FY2011 Arlington Fire Department Annual Report FY 2011 | Page 17

Page 17 Coordination of multiple jurisdictional agencies and work groups to provide immediate monitoring, detection, and incident response groups for Chemical/Biological/Radiological/Nuclear-related incidents on the event footprint in conjunction with providing immediate on-site reach back capabilities. There were assignments in the week leading up to the event that required in excess of 100 personnel to accomplish the assigned task. SB XLV - Communications The Arlington Communications Division was taxed with ensuring the various local, State, and Federal agencies operating during the Super Bowl were able to communicate seamlessly by radio. Months of planning and coordination resulted in a communications model that operated extremely effectively for all disciplines. Due to inclement weather, the Dispatch Center also experienced a heavier call volume for normal day-to-day operations for several days, in addition to Super Bowl-related incidents. Both the increased call volume and the additional radios operating on the Arlington radio system caused concern that the system would not be able to handle the activity and communications would be compromised; however, system busies were minimal considering the enormous amount of radio transmissions before and during the event. SB XLV - Stadium Operations There were several factors relating to game day operations that affected the staffing and deployment plan. First, the attendance prediction was about 20 percent higher than a normal season sellout game because approximately 12,000 temporary seats were installed. Additionally, the stadium had a barricade system comprised of concrete and fencing, which extended hundreds of feet from the building and into the streets surrounding it. Entering the secure perimeter in a vehicle required a sweep by Joint Hazard Assessment Teams. The Fire Department made several changes to staffing and deployment compared with a typical football game. Overall medical staffing was increased by 100 percent to ensure that an adequate number of medical personnel were present to accommodate the larger crowd and mitigate the potential for response delays caused by the barricaded perimeter. To accommodate fans with medical issues, additional first aid stations were added and all interior stations were staffed with a physician. During the Super Bowl, there were 43 percent more medical calls and 111 percent more first aid contacts than at an average NFL game held at the stadium. While it was busy, the call volume was managed entirely by the resources on site. The average EMS response time was just less than five minutes, which directly correlates with the Fire Department‘s goal for the City of BLS care arriving within five minutes and ALS care within eight minutes. 17 Working Together to Make Arlington Better.