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When winter weather conditions become severe, it’s essential to prepare for any potential safety risks. Here are seven tips to help keep you safe and aware in preparation of dangerous weather conditions. 

1) Look for Weather Forecast Updates

2) Dress Warmly

3) Plan Ahead

4) Limit Time Outside

5) Stay Dry

6) Keep Active When Outside

7) Be Aware

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).

Referred to by law enforcement as vehicular hijacking, the crime of carjacking is on the rise in many urban areas. Chicago in particular saw approximately 700 cases in 2019, 1400 cases in 2020, and 150 cases in January of 2021. Here are safety tips to help keep you and your vehicle safe, as well as what to do if you are unfortunately the victim of a carjacking. Drivers should always maintain situational awareness and pay special attention to any suspicious persons loitering in the area.

Tips to Prevent Carjacking

What Carjackers Are Looking For

What To Do if It Happens

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).

Tomorrow, Wednesday, January 20th, is the Presidential Inauguration.  Government and civilian officials have indicated a heightened potential for violence in the lead up to and on Inauguration Day. In addition to intelligence gathered by law enforcement officials, there have been widespread calls for violent action from domestic extremists who continue to discuss targeting public officials, ideological opponents, and government property. 

Recent incidents of ideologically motivated violence, including rioters storming the U.S. Capitol and major demonstrations involving armed protest at government buildings, have led to the mobilization and deployment of government, military and civilian security personnel. Key areas of concern are Washington D.C. and all the State Capitols.

While there are no known credible threats for Chicago, law enforcement in the City will be on a proactive footing to counter any violent activity that may occur.  The Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) will activate the City of Chicago’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Wednesday, January 20th to coordinate the City’s public safety response to the events surrounding the presidential inauguration as needed.

As a precaution, City Hall (121 N. LaSalle) and the Cook County Building (118 N. Clark) will be closed on Wednesday, January 20th. 

Scheduled Inauguration Day Central Business District Demonstration:

Wednesday, January 20th, 2021:

12:00 – 4:00 pm at 100 W Randolph St (Thompson Center Food Court). The group will gather for their cause “America First – Biden’s Not My President.” (Please note: The event is called to be held inside, but there is a high probability that any demonstration will be moved outside, including the public area at Randolph and Clark.)

Safety Tips:

Additional Resources:

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).

We have received information indicating multiple public gatherings and protests scheduled for Friday, January 15th through Tuesday, January 26th. Tentative info for the protest activity is listed below:

Scheduled Protests/Assemblies

Friday, January 15th, 2021

Saturday, January 16th, 2021

Monday, January 18th, 2021

Tuesday, January 19th, 2021

Wednesday, January 20th, 2021

Thursday, January 21st, 2021

Saturday, January 23rd, 2021

Monday, January 25th, 2021

Tuesday, January 26th, 2021

Safety Tips:

Additional Resources:

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).

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has provided best practices and guidance related to suspicious items or suspicious activities. Explosive devices were among the hazards present during last week’s violence at the U.S. Capitol building. And as with any potential or actual incident, all suspicious activity or threat information should be immediately sent to local law enforcement agencies. Criminals or terrorists sometimes conceal improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in backpacks, suitcases, or other common items. If an item is determined to be Hidden, Obviously Suspicious, and Not Typical (aka “HOT”), use the “RAIN” process to safely determine if an item is a serious threat or just unattended. If an item is determined to be suspicious, you should:

In addition, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) stands ready to support our partners to address any ongoing improvised explosive device security concerns. A wide range of resources are available to facilitate the sharing of threat and incident information, assist in decision-making, and enhance security capabilities. The following provides web-based entry points for seeking security assistance and access to various Counter-IED resources:

CISA Office for Bombing Prevention Resources

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).

The Chicago Police Department is conducting a training exercise this afternoon and overnight in the downtown area. There will be numerous resources deployed for the exercise, giving the appearance of a large scale event occurring.

This drill is not in response to any current incidents or events and is only a training exercise, but there will be a large police presence throughout the area. The exercise may cause some light traffic disruptions.

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).

Thought Leadership by Tom Henkey

Director of Emergency Management, Titan Security Group

Let’s face it, not many of us are going to miss 2020. It has been a brutal year in so many ways – a pandemic, economic collapse, a bitter election cycle. If it were possible to push an enormous “societal reset” button to welcome 2021, most of us would leap at the opportunity.

Make no mistake, our largest challenges will not disappear simply because the calendar changes. The same challenges will be waiting for us on January 1. And regardless of political affiliation, those in the safety and security field should accept neither excuses for failure nor lowered expectations in addressing critical challenges.

Leaders should rather be ready to address multiple high-priority challenges head on, on day one.

