Abstract

Superbowl XLV Preparedness at the City of Fort Worth
Track: Disaster and Emergency Management
Authors: Robin Britton

GIS played a critical role in the planning and operation of numerous services at Superbowl XLV. Although the primary focus was in support of public safety and emergency management services, GIS analysis was also integral to public information, transportation planning, and a multitude of city services. The North Texas metroplex is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States at 9,286 square miles encompassing the major cities of Fort Worth, Arlington, and Dallas. At the City of Fort Worth we had the challenge of coordinating data and application development, managing data flow and sharing, and ensuring effective communication between organizations for this geographically large area. Navigating not only our internal organization, but those of surrounding municipalities, state, and federal agencies. Implementing a NIMS based approach to this large scale public event helped us to successfully respond to anticipated problems, as well as an unexpected severe winter storm.