Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields warms up for a game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 12, 2021, in Inglewood, California.
Each trip cost about $3,000 and lasted between two and four days, officials said. Police Chief Nicholas Pecora said the department used federal asset forfeiture money to pay for his department’s travel, while Fire Chief Lance Harris said the fire team funded its trip using money from the department’s Community Risk Reduction Fund.The trips were all in preparation for a proposed development that could be a decade or longer away — if it comes at all.
Pecora said a project of such a scale prompted him and and his staff to look to other municipalities to see how their first responders handle mass entertainment events. Fans walk though AT&T Stadium with the Texas Live! entertainment district in the background before the Chicago Bears play the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 30, 2022, in Arlington, Texas.
“There’s one call to the operation center and from there, necessary services are dispatched,” he said. “So if there’s a spill in the bathroom, that’s going to create a slip-fall life safety issue. From that center, they’re dispatching somebody to rectify the situation.” Over the course of their day with the emergency responders at SoFi, Harris said the team made a number of observations about how first responders who staff major sporting events manage the crowds, prevent incidents and address ones that do arise.
When the Arlington Heights police officers reached Las Vegas on a Friday in October, T-Mobile Arena was set to host a pop band concert, Pecora said. Village police also watched a decision-making process that led to the cancellation of a concert that had been set to take place at one of the city’s festival grounds later that weekend.“They were going to hit right in the area where the 65,000 people were going to be all day Saturday at this all-day concert venue,” he said.
If the Bears do close on the former racetrack property and build a stadium there, thinking through plans for “nightmare scenarios” will be a major focus for village first responders, Hanselman said.“Let’s say we do have a mass casualty where we have 20 patients that need to be transported to the hospital,” Hanselman said.
$3K per person....nice 'learning' experience. Hey Arlington Heights residents, just bend over & say, 'Thank you sir, may I have another?'
Wtf yous expect from a Cook County municipality
Sounds like a three city drunken boys' nights out at TAXPAYERS' EXPENSE.
Nothing is signed, the State hasn't signed off, they need a referendum for the tax payers to cover this bill... but they needed a three city trip to observe?
That’s a good excuse to take a trip on the taxpayers dime.
Massive boondoggle
The racial profiling needs to be addressed in Arlington....some might not feel safe while driving...