But for those braving the cold or taking out a second mortgage to finance such a ticket, there are some new and some traditional safety measures this year to keep you safe. All the way from pregame to leaving the stadium, public safety officers are in line to make sure everything runs as smooth as possible. Check out these wireless safety measures that will pop up at the 2014 Super Bowl.
1) Video Surveillance. With the Super Bowl festivities stretching all the way to the streets of Manhattan for “Super Bowl Boulevard”, it’s going to take a lot more than just manpower to patrol the streets. In the past, pre-game activities had been limited to a convention-type center, with controlled entry and exit points. With the celebrations claiming 13 blocks of street, this allows for much more to go awry, and video surveillance is absolutely necessary to keep everyone safe.
2) License plate readers. As it was just mentioned, hosting a pregame party on such a scale that Super Bowl XLVIII is, and with it being outdoors as opposed to inside, poses many more opportunities for safety breaches to arise. Having License plate readers can help law enforcement stay ahead of a potentially dangerous situation.
3) X-Ray machines. Public Safety officials will use these for a hyped up version of a baggage check. Although there hasn’t been any specific threats leading up to this weekend’s Super Bowl, but “When you have a larger number of people at a high-profile event, it only raises the visibility of the target,” said FBI Special Agent Leo Taddeo. Chain link fences will also be secured at the entrance to MetLife Stadium and surrounding critical equipment.
4) Radiation Detectors. Helicopters will circle the stretch of Super Bowl Boulevard to scan for potential threats on the streets. After the incident during the Boston Marathon, law enforcement isn’t leaving anything to chance for this high crowd area.
5) NFL Security and Police working together. Hosting such an event in a densely populated urban area means many more spectators. Interoperability radio communications is essential to run a smooth protection plan, and if an emergency does arise, allow for proper actions to take place.
Whoever you root for, one thing is common amongst both Seahawk and Broncos fans alike – having fun while staying safe is the number one priority. Check out some of the other safety precautions in place at The New York Times and The New York Post
