Our rental department at Chicago Communications is one of the services that often times goes overlooked when prepping for an event. However, if utilized correctly, having a communicationsystem in place for your event, no matter how big or small, really determines whether or not it goes off without a hitch. Ask Justin Thaler from STEVE HARVEY on NBC .

Halloween is right around the corner – costumes are being finalized, trick or treat routes are being mapped, and candy is overflowing. Sometimes with the excitement of such a fun holiday, we forget to remember the basics in terms of safety.  If we let the safety of these little vampires, ghosts, and ballerinas slip to the background of all the enthusiasm, things can go from fun and games to spooky in a matter of minutes.

The Biggest Safety precaution:  SEAMLESS COMMUNICATION

For Trick or Treaters & Parents:

Cell phones are a great way to keep in touch with the older Halloween goers, or if it’s a relatively small group. But how do you communicate with groups of children who may be old enough to walk down the block, but not own a cell phone!? The same way Police and Fire crews communicate with each other- two way radios. Obviously purchasing high tiered radios aren’t the option we are suggesting, but there are two way radios designed for these types of instances- for relatively cheap in many stores. By sending your ghouls and goblins off in the neighborhood equipped with a  two way radio (or commonly referred to as a walkie talkie) you are able to constantly connect with them at the push of a button.

The Bud Billiken Parade: the oldest and largest African American parade in the U.S.

It’s 5 am on the second Saturday of August in Chicago. The roads surrounding a 2.5 mile area radius are being closed and soon people will start gravitating within that area, as the wheels of a grand production come into motion. Many months of planning and hundreds of hours of preparation have led to this day. Everyone involved has to be at a certain place at a certain time because they've only got one shot to get things right. This special day I'm describing is the annual Bud Billiken Parade that’s put on by the Chicago Defender Charities. The parade approaching us on August 10^th will mark 84 years since its inception! Even though the parade itself has aged 84 years already, the event continues to thrive stronger than ever. It now boasts an audience of roughly 2 million along its route and is televised nationally on WGN-TV to over 25 million viewers. The Bud Billiken Parade has become the 2^nd largest parade in the United States  and is known for having famous guest appearances such as (then Senator) Barack Obama, who served as Grand Marshal for 2 consecutive years.  But what’s most important to know about this parade is even after eight decades of existence, the mission behind the parade has always remained the same: “to improve the quality of life for African Americans through educational, cultural and social programs.”

Summer in Chicago! Festivals, Beaches, Parades, Markets and ………Two Way Radio?

 Yes, Two Way Radio. It’s everywhere, just think about it.

 You’re at the beach, the Life Guard talks with another Life Guard down the beach, does he yell? No, it’s a two way radio used to speed up response times.

 You’re at your favorite parade. Thousands of people, float after float, bands marching-- how do they keep it moving? How are they keeping the path secure? Two Way Radio!

 How about the ball game? Security staff keeps the crowds in check with two way radios.

Great Event, Great Cause   

    For the past 4 years now we've had the pleasure of supplying two way radios to an organization we're very proud to support. That organization, Operation Support Our Troops (OSOT), was founded in 2003 by Deb Rickert of Illinois. I recently spoke with Deb and she explained to me how the organization got started.

    After the attacks of 9/11, Deb's oldest son went into the U.S. Military Academy at  Westpoint and afterwards joined the U.S. Army. Suddenly she found herself part of a military family, like many other families across the U.S. often do. The situation really opened her eyes to what military families go through, right away. She took note that there was always going to be a certain amount of politics and controversy surrounding the war but she wanted to make an honest effort to make sure those frustrations didn't get in the way of supporting those currently serving our country and those who have served already. She started by sending care packages overseas to troops that were deployed and in harm's way. The care packages were composed of a large variety of personal items, ranging from shampoo and soap to medical items and snacks--and can be different for each troop. Some units are in very remote areas where eating what they can on local economy isn’t much, and especially now with sequestration and cutbacks, they can’t get many of these things. The comfort/care package program took off quickly and became hugely successful in the years since then. 10 years later and the organization is approaching the 1.25 million pound mark of goods sent to troops serving! There are several other programs also run through OSOT that all focus on keeping the same message alive: not only do we still have troops that are serving overseas and across the world everyday but those that come home will also need our support more than ever. 

