The Chicago Police Department's retired resident expert on security planning has been hired back -- this time on contract -- to quarterback Election Night planning that will culminate in Barack Obama's $2 million-plus extravaganza in Grant Park.
Three years ago, Mayor Daley asked Neil Sullivan to overhaul the city's disaster and evacuation plans.
Now, Sullivan is back as a consultant at a rate of $100-an-hour with a $60,000 cap.
Ray Orozco, executive director of the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications, stressed that Sullivan was hired when it appeared that both the Cubs and Sox would go deep into the playoffs and, possibly, make it to the World Series.
When both teams bowed out early, Sullivan turned his full attention to Election Night and the open-air rally.
"I brought Neil in because, to be quite honest with you, as hard as I work, it's difficult for me to do all of that myself -- to stay on top of that," Orozco said.
Others said Sullivan was tapped because he has successfully handled other city-wide events.
Sullivan has held meetings with city, state, county and federal police brass to coordinate resources for the night, said a source.
Contacted at the 911 center, Sullivan said it was "not a state secret" that he was calling the shots on election night.
But he refused to talk about the top-secret planning that has prompted the city to order off-duty firefighters and paramedics to take all of their gear home with them to speed deployment in case of an emergency at the Obama rally.
Mayor Daley has put a $2 million price tag on the cost of city services tied to the rally and said the cash-flush Obama campaign has agreed to cover every penny.
The mayor has also portrayed the Grant Park rally as a logistical headache that would force the city to close Grant Park up to eight hours in advance, block streets, secure the CTA and "realign gas mains."
Orozco sought to portray the rally as no big deal. Testifying Monday at City Council budget hearings, he assured aldermen that no police and fire resources would be taken from neighborhoods.
"We've handled large crowds like that before. That's what we do here in the city of Chicago -- and we've done it well," Orozco said.
Asked how the Obama rally would compare to Taste of Chicago, Orozco said, "You're probably dealing with a smaller crowd, but . . . a tighter security bubble. We've been planning this for quite awhile. . . . We plan for the worst-case scenario."
Pressed on whether rallygoers would be screened before they enter Grant Park, he said, "We're gonna follow the lead of the Secret Service, the Chicago Police Department and the FBI. As far as releasing those details, you're not gonna get them from me."
