National Center for Sports Security Sending Staffers to Super Bowl
Mon, 01/31/2011 - 11:24am | By: Van Arnold
What better place to observe, assess and brainstorm sports security preparedness than during the country's grandest sporting event – the Super Bowl?
That's exactly where Steve Miller and Hobbie Regan, both staffers at The National Center for Spectators Sports Safety and Security, (NCS4) will be when the Green Bay Packers take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Feb. 6 in Arlington, Texas.
“This is an amazing perk and one I never expected when I joined the center, but I'm actually more excited about the time we'll spend discussing security issues that pertain to possible terrorist attacks,” said Regan, assistant project manager at NCS4 who came board in early January.
Regan and Miller will join a team of researchers attending Super Bowl XLV to gather long-range requirements for development of special events risk management. According to NCS4 director Dr. Lou Marciani, the goal is to enhance the preparedness capabilities addressing the threats and risks to safety and security of highly visible sporting events.
The NCS4 team will work closely with representatives from Digital Sandbox, a national company specializing in risk management software.
“Our plan is to add Digital Sandbox risk analysis capabilities into our SportEvac software in the national laboratory here at NCS4,” said Marciani. “This will enhance the capabilities of NCS4 in delivering sport event incident management exercises.”
This marks the first Super Bowl trip for Miller and Regan, neither of whom has a rooting interest in the outcome.
“Being a longtime Saints fan, I don't really care who wins this one,” said Miller. “I'm just delighted to be in a unique position to see the game and also observe demonstration of a product that I think will be of great value to not the work we do at NCS4 but far beyond Cowboys Stadium that day.”
As Regan so succinctly stated, “Every day we go without a terrorist incident is a win.”