The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently described its role in providing security for 52nd Super Bowl in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this February.
DHS S&T efforts enabled liability protections for providers of security technologies, analytics for defending against illicit drones and enhanced situational awareness for security teams.
S&T worked with owners of U.S. Bank Stadium to assess their security systems to earn approval for the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act (SAFETY) protections. SAFETY grants providers of security technologies liability protection in the event of a terrorist attack.
“After September 11, 2001, the private sector was hesitant to reinvest in advanced security technologies, given the potential liability risks in the event of a terrorist attack,” Cruce Davidson, director of the Office of SAFETY Act Implementation (OSAI), said. “This reluctance created the potential for under-investment and under-deployment of necessary security capabilities. Congress enacted the SAFETY Act in 2002 to assist in mitigating these risks, and to encourage the widespread deployment of effective anti-terrorism technologies and services that could save lives.”
S&T also provided the Counter Small-UAS Advisory and Review Toolkit (C-SMART), which the Program Executive Office of Unmanned Aerial Systems (PEO UAS) developed, to assess the stadium’s vulnerability to illicit drone activity.
Security staff at the game also used the S&T Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK), a mobile platform designed to provide improved situational awareness. S&T’s Apex Border Situational Awareness (Apex BSA) team trained approximately 70 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents to use the communications tactical radios and the ATAK functionality. ATAK was part of a greater network of integrated voice and video communications, including airborne and mobile sensors.
“The Team Awareness Kit (TAK) has proven to be an invaluable tool,” the HSI Tactical Supervisor for Super Bowl 52, said. “In addition to command and control, TAK allows the Tactical Operations Center and the operators deployed in the field the ability to collect and disseminate intelligence in a real-time and secure environment. TAK also allows HSI SRT to federate with all other DHS, federal, state and local agencies equipped with TAK, which provides the Joint Tactical Operations Center with a real-time overview of all assets in the area of operations. The value to Command and Control and information sharing between all supporting elements cannot be overstated.”