Members of the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command were meeting in executive session Wednesday morning to discuss their plans to go into operational mode, marking a significant change in their approach to security for the 2002 Winter Games.
Although the shift had been in the works for several weeks, Tuesday's attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon heightened the sense of urgency for those whose responsibility it is to ensure such a tragedy doesn't repeat itself next February in Utah.
The shift from planning to operations mode means Olympic security personnel will begin working as if the Olympics were here today.
"I personally think that it will be a motivating factor to get us all on the same sheet of music," Public Safety Commissioner and UOPSC chairman Robert Flowers said.
Flowers spent most of Tuesday huddling with federal, state and local public safety planners and updating Gov. Mike Leavitt on the status of Utah's Olympic security preparations.
With Tuesday's terrorism foremost in everyone's mind, some members of the Olympic command called for increased funding for the Games.
In Washington, D.C., Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, was working to keep in the proposed budget for the next fiscal year, money approved by the Senate for Utah Olympic security and hoping to get even more.
Bennett spokeswoman Mary Jane Collipriest said Wednesday morning: "Sen. Bennett is pleased colleagues in the Senate put in money for Olympic security, and he is confident that the House leaders will agree when the bill goes to conference, especially in light of yesterday's attacks." House members had stripped some money from the plan.
Bennett "is looking at including additional funds" for Utah security "in a potential emergency supplemental used to address yesterday's horrors. Our hope is that the Utah Olympics will get more security money through that appropriation. We have no numbers yet on that amount, but it's obvious that there is a need following the attacks in New York and the Pentagon."
Salt Lake County Sheriff Aaron Kennard, part of the 20-member Olympic security command, said the number of people and money to protect the Games is woefully lacking, providing what Kennard called "sub security." Kennard said he has also raised the issue of expanding the 1 1/2-mile to 3-mile no-fly zones around Olympic venues.
"Could this tragedy happen at Rice Stadium where 70,000 people are for the closing and opening ceremonies of the Olympics?" asked Kennard. "Absolutely."
Despite no known threat to Utah or the Olympics, security officials will review their public safety plans. Still, many remained noncommittal about the need to increase the Olympics' $200 million security budget. UOPSC's portion of that budget is about $30 million, with the Salt Lake Organizing Committee contributing about $35 million in manpower and equipment.
SLOC President Romney said that may no longer be enough.
"I would be amazed if the White House and Congress were anything but fully willing to provide all resources essential to secure the Olympics," Romney said.
"I feel good about our resources," Flowers said. "I would like to have a little bit more military support for things like communication and air support and I think that will be coming now."
Flowers returned Friday from Washington, D.C., and Romney was there this week urging Congress to approve the final $12.7 million needed to round out UOPSC's roughly $30 million portion of the Olympic security budget.
Previously, some in Congress, especially Arizona Sen. John McCain, had questioned the need for so much money to make the Olympics secure. "What we're looking at is reality. It's staring us in the face now, so it gives credence to our plans," Flowers said. "I think people will understand why we do what we do."
With word from the International Olympic Committee that the Games will go on despite Tuesday's attacks, authorities in Utah seem resolved to move past the tragedy.
"Tears and prayers flood our hearts. But not fear," Romney said. "As a testament to the courage of the human spirit, and as a world symbol of peace, the Olympics is needed even more today than the day before."
Still, it's hard to ignore the palpable fear that hovered over the entire nation even 24 hours after the first airplane crashed into the World Trade Center.
The East Coast attacks were highlighted at the Jane's Facility Security Conference Tuesday and Wednesday at the West Coast Hotel in Salt Lake City. The conference was a gathering of more than 100 security personnel who train and plan for terrorism scenarios on a regular basis.
"Prior to today that was primarily academic discussion but now we know that's viable," conference organizer John Sullivan said.
"It brings all of our concerns everywhere regarding terrorism to a new level," said Steve Tomson, Whitman County sheriff in Washington state who attended the conference. "We're vulnerable in our open society."
Especially if the attackers are willing to take their own lives to carry out their plans.
"If somebody is absolutely bent on doing ill," state Olympic officer Lane Beattie said, "there is virtually no way to prevent it."
Despite the attacks and concerns about Osama bin Laden, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said he is still confident that the Salt Lake Olympics can be held without problems in a few months.
"We've made a massive effort to protect the Olympics, and I believe they will be a success," he said.
Contributing: Amy Joi Bryson and Bob Bernick Jr.
E-mail: djensen@desnews.com