BOMA/Chicago Preparedness Committee Meeting Recap: July 20, 2021

Below is a summary of what was discussed at the BOMA/Chicago Preparedness Committee meeting on Tuesday, July 20th. The meeting was hosted by Ron Tabaczynski (BOMA), Erin Belknap (Sterling Bay), and Tom Henkey (Titan).

The meeting included members of the Chicago Fire Department (CFD), Chicago Police Department (CPD), Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), ChicagoFIRST, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Lunch on LaSalle

• The event continues on Tuesdays through August for the remainder of the summer

Downtown Re-Occupancy

• Office re-occupancy continues heading in a positive direction, with noticeable increases following the 4th of July holiday weekend, and another increase anticipated following the Labor Day holiday weekend

COVID-19 Update

• The Committee continues to monitor COVID-19 status, with multiple states recording recent increases;
• Delta variant has emerged as primary concern due to contagiousness

Crime Prevention and Information Center (CPIC) Fusion Center

• Nick Kakos from the CPD presented a summary of the Crime Prevention and Information Center (CPIC) fusion center;
• He explained the joint anti-terror/anti-crime mission

Public Sector Updates:

Chicago Fire Department (CFD):

• In-person Fire Safety Director (FSD) classes have resumed;
• Mark Furman was introduced as the new Deputy Commissioner of Operations for the CFD

Chicago Police Department (CPD) 1st District:

• Robberies are trending down, thefts are up, and vehicle thefts up;
• The auto show was successful overall, and now preparations are underway for Lollapalooza

Chicago Police Department (CPD) 18th District:

• Burglaries are trending down, thefts are up, and vehicle thefts are up;
• Monitoring hotel activities/events surrounding Lollapalooza

Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC):

• Promotions for the See Something, Say Something (S4) campaign;
• Lollapalooza will be first very large outdoor event since fall of 2019;
• CPPTF notifications are ongoing

Department of Homeland Security (DHS):

• S4 campaign also a focus area;
• Cybersecurity and ransomware is a high concern – new web portal is www.stopransomware.gov

Chicago Public-Private Task Force

• Co-chair Steve Caluris (ChicagoFIRST) gave an update on activities;
• The task force is seeking new project ideas and objectives from committee members

All-Hazards, Life Safety Conference at Willis Tower

• The all-hazards, life-safety conference to be held at Willis Tower on October 7th and October 8th;
• Presentation proposals may be submitted through the end of the month to [email protected] and [email protected]

Preparedness Committee Meetings

• The Preparedness Committee is discussing a return to live meetings beginning in September or October of this year;
• A larger “Open Meeting” is also being considered;
• The annual tabletop exercise is anticipated to take place in November

Next Meeting:

• The next meeting is scheduled for August 17th, 2021, and the format is TBD

As always, if you “See Something, Say Something.” For life-threatening emergencies, call 911. To report suspicious activity, call 855-RPRT-2-S4 (855-777-8274).