HOUSTON – With the FIFA World Cup just weeks away, Houston and Harris County leaders say security preparations are already underway to handle what could be one of the largest events in the city’s history.
Houston is set to host seven World Cup matches at NRG Stadium, with hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to travel to the city during the tournament.
As Harris County commissioners discuss approval of an agreement tied to FIFA security funding, officials are also revealing new details about how they plan to keep fans safe during the global event.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo compared the scale of the World Cup to hosting several Super Bowls at the same time.
“Orders of magnitude, multiple Super Bowls at once,” Hidalgo said. “You have to think that billions of people around the world watch the World Cup.”
Officials say security measures for the tournament will be stricter than what fans typically experience at Texans or Astros games.
“It’s going to be tighter than anything we’ve seen,” one official said. “If you’ve been to a Texans game, an Astros game, this is going to be more stringent than that.”
The agreement being discussed by commissioners would help public safety agencies receive reimbursement through a FEMA grant program for security-related costs, including officer overtime and other operational expenses tied to the World Cup.
Hidalgo says Houston-area agencies have been running emergency drills for months to prepare for a variety of scenarios, including severe weather, fires, health emergencies and potential security threats.
“So the question I asked the leaders of the law enforcement agencies and the security teams… if something were to happen… could we have prevented this?” Hidalgo said. “I want you to be able to say, ‘We did everything we could.’”
Officials say plans include barriers around fan festival areas to help prevent vehicle attacks, anti-drone technology and an increased law enforcement presence throughout the city, including private security.
Hidalgo also addressed concerns about possible health-related emergencies, including the unlikely scenario of someone traveling to Houston with Ebola. She says health officials have plans in place if a situation like that were to happen.
While leaders acknowledge there could be temporary traffic headaches and congestion during the tournament, county officials say they are confident Houston is prepared to host visitors from around the world and safely handle the spotlight during one of the biggest sporting events on the planet.