The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup presents unique challenges to American cities’ emergency responders. The World Cup’s global scale, multi-match structure, length of time, and cultural impact make it fundamentally different from other large-scale events these jurisdictions may have hosted in the past. As such, LSU NCBRT/ACE has been working with responders in each city to deliver vital and timely training.
LSU NCBRT/ACE recently wrapped up important training in Miami, one of the 11 host cities in the United States for the World Cup. LSU NCBRT/ACE has been working with agencies in and around Miami for years to build up the region’s preparedness training and capability. Over the past year, LSU NCBRT/ACE has trained over 200 Miami-area responders in six courses, including Readiness: Training Identification and Preparedness Planning (MGT-418), Surviving an Active Threat: Run. Hide. Fight. (PER-375), Active Threats on Campuses: Protective Measures and Response (PER-374), and Public Safety CBRNE Response – Sampling Techniques and Guidelines (PER-222).
The latest course, Critical Decision Making for Complex Coordinated Attacks (PER-335), was delivered in June. The 31 participants included representatives from agencies including Miami Beach PD, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Miami-Dade County Department of Emergency Management, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, University of Miami, Palm Beach State College, US Customs and Border Protection, and more.
The CCTA course is designed to give multiple agencies across responder disciplines the opportunity to train together in order to coordinate effectively and efficiently during a complex threat. Using classroom instruction, case studies, and practical tabletop exercises, this course enhances the response capabilities of first responders during CCTAs. Topics covered during classroom instruction include characteristics of a CCTA, public safety response considerations, command operations and strategies, and critical information about situational and domain awareness.
“The breakout sessions with tangible pieces to go through the scenario [were the most valuable],” said one course participant. “Also, having participants in the class from different disciplines, including fire rescue, law enforcement, and dispatchers. It made it a lot more realistic, and it was interesting to see how these disciplines would interact with each other while working through an incident.”
If your agency is located in a World Cup host city or the surrounding region and you are interested in receiving this type of training, please visit LSU NCBRT/ACE’s World Cup Training Page, where you can learn more about World Cup schedules, teams, and locations, to sign up for exclusive Zoom classes for World Cup cities, and to get information on LSU NCBRT/ACE course offerings.
About LSU NCBRT/ACE:
LSU NCBRT/ACE is a nationally recognized center for emergency preparedness and response training located at Louisiana State University’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We provide mobile training to both the national and international emergency response community. LSU NCBRT/ACE has expertise in research, development and delivery of training in the areas of specialized law enforcement operations; biological incident response; school safety; and instructional design and technique. For more information on LSU NCBRT/ACE’s courses and resources, please visit ncbrt.lsu.edu.