City of Chicago and Cook County Ask Residents 'If You See Something, Say Something’ to Help Prevent Terrorist Attacks

The City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) and the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) are asking residents to be vigilant in light of the terrorist attack in Orlando. Both departments are stressing the importance of the “If You See Something, Say Something”™ anti-terrorism public awareness campaign, urging residents to report any non-emergency suspicious activity by calling 855-RPRT-2-S4, the official local number of the campaign.

“Often it is relatives, friends or co-workers who may notice a change in an individual’s behavior,” said Ernest Brown, executive director of the DHSEM. “Residents can play a big role in preventing a terrorist attack just by picking up the phone and reporting suspicious behavior.”

“Our residents are our partners in keeping our community safe,” said Gary Schenkel, executive director of OEMC. “If you are in a public place, pay attention to your surroundings and report anything unusual to authorities immediately.”

OEMC and the DHSEM launched the “If You See Something, Say Something”™ campaign last July in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Locally they have partnered with transit agencies, colleges and the faith-based community to help promote the program to residents on public transportation, in schools, at events and at other public and private spaces around the community. Additionally, the City and County launched a radio and digital campaign to reinforce the reporting number to Chicago and Cook County residents so they know to use it instead of 9-1-1 to report non-emergency suspicious activity.

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The Office of Emergency Management and Communications was established in 1995 to coordinate the City’s delivery of Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Services resources. OEMC operates Chicago’s public safety communications system, manages emergency situations and coordinates major events, 3-1-1 and 9-1-1 Communications Operations. For more information visit cityofchicago.org/oemc or www.facebook/coemc.

The Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management integrates first responders, their departments and resources from 134 Cook County municipalities, and serves as the central agency in Cook County for coordinating efforts to prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to, and recover from all incidents, whether man-made or natural. For more information, visit our website at www.cookcountyhomelandsecurity.org.