Dallas outlines multi-agency public-safety plan for FIFA World Cup matches and fan fest
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Summary
Emergency management, Dallas Police and Dallas Fire Rescue briefed the committee on operational planning for the FIFA World Cup footprint: nine matches hosted at AT&T Stadium, fan events at Fair Park and a multi-agency joint operations center; staff said DHS grant opportunities and reimbursements are being pursued.
Deputy Director Travis Houston and city public-safety chiefs told the Nov. 10 Public Safety Committee that Dallas and regional partners are developing multi-agency plans to handle the scale of the FIFA World Cup, which will include multiple match days, international media centers, team training sites and fan activities.
Houston said the city expects to host nine matches and outlined planning milestones: the team draw on Dec. 5 will influence fan-base concentrations, base-camp selections are expected around March, and funding allocations and security assessments will continue to shape operational plans.
The city said its core objectives are to protect residents and visitors without degrading core city services by maintaining communications, coordinated resource deployment and unified decision-making. The planning team flagged major challenges: integrating more than 25 public-safety partners, more than two dozen venues or sites that may require coverage, significant regional movement and the need for interoperable communications and consequence management (medical surge, heat exposure).
DPD representatives said they have been meeting regularly and are buying additional cameras, mobile barrier trailers and other equipment. City staff reported two recent DHS funding notices: a FIFA World Cup grant program and a counter-UAS grant; the city and regional partners are preparing applications and tracking time and costs that may be reimbursable.
Why it matters: The World Cup will create concentrated, sustained public gatherings requiring regional coordination across law enforcement, emergency medical services, transportation and private partners. Officials emphasized planning, exercises and grant applications to secure resources and reimbursements.
Council members asked about human-trafficking planning, permanent pedestrian-protection infrastructure (bollards) in entertainment districts and reimbursement arrangements; city staff said those issues are in planning and that grant opportunities and state major-event reimbursement programs are being pursued.