        FOCUS ON COOPERATION--PARTNERS IN PREPAREDNESS:
           THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS POLICE ALARM SYSTEM
                                
                               By
                                
                         Leo C. McCann
                             Chief
           Buffalo Grove, Illinois, Police Department
                           President
             Northern Illinois Police Alarm System

  
    It has more police employees than the police departments of
Pittsburgh, Portland, and the twin cities of Minneapolis and St.
Paul combined. It provides essential police services to a
population of over 1.6 million people. Yet, it is a system, not a
police department. If it were, it would be the eighth largest
municipal law enforcement agency in the United States.

    The Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) represents
a joint venture of suburban municipal police departments in the
Chicago metropolitan area. Fifteen police agencies created NIPAS
in 1983 to ensure effective police mutual aid in times of natural
disasters. From these humble beginnings, the system has grown to
include the law enforcement agencies of 86 cities and villages in
four counties. Today, NIPAS uses its resources to accomplish
diverse duties, such as fighting floods, quelling civil
disturbances, and providing foreign language translation services
for its members.

BACKGROUND

    In 1982, severe flooding nearly devastated several small
communities along the shores of Lake Michigan north of Chicago.
Public safety resources, especially those of local law
enforcement agencies, became stretched to the limit. Although
neighboring communities responded with assistance, police leaders
realized that they needed a better organized system with
preplanned deployment procedures.

    The following year, the chiefs of 15 police agencies in
Illinois' northern Cook and southern Lake counties established
NIPAS through an intergovernmental mutual-aid agreement. This
legal document authorized neighboring agencies to work together
in times of need. In 1988, written bylaws formalized the original
agreement.

ORGANIZATION

    A governing board consisting entirely of police chiefs
directs NIPAS and approves its annual budget, which serves as the
basis for all NIPAS expenditures. Member agencies pay a set
annual fee to participate, thus providing both the staff and the
finances needed to manage the system.

    A Buffalo Grove, Illinois, police commander manages the
system's day-to-day activities. Due to rapid expansion, NIPAS now
comprises two geographically based divisions, each supervised by
a sergeant, who reports to the system's commander.

ACTIVATING THE SYSTEM

    Whether faced with a natural disaster or the unexpected
results of a special event, a member agency may request
assistance for any situation its command staff believes the
agency cannot handle with its own resources. The requesting
agency's incident commander contacts the system's dispatching
center, the Northwest Central Dispatch System, (1) and identifies
the level of response needed. There are 10 levels, each one
calling for an additional 5 officers to respond according to a
predetermined alarm plan. Thus, level 1 requires 5 officers to
respond; level 10, 50.

    The dispatch center quickly sends the appropriate number of
fully equipped officers to a preselected mobilization point
within the requesting agency's jurisdiction. The incident
commander also deploys a personnel officer, who records each
officer's arrival and assigns each one as required.

THE EMERGENCY SERVICES TEAM

    In 1987, NIPAS expanded its mission by creating a special
tactical squad, known as the Emergency Services Team (EST).
Member agencies can deploy the EST for hostage/barricade
incidents, high-risk warrant service, major crime scene searches,
search and rescue missions, dignitary protection, and similar
tactical incidents. In 1989, the EST acquired a fully equipped
mobile command post, funded by private-sector contributions. An
NIPAS member agency maintains the command post and its equipment.

    Member agencies participate in the EST voluntarily. However,
if they choose not to supply resources to the team, they may not
request its services. Oftentimes, NIPAS agencies with their own
Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams elect not to join the
EST.

    Staffed by 45 police officers from member agencies, the EST
includes sharpshooting, containment, entry, and negotiations
components. Team members volunteer for EST duty, must receive a
favorable recommendation from their chiefs, and undergo rigorous
physical and psychological testing prior to selection for the
team. Fitness retesting occurs annually, as does firearms
qualification for sharpshooters.

    NIPAS provides an initial 80-hour basic emergency services
team training course, the only SWAT program in the State
certified by the Illinois Local Law Enforcement Officers Training
and Standards Board. To date, over 300 officers from law
enforcement agencies throughout Illinois have received SWAT
training through NIPAS.

    Followup training consists of a 40-hour advanced training
program that all EST officers must attend annually. In addition,
the team trains as a group at least one day each month. Some
components receive additional training on a regular basis.

MOBILE FIELD FORCE

    Special events can impact negatively on a law enforcement
agency not prepared to handle them. The scheduled arrival of
World Cup Soccer in the Chicago area in 1994 raised concerns
within NIPAS that area law enforcement lacked effective civil
disturbance procedures. As a result, NIPAS established an
80-officer Mobile Field Force to respond to such incidents.

    The NIPAS board of officers examined several police response
systems throughout the country for ideas and identified Florida's
Metro-Dade field force concept as the most adaptable to its own
needs. The Metro-Dade Police Department provided the initial
training for the NIPAS field force.

    As is the case with the EST, member agencies participate in
the field force voluntarily. By doing so, agencies may request
the Mobile Field Force for both planned events, such as rock
concerts and sporting events, and spontaneous incidents that may
result in a disturbance. Field force officers wear alpha-numeric
pagers so they can be summoned at any time.

    In 1994, the Mobile Field Force stood ready to respond to
World Cup Soccer and mobilized in anticipation of a potential
disturbance at a Hell's Angel's funeral. Fortunately, in both
instances, the team's services were not required. Today, field
force members stay sharp with regular monthly training alone and
in concert with the EST, in case both teams are deployed to the
same incident.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

    In addition to mutual-aid plans, the Emergency Services
Team, and the Mobile Field Force, NIPAS provides member agencies
access to a language line. This private commercial service
provides interpreters by phone for over 140 languages. NIPAS
holds the contract and bills agencies only when they use the
service, thus saving resources.

    As a result of the efforts of NIPAS and other area law
enforcement leaders, the Illinois State Police, in conjunction
with a private firm, now provides police helicopter assistance to
all local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies in the
Chicago area. The helicopters come equipped with state-of-the-art
equipment and experienced pilots. The equipment is available
around the clock for operations such as search and rescue and
fugitive location.

CONCLUSION

    Law enforcement agencies nationwide are discovering the
benefits of mutual-aid agreements. As the product of one such
agreement, the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System demonstrates
that despite limited resources, no department need be overwhelmed
by unusual occurrences.

    By combining resources with their neighbors, even the
smallest departments can implement the most effective methods
available, at low cost. In today's crime-ridden society, can any
department afford not to take advantage of every means available
to protect its citizens?

ENDNOTE

    (1)  The Northwest Central Dispatch System originated in the
late 1960s, partially funded by a Law Enforcement Assistance
Administration grant. The service dispatches officers for the six
Illinois municipal police departments that own it, as well as for
NIPAS.

______________

    Write in care of the Buffalo Grove Police Department, 46
Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089.