Onsite Decision Support Services for Emergency Management and Aviation Officials Centered around Super Bowl 50

Super Bowl 50 was held in Santa Clara, CA, located in the NOAA/NWS Western Region, in February 2016.  However, the majority of the fan activities, including Super Bowl City, NFL Experience and a number of other public events, were held in San Francisco, 45 miles away from the stadium and in different counties.  In addition to the distance between the stadium and the majority of the fan activities, a bigger emphasis was placed on this event due to it being the 50th anniversary including 9 straight days of activities leading up to the game.  As a result, a large influx of visitors and a big increase in aviation traffic was experienced in the Bay Area during the period. Emergency management and aviation officials from local, county, state and federal levels activated and increased staffing at Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), Center Weather Service Units (CWSUs) and Regional Response Coordination Centers (RRCCs) in order to provide central command and control facilities responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency preparedness and emergency management.  Nearly 20 meteorologists from across NOAA/NWS provided onsite decision support services to these officials at the various centers. This presentation will describe challenges involved with supporting emergency management officials from all levels of government and over a large geographic area, along with supporting increased traffic demands experienced by the aviation community.  Best practices learned from this event will also be shared.