While baseball fans are still talking about stealing signs as spring training starts, Surprise officials are focused on the safety of fans and players for the 30-game schedule that runs through late …
You must be a member to read this story.
Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.
Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here
Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
To Our Valued Readers –
Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.
For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.
Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.
Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.
While baseball fans are still talking about stealing signs as spring training starts, Surprise officials are focused on the safety of fans and players for the 30-game schedule that runs through late March.
Surprise Emergency Manager Tracy Montgomery recently helped lead a joint exercise between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to help prepare the Cactus League, its teams and spring training facilities for the season.
While it wasn’t in response to a specific threat, Ms. Montgomery said last year’s deadly mass shooting at a garlic festival in Gilroy, California, shows that anything can happen.
“You never thought a small little garlic festival would have been a target,” said Ms. Montgomery, a former assistant police chief with the Phoenix Police Department, who spend more than 30 years there.
About 180 participants — from public safety, fire, police and private security — from all 10 stadiums took part in the eight-hour exercise. Ms. Montgomery called it a “who’s who of who supports the stakeholders for spring training.”
The tabletop exercise reviewed incident preparedness measures and response plans.
“Spring training runs very well here,” Ms. Montgomery said, “but what this exercise did was brought people together to be even better.”
Basically, it was more training for safety procedures already in place.
Each year, Surprise police are vigiliant for any trouble, although they don’t traditionally see much.
“We evaluate these things and take appropriate security measures to secure the safety of all fans and players,” Surprise Police spokesman Tim Klarkowski said. “We’re very fortuante we don’t typically don’t have any issues, but we want to be prepared for any specific occurance.”
Ms. Montgomery set up the exercise with authorities from the Department of Homeland Security. She wanted to beef up Surprise’s plan and thought it would be a good idea to get other stadiums on board.
“One of the things we identified out here in Suprise is we all kind of independently run our baseball operations without a lot of connectiviity to the other nine stadiums and baseball teams,” Ms. Montgomery said. “We talked about the benefit of an exercise for Surprise and how much beneficial it would be to include the other nine stadiums.”
Apparently it was well-received.
“[The] exercise was just one of the many examples of the planning and coordination that takes place long before fans arrive in Arizona for spring training,” said CISA Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security Brian Harrell in a statement. “Whoever you root for on the diamond, we are all on the same team when it comes to fan safety and security. CISA looks forward to building upon our existing relationships and today’s exercise to ensure Cactus League fans have a safe and enjoyable experience.”
Ms. Montgomery said it’s always good to evaluate gaps in a stadium when it comes to matters such was weather-related emergencies, phsyical threats or “any number of things.”
“Once you identify your threats, you can beign to address them,” Ms. Montgomery said. “The tabletop exercises are really to create dialogue.”
Some of that dialogue includes making stadiums aware of programs such as “Red Cross Safe and Well.”
“Let’s say there was an explostion at a stadium,” Ms. Montgomery said. “Loved ones can put in, ‘I’m safe and well.’”
“The exercise really allows you to evaluate what your existing processes allow you to do.”
She said the main goal was to walk away feeling prepared.
Ms. Montgomery said Major League Baseball officials wants to institute it in the Grapefruit Leauge.
“We are grateful to CISA for sharing its expertise with our teams and facilities,” Cactus League Executive irector Bridget Binsbacher said in a statement. “Spring training is an important tourism driver in Arizona, and it is critical that we provide a safe, secure environment for the residents and out-of-state visitors who flock to Cactus League ballparks each year.”
Surprise law enforcement will have an additional area to patrol this year with two new forms of transportation available for fans.
One new wrinkle is the Surprise Marketplace and Surprise Towne Center Spring Training Trolley, where fans can park their cars at Surprise Towne Center or Surprise Marketplace and be dropped off at Surprise Stadium for games every Thursday through Sunday.
The trolley will pick up every half-hour, just south of Olive Garden at Surprise Marketplace, starting an hour before the game. Rides will continue past an hour after each game. Log on to surprisetcmp.com/trolley.
Fans also have usse of electric scooters under a pilot program Surprise has running through April.
Sgt. Klarkowski expects their use to pick up as games continue.
“I’ve seen them used more than I anticipated,” Sgt. Klarkowski said. “I’ve seen some people zipping around in them, but so far there has been no law enforcement or public safety isues with that.”
CISA is encouraging fans attending spring training games to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to stadium personnel or law enforcement.
Editor’s note: Jason Stone can be reached at jstone@newszap.com. Visit yourvalley.net.
Former NAU Lumberjack who loves going to concerts (or I did), watching sports (or I did) and hanging out with friends (oh, never mind). I also enjoy backgammon, surfing and men who are not afraid to cry.
By 
