CISA conducts exercises with Washington Commanders to keep fans & athletes safe

LANDOVER, Md. – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently partnered with the Washington Commanders earlier this month to test response plans around hypothetical public safety incidents.

Working together they held the tabletop exercise which is the latest in a series of assessments and exercises designed to ensure the safety of events at FedExField. It brought together private sector partners and federal, state, and local first responders to discuss pre-incident and incident information-sharing procedures, as well as emergency response and recovery operations following hypothetical events that present security and safety risks to fans, athletes, and employees. The exercise took roughly four hours and focused on pre-incident information sharing, incident response, and immediate recovery.

“Simulated events and joint exercises with trusted partners are important components of emergency preparedness,” said CISA Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security David Mussington. “If a real-world emergency happens, no single agency is going to respond alone. Now more than ever, we need strong, trusted, reliable relationships with partners who know how to communicate and work together effectively.”

While partners discussed their roles and coordination efforts during an incident, the exercise itself was not in response to any specific threat but part of an ongoing partnership to share best practices and improve the flow of information between partners.

“The safety and security of fans, employees, and players is our utmost priority during all major events hosted throughout the year at FedExField,” said Trista Langdon, Senior Vice President, Operations and Guest Experience for the Washington Commanders. “Tabletop exercises, in partnership with CISA, are crucial in reinforcing our preparedness for safety incidents and updating our approaches to response and recovery plans in a rapidly evolving environment. We greatly appreciate the time and commitment of CISA, as well as other federal, state and local partners, devoted to keeping everyone safe at FedExField.”

The CISA stated that the public has a critical roll to play during any public event and encouraged those in attendance to follow the guidance of their state and local health officials and remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to personnel or law enforcement.

The CISA works with a number of sports leagues, teams, stadiums and arenas, and other large venues around the country. They plan to conduct more than 150 similar exercises each year and staff at the agency has staff located throughout the United States to advise businesses, schools, and other organizations of all sizes on ways to enhance their security and resilience.

More tools and resources are available at the agency’s Hometown Security initiative website.