{"id":18166,"date":"2025-10-22T17:59:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T17:59:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/18166\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T17:59:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T17:59:26","slug":"with-bay-area-hosting-super-bowl-and-world-cup-security-plans-for-worst-case-scenarios","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/18166\/","title":{"rendered":"With Bay Area hosting Super Bowl and World Cup, security plans for worst case scenarios"},"content":{"rendered":"

Next year\u2019s Super Bowl and men\u2019s World Cup matches<\/a> planned at Levi\u2019s Stadium will draw such huge crowds to the Bay Area that the region\u2019s leaders are hoping to draft the enthusiasm and tourist dollars they bring by planning festivities of their own<\/a> \u2014 from concerts to block parties and drone shows.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

As much as those events are intended to make for ebullient, rolling street parties, local leaders are preparing for something sinister as well: a worst-case scenario.<\/p>\n

Santa Clara County\u2019s O\u2019Connor Hospital, for instance, just ran a drill with doctors, nurses and volunteers in its back parking lot. The hypothetical disaster? A bomb exploding with poison chemicals at Levi\u2019s Stadium.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith major sporting events coming next year, we\u2019re really emphasizing more mass casualty training, decontamination training, hospital command center preparation,\u201d said Sheila Tuna, who was running the drill for the county\u2019s Santa Clara Valley Healthcare system. \u201cWe\u2019re really just trying to get ahead of the game and prepared for anything that may come across.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Doctors,<\/p>\n

Doctors, nurses and volunteers from Santa Clara County\u2019s O\u2019Connor Hospital in San Jose run through a worst-case scenario drill in early Oct., imagining a hypothetical bomb with poison gases explodes at the 2026 Super Bowl \u2014 to be prepared just in case of disaster. (Photo by Julia Prodis Sulek\/ Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Doctors,<\/p>\n

Doctors, nurses and volunteers from Santa Clara County\u2019s O\u2019Connor Hospital in San Jose run through a worst-case scenario drill in early Oct., imagining a hypothetical bomb with poison gases explodes at the 2026 Super Bowl \u2014 to be prepared just in case of disaster. (Photo by Julia Prodis Sulek\/ Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Doctors,<\/p>\n

Doctors, nurses and volunteers from Santa Clara County\u2019s O\u2019Connor Hospital in San Jose run through a worst-case scenario drill in early Oct., imagining a hypothetical bomb with poison gases explodes at the 2026 Super Bowl \u2014 to be prepared just in case of disaster. (Photo by Julia Prodis Sulek\/ Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 3<\/p>\n

Doctors, nurses and volunteers from Santa Clara County\u2019s O\u2019Connor Hospital in San Jose run through a worst-case scenario drill in early Oct., imagining a hypothetical bomb with poison gases explodes at the 2026 Super Bowl \u2014 to be prepared just in case of disaster. (Photo by Julia Prodis Sulek\/ Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

The Super Bowl is more than three months away, and if there have been any credible threats against the stadium that holds more than 68,000 fans, public safety officials aren\u2019t saying.<\/p>\n

That terrorists could turn a major sporting event into a horror scene, however, has been the stuff of Hollywood \u2014 the 1977 thriller \u201cBlack Sunday\u201d revolved around a plot to bomb the Super Bowl. But real sporting events have been occasional targets of terrorists, from the 1972 Olympics in Munich to the 2013 Boston Marathon.<\/p>\n

Safety officials at the stadium, meanwhile, used last summer\u2019s Gold Cup soccer match between Mexico and Honduras as a security dry run<\/a> for next summer\u2019s FIFA men\u2019s World Cup. And despite a lawsuit filed against the Trump Administration<\/a> by several regional governments, including San Jose and Santa Clara County, over strings attached to federal disaster funds, the region\u2019s public safety agencies and federal officials are teaming up to maintain public safety for the Super Bowl on Feb. 8 and six World Cup matches in June and July.<\/p>\n

\"FileFile photo of Santa Clara Police officers monitoring fans for possible troublemakers during the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal game between Mexico and Honduras at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in July 2025. (Ray Chavez\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Security operations are always a part of any major event, and announcing stepped-up safety plans can be both a warning to bad actors and a reassurance to a jittery public. The Bay Area Host Committee last month agreed to pay the city of Santa Clara $6.4 million for added safety expenses.<\/p>\n

But\u00a0with political<\/a>\u00a0violence on the rise<\/a>, security will be on heightened alert. Recent comments by Department of Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem to stage ICE agents at the stadium during the halftime performance of Puerto Rican pop star Bad Bunny, a major draw of Latino fans, will only increase tensions, security analysts say.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be all over that place,\u201d Noem said during an interview in early October. The only people who should be attending the event, she said, are \u201claw-abiding Americans who love this country.\u201d<\/p>\n

