.

"To ensure that Chicago is prepared, we must continue to develop partnerships that foster information exchange and then act on that information to proactively address any threats to our City" said Ron Huberman.

This year, OEMC has taken significant steps to expand connectivity and communications technologies that will allow first responders, city departments and OEMC staff to communicate during an emergency or crisis.

The creation of the recently unveiled Operations Center (OC) is one of several new critical initiatives taken by OEMC to increase the sharing of information at all levels of government.The new OC

Is adjacent to the Joint Operations Center and will serve as a central command post equipped to perform a number of crisis management functions as well as the day-to-day operations of city services.

Plans for the City's Unified Camera Surveillance Network will allow the OC to monitor over 2,000 locations, including critical infrastructure.The expansion is an integral part of the City's on-going homeland security strategy to saturate high-risk areas with surveillance technology.

Other city department and sister agency cameras will be linked to the OC's surveillance monitoring network.Private businesses and major corporations have expressed an interest in joining the City's network.

Live video provides real-time information on major incidents to help first responders mitigate emergencies.Chicago is the first U.S. city to integrate video surveillance capability into 9-1-1 emergency operations.

Analysis Reporting (I-CLEAR), was created to ensure that law enforcement agencies across jurisdictional lines could share critical information.OEMC launched a new network and new laptop computers that will provide all of the functionality of I-CLEAR in the field.Officers will now have the capability to access database information on arrest warrants, gang membership, mug shots and a variety of other data sources.

OEMC has improved the City's ability to identify the location of 9-1-1 callers using new location-based technology.Call takers are now able to determine a cellular caller's within 400 feet.Chicago is one of few cities to have completed this FCC requirement for wireless cell phone technology.

Several new partnerships have been established to improve Chicago's ability to deal with small and large scale emergencies.New collaborations with the American Red Cross will help OEMC train neighborhood groups and the business community on the basics of emergency preparedness.In addition, OEMC's joint response capacity with the Red Cross will ensure that in all types of emergencies, the City is able to garner the right resources to deal with any crises.

Partnerships with organizations such as Chicago First of the financial services sector help ensure that Chicago's economic lifeblood is protected and can recover quickly from emergencies.

The office has collaborated with a variety of agencies from the intelligence community on education and training.Several specialized drills and department tabletops have been conducted to review and test city readiness initiatives and mitigation plans.

Cost savings and identifying new revenue streams for the City reflects OEMC's commitment to efficient and effective management.The City's Traffic Management Authority (TMA), governed by OEMC will soon be augmented to a full-time authority that will manage and assign traffic control services for sporting venues, construction projects and other large scaled events that require traffic management.The TMA has allowed officers to go back on the beat, utilizing lower paid personnel to control traffic.

OEMC's FY 2005 Budget proposal will enable the Office to further complete its objectives for next year providing a foundation of new strategies that will serve the Office well beyond the 21st Century.

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