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HOUSE RESOLUTION 7


 
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    WHEREAS, The Illinois Statewide Communications 
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Interoperability Plan was officially approved by the U.S. 
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Department of Homeland Security in the spring of 2008; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The plan sets forth a statewide communications 
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strategy that focuses on establishing a mechanism for all 
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public agencies to communicate emergency information during a 
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local, regional, or State-wide disaster; and

 
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    WHEREAS, A key component of Illinois' interoperability 
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strategy is Starcom 21, a State-wide interoperable voice radio 
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system designed to provide radio communications, services, and 
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interoperability to federal, State, county, and local public 
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safety practitioners; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The system allows public safety and public service 
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agencies throughout Illinois to effectively and 
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cost-efficiently operate on a common network; and

 
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    WHEREAS, After the shootings on the Virginia Tech campus in 
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April of 2007, more than 300 Starcom 21 radios were distributed 
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to 70 college campuses around the State; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Starcom 21 system played a vital role in 
 


 






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alerting first responders in the wake of the Northern Illinois 
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University tragedy in February of 2008; and

 
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    WHEREAS, To date, the State has distributed more than 2,800 
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Starcom 21 radios to public safety agencies; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Governor's Campus Security Task Force 
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recommended that colleges and universities should make 
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development and implementation of an interoperable 
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communications system a priority of campus emergency planning; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Task Force report specifically named the 
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Starcom 21 system as a central means of implementing an 
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interoperable communications mechanism for colleges and 
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universities, as well as law enforcement and public safety 
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agencies throughout Illinois; and
 
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    WHEREAS, The livelihood of all Illinois citizens could 
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someday depend upon the synchronization of local, State, and 
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federal emergency responders via a system like Starcom 21; 
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therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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urge the Bloomington police and fire departments, to join the 
 


 






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Normal police and fire departments, the McLean County Sheriff's 
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Department, the Illinois State Police, and numerous other 
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State, county, and municipal law enforcement and emergency 
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services agencies in adopting the Starcom 21 system for 
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interoperable communications to ensure expedient communication 
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and action in the event of a disaster and further enhancing 
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public safety; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
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distributed to the Illinois State Police, the Illinois 
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Association of Chiefs of Police, the Police Benevolent and 
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Protection Association, the Illinois Sheriffs' Association, 
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the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts, the 
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Illinois Municipal League, the Illinois Association of School 
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Administrators, the Illinois Principals Association, the 
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Illinois Association of School Boards, the Mayor of the City of 
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Bloomington, the members of the Bloomington City Council, the 
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Bloomington Fire and Police Chiefs, the Mayor of Normal, the 
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Normal Town Council, the McLean County Sheriff, the Normal Fire 
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and Police Chiefs, and the McLean County Board.