The Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) is reminding everyone to be safe and vigilant this holiday season, especially in crowds and to report any suspicious activity to 9-1-1. OEMC will monitor all citywide events, activities, traffic, and weather conditions throughout the weekend from the Operations Center and coordinate public safety resources as needed with the Chicago Police Department, Chicago Fire Department and City of Chicago infrastructure departments.

OEMC’s Private Sector Camera Initiative links Chicago retail, businesses and sister agencies to the city’s camera network that can provide OEMC and public safety agencies with additional points of contact in City that can be accessed during an emergency situation. For more information, see OEMC’s website at Chicago.gov/OEMC

Also, a new Smart911 feature is available to assist the Chicago Police Department (CPD) in better serving Chicago communities. Residents with an existing or new Smart911 safety profile can volunteer to share with police recorded home surveillance camera footage should a crime occur nearby or outside their residence. By simply opting in on an existing Smart911 profile or by creating a new profile at Smart911.com, residents can agree to share home surveillance camera footage by allowing the CPD to contact them in the event of a crime. All information is private.

25th Annual Twelve Bars of Christmas Bar Crawl (TBOX), Wrigleyville
On Saturday, December 11 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. the annual TBOX bar crawl will take place in Wrigleyville at multiple venues in the 2-3 block radius of Wrigley Field. Affected streets include Clark Street from Roscoe to Waveland and Sheffield Street from Waveland to Roscoe. For additional details, visit TBOX.org.

2021 Christkindlmarket on Daley Plaza and Wrigleyville
The annual Christkindlmarket is open through Friday, December 24 on Daley Plaza located at 50 West Washington Street. NOTE: For weekend programming, there will be a full closure of W. Washington Street, including the CTA bus lane, between Clark Street and Dearborn Street from 5 a.m. each Saturday through 11 p.m. Sunday. The Christkindlmarket in Wrigleyville at Gallagher Way, located at 3635 N. Clark Street is open through Friday, December 31. For complete details including hours, visit Christkindlmarket.com.

Lincoln Park ZooLights Festival 2021 Opening, Friday, November 19, Lincoln Park Zoo
The annual ZooLights Festival at the Lincoln Park Zoo opens this weekend from 4 to 10 p.m. nightly. For details, visit LincolnParkZooLightsFestival2021 | Skydeck (theskydeck.com).

Traffic Control Aides (TCAs) will be on hand at events citywide to direct flow and impacts from heavy traffic. Public transportation is encouraged. For more information on CTA services and reroutes, visit www.transitchicago.com or call 312-836-7000 from any area code/1-888-YOUR-I CTA.

Report Suspicious Activity: If you See Something Say Something. The city reminds the public to be aware of their surroundings and to report suspicious activity. If you notice something suspicious, notify onsite security or call 9-1-1. If You See Something, Say Something™ is a national anti-terrorism public awareness campaign that emphasizes the importance of reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities.

Mask Guidance Update: Both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in the City of Chicago must wear a face covering in indoor public spaces. Masking remains optional in outdoor settings where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is lower. However, masks are recommended for unvaccinated individuals in crowded outdoor settings. For details visit chi.gov/covidvax

Weather
OEMC advises Chicagoans to be aware of weather conditions and to follow instructions and heed all warnings from public safety officials. We encourage residents to check the weather before heading out. For the most up-to-date weather information, please tune into local media or download a weather app.

OEMC will issue any alerts and notifications needed to keep residents and attendees up to date on weather conditions and emergencies. Sign up for NotifyChicago alerts at NotifyChicago.org. OEMC also issues TEXT alerts for lakefront notices, issues affecting businesses or COVID-19 updates:

• CHILAKE: For lakefront notices, TEXT “CHILAKE” to 7-8-0-1-5
• CHIBIZ: For alerts affecting businesses, TEXT “CHIBIZ” to 6-7-2-8-3
• COVID: Get COVID-19 updates by TEXTING “COVID19” to 6-7-2-8-3

For additional information on emergency preparedness information, visit the OEMC website at Chicago.gov/OEMC. Follow the Office of Emergency Management and Communications on Facebook (@coemc), Twitter (@ChicagoOEMC) and Instagram (chicago_oemc_911).

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