(Photo: Arianna Grainey/DigitalFreePress.com)
Scottsdale City Council OKs $40K Homeland Security grant
By Terrance Thornton | Digital Free Press
The Scottsdale Police Department is gearing up for the upcoming “Super Season” touted by tourism officials this winter as Super Bowl LVII and legacy events are anticipated to bring an influx of new visitors to the Valley of the Sun.
While Super Bowl LVII is Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, the greater Scottsdale area is poised to be the event epicenter for the big game, officials opine.
Many of those patrons will come to Scottsdale, Police Chief Jeff Walther suspects.
“The 2023 Superbowl will be occurring in the Phoenix metropolitan area,” he said in an Oct. 18 report to Scottsdale City Council. “This will bring a large influx of tourists and visitors to the Valley. Furthermore, the city of Scottsdale is an international tourist destination with over 10 million visitors annually.”
Scottsdale City Council Tuesday, Oct. 18, approved the acceptance of a $40,000 Department of Homeland Security Grant, Chief Walter says will fuel a mapping project — both printed and digital — for police officers during the “Super Season.”
Scottsdale event season is coming
Chief Walther reports in addition to the Super Bowl LVII the city of Scottsdale hosts several keystone events including:
- Waste Management Phoenix Open,
- Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction,
- Arabian Horse Show,
- Rock N Roll Marathon,
- Parada del Sol; and
- The Cactus League Spring Training.
Chief Walther says the ins and outs of event venues and the proffered nomenclature of a given structure can make the difference in the event of an emergency.
“Responders sent to unfamiliar locations need tools to identify locations that may be known by common terms not understood by responders from areas outside of the location jurisdiction,” he explained. “For instance, areas in a football stadium may be called by vendor or kiosk name rather than area of the building. Additionally, areas may be duplicated in different areas of the building making unfamiliar responders unsure of the correct location.”
Chief Walther says the grant program will allow funding to improve the knowledge of structures, unfamiliar areas and improve situational awareness in the event of a call for service.
“This grant proposal will improve situational awareness, operational decision making, and communication during all-hazards events, including terrorist attacks, by providing a mapping solution that will assist responders in quickly responding to areas of crisis in a building or location that may not be familiar to them, he said. “The maps enhance communications between dispatch, command and operational response teams that may not be familiar with the location or building by creating common language.”