Coordination & Solid Communications are Crucial to Events Success

2013 marks the 26th year of the Little Angels Pledge Run, a fundraising event that has become the lifeline for the Little Angels Center for Exceptional Care. On May 19^th this year the Little Angels invite you to jump on your bike and roar through 80 miles of rolling countryside in Northern Illinois. And they don’t mean ride 80 miles on your typical mountain bike, they’re talking about gliding the course on a bike with a lot more power- a motorcycle.  You’d be joining between 1,500 and 2,000 other motorcycle riders that gather at the Woodstock Harley Davidson every year to support this great cause.      

     On this blog we talk a lot about mission critical situations and the communications and technology that assist first responders and public safety agencies every day. But the importance of good communication doesn’t stop there.  We realize that it's essential to keep everyone connected to their teams, everywhere they go.  We’re able to provide solutions that reach industries very diverse in nature from public safety, whether it’s helping customers in schools, casinos, hotels or sports stadiums. Take for instance our rental department, which puts radios in the hands of security crews at concerts,  videographers covering special events (like the Tour of Elk Grove) and even engineers running environmental tests on equipment at a power plant--which probably isn't the first place that comes to mind when you think of places using two way radios. Let’s take a closer look at the last scenario mentioned, since we happen to know of a nearby environmental testing firm called Mostardi Platt, that was willing to share how two way radios help their staff stay connected.

Two Way Radios Ensure Safety of SnoCross Racing Officials & Racers

Great Lakes Snocross (GLX) teaches the sport of SnoXracing in a safe and positive environment and is known as the “Southern most Snocross organization” in the country. GLX is a Not for Profit organization and one big extended family with everyone helping each other with parts, repairs, and support throughout the season.  Racing occurs pretty much every weekend from January to mid-March, with practices taking place a couple evenings during the week. Chicago Communications has been supplying the organization with rental radios and equipment for the past 5 years. The radios are used on the track by all of the crew members, who also use ear muff headsets to eliminate the noise of the snowmobiles during communications.  The track crew consists of workers at designated positions around the track who start the races, watch for accidents and flag riders by waving yellow flags to slow/avoid, watch for illegal moves made by riders which may cause him/her to be disqualified, and monitor the finish line.  The radios enable the workers to talk with each other before, during, and after races, as well as communicate with on-site emergency medical staff, and the race announcer and race director in the track tower.  Essentially, they make full communication possible throughout every race event.

Thanksgiving has grown near once again and what better way to celebrate the holiday than joining friends and family to support a good cause, right?! For the past 28 years the Dan Gibbon's Turkey Trot has strived to do just that, donating all of its proceeds to benefit organizations operating in and feeding those, in DuPage County. Last year's race hosted more than 7,600 attendees at the event, putting the predicted expectancy for this year over 8,000 people! The event has seen enormous growth each year since the 74 runners that participated in the very first 5k race. 

Communication Equipment Keeps Production Team Running

     Our rental department has the pleasure of assisting customers from a wide variety of businesses and events.  On a daily basis our customers are on the go, in the field, on the auditorioum floor, moving across campus or throughout the city. Whether they're keeping a concert atmosphere secure or making sure attendees have a flawless special day, it's essential to keep everyone connected to their teams, everywhere they go. Chicago Communications has been renting two way radios and other communication equipment for many years, to events ranging from concerts to commencements, conventions and coroporate meetings to sporting events and competitions. Coming up this weekend ChiComm's rental representative will be renting portables to a video production team, Dobson Entertainment, in order for them to get exclusive coverage at the Tour of Elk Grove. 

     Dobson Entertainment, Inc. has been one of the Midwest's most established video production companies for over 23 years, providing services with state of the art equipment, breakthrough concepts, and a unique creative team. They work with private and public companies, in addition to working at sites both locally and internationally (the City of Chicago, Comcast Sports Net - NBC, and Yamaha Motor Corporation, are a couple examples of their diversified clientele). They can be hired to film and produce multi-camera coverage for events and promotional material, in addition to feeding live video over to multiple areas, jumbotrons and/or LCD TV screens while also being able to broadcast the signal remotely.