Guest Post by RADM Steve Branham
Seventh Coast Guard District Commander
Super Bowl Security Media Day, Dec 3, 2009 at Land Shark Stadium, Miami, Fla.
On 03 December, I met once again with many of the law enforcement and fire rescue personnel who are already extremely busy working to ensure this year's Super Bowl in Miami is a safe and secure event. Although we have had several meetings where we have ironed out much of the planning for Super Bowl security and conducted a comprehensive tabletop exercise, last Thursday's event brought all of the federal, state and local agencies and their equipment together to show the media what is involved in preparing for nationally significant events like the Super Bowl.
And what a show it was!
The equipment and capabilities on display were amazing. From state of the art mobile command posts to armored tactical vehicles to several bomb sniffing dogs that can pick up on tens of thousands of different types of explosives, I am confident that we have the assets in place to make this Super Bowl just as safe and secure as the previous nine Super Bowls that have been held in South Florida.
But, what really impressed me the most was the people. Hundreds of federal, state and local personnel focused on one thing, Super Bowl security preparations! It is clear that Miami Dade and Broward Counties know a thing or two about ensuring a safe and secure Super Bowl experience for the spectators, teams and workers. Most of the local agency personnel I talked with have more than one event already under their belts.
When Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano designated me as the Federal Coordinator for Super Bowl XLIV, she instructed me to ensure that a coordinated Federal planning mechanism existed to support local incident management efforts. We are working hard to do that and we have put together a fantastic interagency team from about 30 different organizations.
On February 7, the public will see a thorough and wide ranging security plan in action. And there will also be many behind the scenes activities that the public will not see. After seeing the personnel, equipment and other assets that will be in place this year, I am even more confident that it will all add up to another safe and enjoyable experience at one of the world's finest sporting traditions.
