As part of the National Guard's State Partnership Program, the Delaware National Guard and partners from Trinidad & Tobago had the unique opportunity to exchange ideas regarding security measures at one of the world's most visible sporting events - the Super Bowl.
The State Partnership Program is administered exclusively through the National Guard and was established in 1993 to help build relationships, friendships and theater cooperation with countries from the former Soviet Union. This is done through military, government, and cultural exchanges and since its inception the program has expanded globally. Delaware partnered with the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago in 2004 and in that time has conducted exchanges that helped promote good governance, and share best practices in education, economic development and international partnerships.
During Super Bowl week members of the partnership visited southern Florida to observe security measures at Port Everglades, operations centers involved in security at Super Bowl XLIV at Sun Life Stadium, and the Miami-Dade Police Department Fusion Center. The goal was to exchange ideas involved with major event planning and disaster management and response
"This was not a one-way street. It was a reciprocal visit and truly an exchange of ideas as Trinidad & Tobago recently hosted two world class events - Summit of the Americas which President Barrack Obama attended, and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting where numerous international leaders attended," said Brig. Gen. Hugh Broomall, the Delaware National Guard's Deputy Adjutant General. "I believe they brought as much information to the table as they took home."
Although the visit included three separate events, they all tied together, explained Lt. Col. Tim Hoyle, Delaware's State Partnership Program Director. "Trinidad & Tobago has a commercial port but is working to expand its cruise ship business. After a visit to Delaware's Port of Wilmington a few years ago it was a natural progression for our partnership to visit a bigger and busier port," he said.
Port Everglades is the busiest cruise ship port in the world and last year had more than 40,000 passengers. It's also the 6th largest cargo port in the world, said Broward County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Forrest Santalucia, who heads the compliance division of the Port Everglades security program. The Broward Sheriff's Office works in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard to provide both dockside and waterside security. Dual-use ports have unique challenges and require a delicate balance between abiding by all applicable laws and security measures but still moving cargo and passengers, he said. "Right after September 11, 2001 people understood, but now many view security as an inconvenience. We understand but will not be complacent," explained Santalucia.
The second event included an inside-out tour of Super Bowl security operations. Security starts in the stadium, is monitored just outside in the Incident Management Team Village, and coordinated further away at the Joint Operations Center. It requires a cast of thousands and includes months of planning, hundreds of security cameras, aircraft surveillance, ground transportation, the latest satellite communications, and constant coordination between numerous federal, state, and local agencies.
Gary Gould is the Superintendent of the Trinidad & Tobago Police Service. He was instrumental in coordinating security measures for the Summit of Americas and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting events held in Trinidad & Tobago last year. "Events like the Super Bowl have hundreds of thousands of attendees and visitors, but the international media multiplies the attention and makes it such a valuable target [for terrorists]," he said.
Gould also noted while the equipment and technology he saw during the exchange was different and in some cases more advanced, the planning sequence for all events was similar. "In Trinidad & Tobago we use the same management principles of planning, table top exercises, and trial runs to prepare for events. What I was most interested in was interagency coordination in the United States versus our technique of security by sector." Gould plans to use his new-found contacts with the Miami-Dade Police Department to explore that concept for future events.
Of course one of the highlights of the visit was the chance to visit inside Sun Life Stadium - home of this year's Super Bowl. The group had the opportunity to have photos taken on the field, get a behind the scenes tour of the stadium and sit in the owner's suite.
The exchange culminated with a visit to the Miami-Dade Police Fusion Center. The basic function of the center is to take raw information and intelligence, research and corroborate with numerous resources to make a usable multi-agent product, and then share that information. According to Miami-Dade Police Major Michael Ronczkowski, the Fusion Center is a true partnership as it links municipalities, counties, regions, states, and countries.
This is made possible in great part by the creation of a Virtual Fusion Center. It is a web-based system where information can be updated by and shared instantly with all agencies involved. Sub Lieutenant Claudio Smith of the Trinidad & Tobago Coast Guard was interested in the Virtual Fusion Center because he is currently working on a similar project at home. "This visit was particularly valuable to me. A Virtual Fusion Center works perfectly when you are sharing information between the two islands of Trinidad & Tobago."
Future plans for Delaware's State Partnership Program include a visit to Trinidad & Tobago to further discuss security management and continue to build relationships between the partners. "Last year I was at the Summit and this year at the Super Bowl," said Gould. "No matter what the event or where it is located in the world - success is all about relationships."