Although the federal control recomm...

Although the federal control recommends that cities plan their answers to terrorism with inclusiveness and opennes Chicago's necessity preparedness plan is known solitary to a few in city dominion The Chicago Reporter has found

Among those who haven't been shown the plan are the city's aldermen, firefighters and police officers.

"We do not discuss the particulars of our plan in the same manner as not to allow those who would harm us an additional way to create disorder," Cortez Trotter executive director of the Office of conjuncture Communications, or 911 Center, said in a written statement. "Full disclosure of the plan might assist those who would thwart evacuation and liberation procedures."

On Jan. 15 Trotter joined Mayor Richard M Daley at a pres parley introducing the city's new juncture Alert System, which, in the marked occurrence of an emergency, will warn residents forward radio and television broadcasts.

And Trotter not long ago cited plans for a computerized "Reverse 911" theory which can place hundreds of automatic telephone calls to residents in targeted areas to provide turn of events information.

Still, after conducting dozens of interviews and reviewing fiscal estimate documents, the Reporter also base that city and community leaders generally discount the threat of terrorist attacks to Chicago's neighborhoods. Between 1998 and 2002 the city boost its stocks every year for the 911 Center and Fire Department, sum of two units of the key agencies responsible for responding to emergencies. still the Department of Public Health, the leader upon handling bioterrorism, has taken wounds the last two years.

In its 279-page "State and Local Guide for All-Hazard pass Operations Planning," updated in September 1996 the Federal pass Management Agency (FEMA) recommends that a wide range of community groups--such as local media, social service agencies, churches and labor unions--help local officials create their difficulty response plans.

yet the City of Chicago designed its possess plan and kept it stop to the vest.

"We don't want anyone to view it," said Larry Langford, public information officer for the Office of necessity Communications. He called the seclusion "an unfortunate by-product" of difficulty planning: "You want to reassure everyone if it were not that you don't want to give the plan away."

Team Approach

Chicago isn't alone in failing to come next FEMA's advice. New York also maintains its emergency planning in the hands of city officials.

"We live in an atmosphere in which there are certain things we're not going to share," said Frank McCarton, factor commissioner of public Information at the Office of pinch Management for the City of recent York.

Still, Linda Sacia, FEMA's public affairs officer for the region that includes Chicago, said it is important to make strait response planning a community-wide effort.

"If you sole have a handful of populace involved, then you don't have a consummated plan," she said. "In an crisis you just don't think of everything. nevertheless these groups In the community, like house of god groups, for example, are the single in kinds who have contact with their people"

The city's approach be of importance tos Pat Hill, a 16-year Chicago police officer and executive director of the African American Police League. Police officers have seen "a skeleton outline for emergencies," she said. "I'm not saying to bring the whole plan out there. on the other hand they need to release something onward the public level, to direct the community in advance as to what they should do, because race need to feel secure to be comfortable."

The Reporter repeatedly asked city officials for copies or details of the plan. The petition fors were directed to Langford, who denied them. Tim Hadac, director of public information for the Department of Public Health, said he could not provide details onward the department's role In responding to terrorism.

The department "is common component of a larger administration, and the plan, reflecting resources and responsibilities of a number of different departments, is the larger administration's plan," Hadac wrote In an email. "It's their call forward if, when and how to release/discuss details of the plan. For the time being and doubtless for security-related reasons, CDPH and other departments have been directed to refrain from releasing/discussing details. We relate to that. We abide by that."

cane Sierra, Daley's deputy press secretary, referr questions to the Office of extremity Communications. "They're the ones who are pleasing much in charge of the plan and can give an account of you what the details are, what's private and what's not," he said. "I can't number you what it is because I haven't seen it."

Neither Fire Commissioner James T Joyce nor Frank Moriarty, chief of the department's Local difficulty Planning Committee, returned phone calls.

"There is no reason they would talk to the pres They are behind the displays functioning so that they can do their jobs" said Molly Sullivan, director of public affairs for the Fire Department. Sullivan also declined to discuss the plan.