This month, Salt Lake City, Utah will have a population explosion. Thousands upon thousands of athletes, journalists, spectators, officials, trainers and security personnel will descend on the normally peaceful town to take part in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
Planning to host the Olympics takes years. The host city gets started even before they have been picked by the Olympic Committee. Once a host city is officially chosen, planning swings into high gear. "Olympic Committees, usually about three years out, start staffing and thinking about strategy. As soon as they get a security director on board, which is generally pretty early, we start talking to them," says Jim Dobrei, corporate vice president/director of sales and marketing, Garrett Metal Detectors, Garland, Texas.