MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will be turned into a shelter during emergencies as part of new partnership between the National Football League and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The two groups said on Wednesday that stadiums and other sports venues are central, accessible locations that can help communities respond to extreme weather events.
“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,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in a statement. “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.”
MetLife Stadium will be one of the first NFL stadiums to be available as a so-called Mission Ready Venue as part of the public-private partnership. The home of the New York Giants and New York Jets will expand its ability to support area residents should a natural disaster take place.
The stadium, and others like it, can serve multiple functions during emergencies, FEMA said, including as emergency shelters, staging areas, commodity distribution sites, evacuation pick-up points, disaster recovery centers, temporary hospitals and mass vaccination and testing sites.
“Stadiums are valuable community assets that are often used in times of disasters,” NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier said in a statement. “This designation reflects the role that many stadiums play, not only on Sundays, but especially in times of need. We are proud to work with FEMA and first responders at the local and state level to ensure disaster response agencies have the information and tools they need to help a community recover when disaster strikes.”
The NFL and FEMA are currently working to expand the network of stadiums that can be used for such purposes. The two groups are reaching out to venue owners, operators and tenants. Selected venues for the Mission Ready Venue program agree to serve during emergencies for five years, at which point they can renew their designation.
The value of stadiums for emergencies is that they are centrally located and usually close to major roads, transportation hubs and hospitals. They are also set up for Americans with disabilities.