Secret Service, ATF making final security preparations for Chicago Democratic National Convention

CHICAGO (WLS) -- As the Democratic National Convention is about to open, major law enforcement groups responsible for protecting the massive event say they are ready.

Two of the most critical federal agencies, the United States Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, tell the ABC7 I-Team the convention poses a unique challenge with needs for duplicate security checkpoints.

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Equipment and manpower will be required at both the United Center and McCormick Place. Equally as important: dog-power.

ATF canine teams will be deployed to the two convention venues. Their mission will be screening vehicles for explosives at the DNC sites and citywide. The specially trained dogs are also able to detect firearms and ammunition.

"We have our Special Agent canine handlers we're going to be deployed at checkpoints," Chicago's ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon said. "They're going to be deployed at different venues to help ensure that any issues there are mitigated s far as a potential explosive device or package. So we are going to have them throughout the city and working this event to make sure it's safe."

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Agents at the agency's Northern Illinois Field Office in Downers Grove will be on stand-by so the National Response Team can be quickly deployed to the DNC if there is a critical event.

"The odor that would be given off by an explosive device -- over 19,000 of these odors that they can recognize to help, again, help keep this event safe and make sure that a malicious actor wasn't able to get through to the venue with an explosive device," Amon said.

At the United Center and McCormick Place, ATF, the FBI, Homeland Security and others have been planning and partnering up to make sure the DNC goes off as planned. All the agencies serving in support of the primary federal agency, the Secret Service.

"The Secret Service is a no failed mission. So we're always at the, at the highest levels of security," said Derek Mayer, the Special Agent in Charge of Secret Service, Chicago.

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Mayer said their primary multi-agency communications center is a key component in protecting a National Special Security Event.

The center is so crucial that disclosing exactly where it is could compromise the key tool. The I-Team agreed to report only that it is more than 30 miles from the United Center. It is what the Secret Service calls the X-center of the security operation.

"There's over 60 agencies that are represented in that facility," Mayer. "So communications is very important on an everyday matter, but especially at an NSSE event. So it has to be away from the city. We try to get it several, several miles away from the downtown area, as we like to call it off the X."

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What could happen on the outside remains one of the greatest concerns as the speeches and nominations are underway inside the convention next week.

The I-Team spent the summer taking close-up looks at major law enforcement groups responsible for protecting the DNC and the rest of the city. Just about every agency underscored the power of the partnerships they have formed as the greatest key to keeping people safe and helping make the event a success.