Editor’s note: This is the first part of a two-part article about Illinois’ response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the East Coast.

While officials and experts agree little danger of a terrorist attack exists in Illinois, many state agencies remain on high alert status after the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes on the East Coast.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency, which would coordinate the response to a terrorist attack in Illinois, has remained on “heightened alert” since hijacked commercial airplanes were smashed into the World Trade Center’s twin towers and the Pentagon more than two weeks ago, said IEMA Director Michael Chamness.

In addition, he said most of the agencies that IEMA coordinates have worked to increase security at Illinois’ “critical infrastructure.”

The agency is responsible for the coordination of about 19 different state and local agencies, which includes the Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois National Guard and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among others.

“I think you can see the increased security in the increased police presence and addition of security at key infrastructure points,” Chamness said.

For security purposes, he could only say that “critical infrastructure” referred to Illinois’ utilities and transportation assets as well as other facilities that are “critical to life in Illinois.”

One of those such critical utility infrastructures is the numerous nuclear power plants that dot the Illinois landscape. Illinois is home to 11 operating nuclear power plants, the most in the nation.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has required the nation’s nuclear power plants to be on “the highest level of security” since the Sept. 11 attacks, said Rossetta Virgitioi, NRC public affairs officer.

In broad terms, she said the increased security includes additional physical barriers to the sites, increased “well-armed” guards and tighter access controls.

“Everyone has been taking this pretty seriously,” Virgitioi said.

Pat Clark, associate director of The Citizens Utility Board, an Illinois utility watchdog group, said, “We have seen that (the Illinois nuclear power plants) have stepped up security.”

In keeping with security precautions, Master Sgt. Rick Hector, of the Illinois State Police, said he could not detail what additional security measures the state police have instituted except that it is in “quick response mode.”

“We are on heightened alert and maintain a liaison with local, federal and state agencies,” Hector said. “However, we don’t see any special risk for Illinois in terms of terrorist attacks.”

Also, the Illinois Terrorism Task Force has been meeting daily to discuss any issues that might arise.

The task force was created in 1999 by Governor George Ryan at the urging of the IEMA, and it is comprised of federal, state and local liaisons from agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Chicago Emergency Services, National Guard and the Illinois Fire Service Institute.

Chamness, who also chairs the task force, said the goal of the committee is to “prepare Illinois for acts of terrorism.”

Richard Jaehne, director of the Illinois Fire Service Institute, which is responsible for the training of firefighters, said the task force which normally meets monthly is now meeting daily to “come together and make reports on the state of Illinois.”

“You can be assured that we are keeping on top of things,” Jaehne said. “The ICC (Illinois Commerce Commission) is closely monitoring rail traffic, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) is watching the airlines and the Coast Guard is monitoring Illinois’ water ways.”

He said “no indication exists” that a terrorist attack will happen in Illinois.

And Chamness cautioned that Illinois’ increased security “is not because we are scared something may happen, but because it is the prudent thing to do.”

University of Illinois professor Clifford Singer, director of the Arms Control, Disarmament and International Security program, said Illinois is not in any specific danger because there are “very few symbolic targets in the state.”

Singer said the reason the terrorists targeted the World Trade Center and the Pentagon was because they are the paramount symbols of American capitalism and military power.

“The trend has been on targets that are of significant symbolic importance,” he said. “In those terms, Illinois is not high on the list.”