Effective COVID response: the COVID-19 pandemic will not magically disappear merely because one or more effective vaccines have been identified. Despite the herculean scientific effort that was required to develop multiple inoculations, significant difficulties remain ahead. Effective hygiene, social distancing, and mask-wearing will continue to be required for months. The raw logistical hurdles to safely and effectively vaccinate hundreds of millions of people are daunting. Widespread disinformation and distrust continue to swirl around any vaccine effort, particularly in such a politically charged environment. We will win the fight against this virus, but it is not over yet.

Prepare for natural hazards: A virus is not the only hazard we are facing. The range of challenges facing us in 2021 certainly includes extreme weather. An utterly unprecedented hurricane season battered Latin America, the Gulf Coast, and the Southeast. Wildfires simultaneously scorched an unprecedented amount of acreage in the Western U.S. These issues are neither regional nor temporary, and must be addressed much more coherently and competently going forward. National and international efforts will be required to effectively counter the impacts posed by climate change and the next pandemic (because there will be a next pandemic).

Prepare for human-caused hazards: Despite years of promises by politicians of all stripes, our critical infrastructure continues to be in dire need of maintenance and repair. These crucial structures, utilities, and technologies are simply too important to ignore any longer. Domestic terrorism has undergone an atmospheric rise in both frequency and death toll in recent years – a trend which will accelerate further without truly decisive action. And international terrorism has been in a period of relative calm, but must not be discounted as a future threat.

Demand qualified agency leaders: Precisely because of the challenges noted above, stellar leadership is required within the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. Organizations must provide fearless leadership in 2021, on issues ranging from the pandemic to terrorism. Emergency management and homeland security leaders must be honest, competent, and transparent. Nothing less is acceptable to the professionals who have dedicated their careers to public safety – nor should it be acceptable to the public itself. When the stakes are this high, failure must not be normalized.

Relight the economic engine: If we manage to get this daunting list right from start to finish, we have a chance to witness a truly historic economic recovery take place. Make no mistake, we are in the midst of a deep recession – it is simply impacting the economy unevenly, with some sectors bearing the brunt of the damage. If we are collectively able to break the back of the pandemic, and to display effective leadership in addressing both natural and human-caused hazards, the broader economy will come roaring back. The broader markets love predictability, and employees are particularly motivated to get back to work. Rarely have the challenges in an economic downturn been so clearly defined and identifiable.

Yes, 2020 has been a year to forget in many ways. Yet 2021 can be made memorable – historic, really – for all the right reasons. We just have to be ready to put in the work, and set our expectations high.

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).

Below is a summary of what was discussed at the BOMA/Chicago Preparedness Committee meeting on December 15th. The meeting was hosted by Ron Tabaczynski (BOMA) and Tom Henkey (Vice-Chair, Titan).

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

Threat landscape briefing by Charles Junirs, Intelligence Officer for DHS, detailed to the CPIC Fusion Center

BOMA/Chicago Update:

Public Sector Updates:

CPD, 1st District:

CPD, 18th District:

CFD:

OEMC:

CPIC:

DHS:

Next Meeting:

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).

Titan Security Group attended the Chicago Public/Private Task Force (CPPTF) teleconference on November 12th, 2020. Organizations that participated in the meeting include BOMA/Chicago, Office of Emergency Management (OEMC), ChicagoFIRST, Chicago Cultural Properties Security Group (CCPSG), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), CPIC Fusion Center (CPD CPIC), Chicago Hospitality Entertainment and Tourism Security Association (Chicago HEaT), Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHHA), Security Council of Professional Educators (SCOPE), Chicago Department of Buildings (DOB), and the Chicago Federal Executive Board (CFEB). 

Below is a recap of what was discussed during the meeting.

COVID Update

Public Safety Updates

COVID Member Update

Business Operations Center (BOC)

Next Meeting

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).

To help prepare for the evolving set of challenges we face concerning buildings and restaurants’ security and safety, here are some tips to consider per the Department of Homeland Security. Although there are no credible or imminent threats, buildings and restaurants should consider implementing protective measures to reduce the risk of harm.

Protecting Buildings During Public Demonstrations 
 
To mitigate potentially adverse effects when individuals commit unlawful acts during or concurrent with public demonstrations, building managers and operators should consider:

 
Protecting Customers in Outdoor Eating Venues
 
An increasing number of restaurants and other eateries use sidewalks, parking lots, and streets to expand outdoor seating to accommodate social distancing guidelines following the COVID-19 outbreak. Here are some cost-effective mitigation methods to protect outdoor venues:

 
Suspicious Behavior Indicators Near Outdoor Eating Venues
 
Restaurant employees and management should be vigilant of suspicious individuals and report suspicious behavior that may include:

 
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).
 
This post was repurposed from the Department of Homeland, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency.