BOMA/Chicago Preparedness Committee Meeting Notes for November 16, 2021

Titan Security is a proud participant in the leadership of the BOMA/Chicago Preparedness Committee, dedicated to the safety of highrise commercial structures in the City of Chicago. Minutes from the most recent monthly meeting of the group are shared below.

• The virtual meeting was presented via Microsoft Teams, with approximately 65 attendees.
• The session was hosted by Ron Tabaczynski (BOMA) and Tom Henkey (Titan Security).
• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) was first on the agenda, with Protective Security Advisor James Ford offering guidance on critical infrastructure security and protection.
• Lieutenant Ralph Cruz from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) Detail Unit presented on an initiative by the law-enforcement agency to visit, tour, and train within commercial highrise structures. The Detail Unit brings special equipment and resources to major incident scenes, including active threats. Interested buildings are urged to contact Committee leadership for further information.
• Tom Henkey and Titan Security provided a recap of the recent Carlos Villarreal Memorial Annual Tabletop Exercise, held on November 2 and attended by more than 100 commercial real estate professionals. A range of takeaway materials on topics including workplace violence and de-escalation techniques were shared with event registrants.
• An update was provided on the status of the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin. As of Wednesday morning, closing arguments had been completed and the jury had just begun deliberations. Committee members were encouraged to prioritize the monitoring of the trial and verdict announcement.
• Public-sector partners provided reports/updates
  • DHS: reminded participants that November was critical infrastructure month, and recapped their earlier presentation
  • CPD, District 1: year-to-date criminal activity is up, including robberies and vehicle theft; upcoming special events include the Christkindl Market, the Millennium Park Tree Lighting, and the Thanksgiving Parade.
  • CPD, District 18: mirrored the 1st District comments regarding crime trends; upcoming special events include the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival (had login issues, relayed details via phone)
• Announcements included a reminder to monitor local media and notification systems for Rittenhouse verdict announcement; BOMA Slack channel dedicated to safety issues is another active outlet
• Next meeting of the Preparedness Committee will take place on Tuesday, December 21