But security consultant Michael Leininger, a former San Jose police detective, called Noem\u2019s comments, which also criticized the NFL for being \u201cso weak\u201d by booking the musician, \u201cunnecessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s creating problems, not solving problems,\u201d said Leininger, who is familiar with some of Levi Stadium\u2019s security procedures but is not part of its security operation. \u00a0\u201cYou\u2019re going to have a general sense of anxiety there. And I can see the potential for conflict with attendees. I can see the potential for conflict with ICE.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether Noem will follow through with her threat is uncertain. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said days later that there was \u201cno tangible plan\u201d for ICE agents to be at the Super Bowl, adding, however, that the agency will \u201carrest and deport illegal immigrants when we find them if they are criminals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Regional public safety officials, from the Host Committee to the Santa Clara Police Department that is the lead public safety agency for Superbowl 60, declined to provide details of security operations, saying only that they are coordinating security with city, state and federal officials as well as NFL and FIFA leadership to prepare for any \u201chuman caused, technological, or natural hazards.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Department of Homeland Security, irrespective of any ICE operations, is always involved in major events, from Super Bowls to air shows to Mardi Gras and major marathons, providing intelligence and terrorist threat assessments.<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

In 2016, the last Super Bowl held at Levi’s Stadium, black Hawk helicopters circled over the stadium as part of the security for Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara. (Karl Mondon\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

In 2016, the last Super Bowl held at Levi’s Stdium, a Humvee drove past the stadium on as part of the increased security for Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara. (Karl Mondon\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

In 2016, California Highway Patrol personnel controlled a security checkpoint on Tasman Drive and Calle Del Sol during the morning of Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. (Gary Reyes\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 3<\/p>\n

In 2016, the last Super Bowl held at Levi’s Stadium, black Hawk helicopters circled over the stadium as part of the security for Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara. (Karl Mondon\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe safety and security planning process is highly collaborative and has been active for years, and we\u2019re confident it will result in having the latest and most effective security protocols in place,\u201d Zaileen Janmohamed, the Host Committee\u2019s president & CEO, said in a statement. \u201cOur highest priority is to ensure fans from and visiting the Bay Area have a positive and memorable experience that reflects the amazing spirit of our region.\u201d<\/p>\n

But if last year\u2019s Super Bowl in New Orleans offers any roadmap, security will be intense. A month earlier, a Texas-born Army veteran carrying an ISIS flag plowed his truck into a crowd of revelers on famed Bourbon Street, authorities said, killing 14 people and injuring 57.<\/p>\n

At the Superdome, armed federal agents were positioned on rooftops and at transportation hubs, with armored SWAT vehicles protecting the stadium. Blast barriers were set up around the perimeter and trucks were required to pass through giant X-ray machines. The event, which President Trump attended to the surprise of the crowd, remained safe.<\/p>\n

Bay Area leaders are expecting the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cLarge bustling crowds and activity can become a magnet for bad actors,\u201d San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement. \u201cAs San Jose prepares to step onto the world stage, we\u2019re putting safety first \u2014 for residents and visitors alike.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Doctors,Doctors, nurses and volunteers from Santa Clara County\u2019s O\u2019Connor Hospital in San Jose run through a worst-case scenario drill in early Oct., imagining a hypothetical bomb with poison gases explodes at the 2026 Super Bowl \u2014 to be prepared just in case of disaster. (Photo by Julia Prodis Sulek\/ Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the back parking lot of O\u2019Connor Hospital early this month, Tuna and her team were doing just that. In the recent practice drill, they activated a command center and hazmat branch, and set up tents equipped with special hoses to wash down poisonous chemicals. Doctors and nurses, as well as employees from nearly every other area of the hospital, pitched in, many donning decontamination suits.<\/p>\n

They \u201ctreated\u201d plastic and inflatable dummies as well as volunteers from Mission College who acted like critically injured fans, some screaming in feigned pain. For a county-run system that operates four hospitals, two trauma centers, 15 urgent care clinics and a regional burn center, some 450 employees are trained to be ready to assist.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe train all year long for any disaster or no-notice incident that may occur, whether it be an earthquake, a plane crash, car incident, a mass casualty, an explosion,\u201d Tuna said. With two major sporting events ahead, she said, \u201cWe never know what we\u2019re going to get, so we want to be prepared in any way that we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally Published: October 21, 2025 at 2:35 PM PDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Next year\u2019s Super Bowl and men\u2019s World Cup matches planned at Levi\u2019s Stadium will draw such huge crowds…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18167,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[15392,184,861,7,8,138,536,2333,1533,181,23,100,752,182,1492,385,296,88,90,89,197,198,1083,200,2442,127,11730,15393],"class_list":["post-18166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-jose","tag-2026-world-cup","tag-bay-area","tag-bay-area-crime","tag-california","tag-california-news","tag-crime-and-public-safety","tag-donald-trump","tag-editors-picks","tag-keywee","tag-latest-headlines","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-nfl","tag-pm-report","tag-public-safety","tag-regional","tag-san-francisco-49ers","tag-san-jose","tag-san-jose-headlines","tag-san-jose-news","tag-santa-clara","tag-santa-clara-county","tag-soccer","tag-south-bay","tag-south-bay-crime","tag-sports","tag-super-bowl","tag-terror-attacks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18166\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}