The Secrets of Super Bowl Security

Since 1988, an ambulance entrepreneur, Brian Rogers, has actively protected the public’s health and safety at big events at Las Vegas, and Super Bowl LVIII is no different.Mr. Rogers owns Community Ambulance, which will have about 50 ambulances and more than 100 people in and around Allegiant Stadium on Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs meet the San Francisco 49ers for the championship of the National Football League.Mr. Rogers’ claim to fame is being the ambulance driver who rushed boxing champion Evander Holyfield to the hospital the night Mike Tyson bit off a piece of his ear during their 1997 heavyweight championship rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Now, the driver turned mogul hopes the Super Bowl goes off without any similarly unforeseen incidents.“The NFL really wants this to go off without a hitch,” Mr. Rogers told the Sun. “But we’re used to this. We know who’s going where. We know traffic patterns. We know which way people are walking. We have this.”Mr. Rogers said that he’ll be on the field to coordinate his team and ambulance drivers to handle potential emergencies and injuries on the field and around the stadium. “We expect about 200,000 people within the confines of the stadium area,” Mr. Rogers said, “and the stadium only holds 65,000. There’s going to be a lot of people. But there’s going to be a lot of public safety.”Federal, state, and local organizations are working together to heighten public safety for the first Super Bowl ever at Las Vegas, a city known for its lavish entertainment events, vibrant nightlife, and potential for crime.Some of the security measures include:· A temporary flight restriction imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration from 2:30 – 8:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. · Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Eurocopter AS350 Astar helicopters will secure the restricted airspace, offering, “a unique eye-in-the-sky capability,” that can “detect and intercept any suspicious aircraft attempting to enter the restrictive zone,” according to Cheryl Davies, a Customs and Border Protection coordinator.· Non-intrusive inspection technology will scan all deliveries entering the stadium, including, food, beverages, uniforms, equipment, and even the Lombardi Trophy, Ms. Davies said during a recent press conference.· K9 teams will also be deployed at the stadium, hotels, and airport, among other venues to sniff for explosives.· Law enforcement agencies are also looking to crack down on counterfeit merchandise sold online and on the streets. “Our intent is to make sure every visitor is safe and secure so you can go have a good time,” the Federal Security Director for the Transportation Security Administration, Karen Burk, said at Las Vegas. “That’s what the Super Bowl is about whether you’re here for the game or the other events.”Homeland security in Las Vegas said it conducted an operation last weekend that seized 45 counterfeit items valued at one million dollars from four different locations. Officials warned fans not to purchase fake items such as jerseys, hats, and T-shirts because of ties to labor exploitation, human trafficking, and identity theft. “It is not a victimless crime,” Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said.The Super Bowl might seem like an imposing event and specific security plans have been evolving for over a year. Big events, though, are common for Las Vegas, which hosted its first Formula One race last November.As hard as the NFL tried to distance itself over the years from Las Vegas to avoid any association with sports gambling — the industry is now embraced — the city is well equipped to hold a Super Bowl because everything except the team hotels is reasonably accessible, with most events within walking distance or a short cab ride.“Las Vegas has done an extraordinary job with the ability to host these big events and attract people here for a lot more than what people used to come for,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said during his press conference. “People used to say this is just a gambling town. This is an entertainment town. This is a sports town.”Mr. Rogers said security measures are based on the type of the event and the number of people expected to attend. “We just finished F1 and that was big,” he said. “The Super Bowl is big, but it won’t be as big as EDC,” or the Electric Daisy Carnival.

The Secrets of Super Bowl Security

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