The Chicago City Council today approved an ordinance that would allow the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) to enter into agreements with the private sector to obtain its camera feeds.

"In 2004, Chicago began building a fiber network that would give us the ability to expand our system over the years without putting an extra cost on taxpayers, " said Mayor Richard M. Daley. "Today, we are moving into this next phase of evolution with the private sector camera initiative."

The Private Sector Camera Initiative will link Chicago-based organizations, companies and non-for-profit cameras systems into the Office of Emergency Management's state-of-the-art unified video surveillance network known as Operation Virtual Shield (OVS).

Under the OVS network, Chicago has integrated more than 600 miles of fiber and wireless systems from City departments and sister agencies back into OEMC's Operations Center (OC).

Current city partners include the Police, Fire, Aviation and Transportation Departments. City Agencies include the Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Park District, Millennium Park and Solider Field.

"New private sector camera feeds will provide first responders and Homeland Security officials with additional points of contact throughout the City that can be viewed during an emergency," added Mayor Daley.

Mayor's Press Office
(312) 744-3334

Jennifer Martinez
OEMC
(312) 746-9454