Stadiums and venues provide a central and accessible location to help communities respond to extreme weather crises, providing safe storage and shelter in times of need. With these events becoming more frequent, severe, and expensive, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and National Football League (NFL) are teaming up on a new program that will designate NFL stadiums and fields as mission-capable venues that can be used during response and recovery missions.

The initial stadiums to receive designations under the Mission Ready Venues program include:

• MetLife Stadium, home of the Jets and the Giants in East Rutherford, N.J.;
• Lumen Field, home of the Seahawks in Seattle, Wash.;
• Acrisure Stadium, home of the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Pa.; and
• Raymond James Stadium, home of the Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla.

SoFi Stadium, home of the Rams and the Chargers in Los Angeles, is under review.

“During large-scale emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, or tornados, we’ve seen how large music, sports, and entertainment venues can serve as a safe space for communities,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “This new strategy we’re launching with the NFL is a groundbreaking opportunity to help our partners use these venues for emergency response and recovery needs, while keeping communities safe and making them more resilient.”

NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier added, “This designation reflects the role that many stadiums play, not only on Sundays, but especially in times of need.”

Sports venues can serve the public in a variety of ways, including as emergency shelters, staging areas, commodity distribution sites, evacuation pickup points, disaster recovery centers, mass vaccination and testing areas, temporary hospitals, and more. FEMA and the NFL are enlisting the support of venue owners, operators, and the tenants of these facilities to work with government officials.

Key Attributes

To receive an official Mission Ready Venue designation, venues must undergo a comprehensive assessment. The designation highlights the following attributes of selected venues:

Provide Safety and Security: Stadiums are usually centrally located, close to major roadways and transportation hubs and critical services like hospitals. If used to respond to a disaster, the designation will save valuable time and resources and will further enhance coordination between the public and private sectors during disaster response and recovery.

Provide Accessibility: Stadiums are also compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and can support persons with disabilities and others with access or functional needs. Additionally, 73% of NFL venues are accessible by mass transportation. This provides an avenue to promote equitable service to underserved populations to access potentially critical life-saving/life-sustaining services after an event.

Strengthen Community Resilience: Stadiums and arenas are a focal point of communities and help strengthen social networks by enhancing connections between residents with home team pride. These Mission Ready Venues can boost morale amid disaster. By providing a more robust and resilient environment, these venues can enhance social networks among survivors while providing ample opportunities to establish connections with the venue’s main tenants.

Ensure Unity of Effort: Coordination of stadium resources and services can support survivors and responders and help stabilize an incident quickly. Since stadiums are fixed locations, resources and services can be deployed quickly. This promotes the community’s physical and economic recovery.

Mission Ready Venue designations are for five-year increments with a yearly check-in to ensure continued readiness of the venue. Re-designation will be necessary every five years, and designation does not supersede any agreements with state, local, or private-sector entities.

FEMA’s Criswell noted, “While we are starting with the NFL, all venues across sports organizations and leagues can become assets to their communities, and I encourage them to join in this collaborative effort as we grapple with the impacts of the climate crisis.”

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