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CNN Sunday Morning
What Goes on Behind the Scenes At Salt Lake City?
Aired February 17, 2002 - 07:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: And now, we'll look at what goes on behind the scenes in Salt Lake City. They Olympic games are, of course, about sports competition and international friendship, but this year, more than ever, there are strict security measures, ensuring that everyone at the games stays safe. Rusty Dornin explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To keep an eye on the skies over the Olympics, sometimes you just have to climb up close. At 10,000 feet, Marine Gunnery Sergeant Brian Strong and Lance Corporal Jake Churman are making sure this mobiled mountaintop radar station stays up and running.
GUNNERY SGT. BRIAN STRONG, U.S. MARINES CORPS: Basically, in this area, the FAA has already poor radar coverage. So they brought us in to bring our radar and give them some additional coverage that goes to the security operations center. And our mission is to keep this radar running 24-7 until the end of the games.
DORNIN: Last week, the radar picked up a private plane over Park City Olympic venues. The plane was then intercepted by this U.S. Customs helicopter and forced to land.
A sophisticated mobile radar system normally used in a war zone. Here, five Marines do eight to 24 hour shifts, sleeping and eating in windowless metal containers. Right now, you can see forever from up here, but just wait.
STRONG: This mountain can really fool you because sometimes at night we get a 100-mile an hour winds. We've had negative 35 wind chill. We've had two feet of snow drop in six hours.
SGT. ROBERT ROE, U.S. MARINE CORPS: We've had some pretty rough wind up here. And our shelters kind of rocked a little bit. Otherwise, it's boring.
DORNIN: Today, it's NASCAR. They'd love it to be the Olympics, only they can't get it on their dish.
Every half hour, they go to the transmitter and check the readings. At night, in the freezing, howling wind, a walk cannot only be tricky but deadly. (on-camera): What about at night? Do you have concerns about people coming out here at night?
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Well, our concerns at night are trip hazards. We try to keep people inside the poles. And this -- our second concern is mainly the wind chill factor. We try not to keep people out here more than five or 10 minutes unless they're with somebody else. And then, even if they're with somebody, we try to keep them out at a minimum.
DORNIN: Safety is not the only reason they want the troops to stay inside the parameters, inside these poles. If an intruder tries to sneak up on the installation, they'd be able to see his footprints outside in the snow.
(voice-over): So far, no intruders, no threats. For these guys, when things are boring, that's good news for folks down below.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, Park City, Utah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: Three hundred and ten million dollars went into security for these games. It's unbelievable.
O'BRIEN: It's a staggering amount. What would be the typical amount, about a third of that?
MESERVE: They spent...
O'BRIEN: Maybe a little less.
MESERVE: ... one-third of that on the Atlanta games.
O'BRIEN: Wow! Wow! And that was...
MESERVE: And this cost more...
O'BRIEN: A lot of security too.
MESERVE: And this cost more than the entire Lake Placid games.
O'BRIEN: Oh jeez!
MESERVE: Just security now.
O'BRIEN: And is that inflation adjusted or is that...
MESERVE: Oh no, I don't know the answer to that technical question.
O'BRIEN: Sorry about that.
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