PITTSBURGH — Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh will be among four NFL stadiums designated by FEMA as a “Mission Ready Venue” to be possibly used as an emergency shelter.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier announced Wednesday that through “Mission Ready Venues,” a public-private partnership, the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers could be used for response and recovery missions during declared emergencies or disasters.
“Stadiums are valuable community assets that are often used in times of disasters,” Lanier said. “This designation reflects the role that many stadiums play, not only on Sundays, but especially in times of need. We are proud to work with FEMA and first responders at the local and state level to ensure disaster response agencies have the information and tools they need to help a community recover when disaster strikes.”
Because of the size, capabilities and locations of sports stadiums, according to a release, they can serve the public in several ways including emergency shelters, staging areas, commodity distribution sites, evacuation pick up points, disaster recovery centers, mass vaccination and testing, temporary hospitals and more.
“During large-scale emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, or tornadoes, we’ve seen how large music, sports and entertainment venues can serve as a safe space for communities,” Criswell said. “This new strategy we’re launching with the NFL is a groundbreaking opportunity to help our partners use these venues for emergency response and recovery needs, while keeping communities safe and making them more resilient. While we are starting with the NFL, all venues across sports organizations and leagues can become assets to their communities, and I encourage them to join in this collaborative effort as we grapple with the impacts of the climate crisis.”
FEMA said to receive the designation, venues undergo a comprehensive assessment to determine what capabilities the venue may be able to support in emergency and disaster response and recovery efforts.
The designation highlights the following attributes of selected venues:
- Provide Safety and Security: Stadiums are usually centrally located, close to major roadways and transportation hubs, and critical services like hospitals. If used to respond to a disaster, the designation will save valuable time and resources and will further enhance coordination between the public and private sectors during disaster response and recovery.
- Provide Accessibility: Stadiums are also compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act and can support persons with disabilities and others with access or functional needs. Additionally, 73% of NFL venues are accessible by mass transportation. This provides an avenue to promote equitable service to underserved populations to access potentially critical lifesaving/life sustaining services after an event.
- Strengthen Community Resilience: Stadiums and arenas are a focal point of communities and help strengthen social networks by enhancing connections between residents with home team pride. These Mission Ready Venues can boost morale amidst disaster. By providing a more robust and resilient environment, these venues can enhance social networks amongst survivors while providing ample opportunities to establish connections with the venue’s main tenants.
- Ensure Unity of Effort: Coordination of stadium resources and services can support survivors and responders and help stabilize an incident quickly. Since stadiums are fixed locations, resources and services can be deployed quickly. This promotes the community’s physical and economic recovery.
Mission Ready Venue designations are for five-year increments with a yearly check-in to ensure continued readiness of the venue.
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