NIU departments lend
heat, light, command center
for Sycamore fire battle

by Joe King

Firefighters and local law enforcement got a hand from NIU while battling a recent Sycamore blaze and investigating its suspicious origins.

Shortly after arriving in the 300 block of South Avenue during the early hours of Sunday, March 4, officials began to suspect that the fire scene likely was also a crime scene. The bodies of two people believed to be the victims of a murder-suicide eventually were recovered.

Anticipating a complicated and lengthy investigation, they called upon an unlikely source for help: the NIU Convocation Center.

Wanting to keep firefighters as comfortable as possible in the bitter cold, Sycamore fire officials asked to borrow the large diesel-powered heaters used to warm the loading docks of the facility during winter events.

John Gordon, director of the Convo, took the call around 5 a.m. By 6 a.m., the machinery was on site and set up. Later in the day, the Convocation Center provided portable light towers to illuminate and secure the scene overnight.

“We have to coordinate with the fire and police departments on many, many events, and we have developed a terrific relationship with them,” Gordon said. “They are always helping us out, so when we had the opportunity to return the favor, we didn’t hesitate at all.”

The attitude was similar at the NIU Department of Public Safety, which received a call a short time later asking for use of its Mobile Command Center. Once again, within an hour of the call, the requested equipment was on the scene and soon was up and running.

The 31-foot command center is a second-hand mobile home that has been extensively remodeled to incorporate extensive communications capabilities, several computer work stations and an area where commanders can meet to coordinate activities. Put into service last fall, the vehicle has been used at football games, concerts and other major events on campus.

“We were able to park right next to the scene, and people could observe the site while coordinating efforts,” NIU Police Lt. Todd Hennert said. “At a typical fire, they can usually command operations from the front seat of a car. But because of the suspicious nature of the fire and the damage of the building, they knew this would take two or three days. They needed something better, and we were glad to be of service.”

The vehicle was a perfect solution, Sycamore Fire Chief Bill Riddle said.

“We had 13 different fire departments, the state fire marshal, police, public works and the utility companies working on this scene, and having a place where we could all meet – out of the weather – to coordinate activities was a godsend,” Riddle said.

“These incidents get very complicated and very large in a hurry, and this kind of cooperation is what is required to bring them to a safe and successful conclusion,” Riddle added. “To know that we can count on this type of cooperation from other agencies and the university gives us great confidence that we can handle just about any situation.”

3-13-07