Little Caesars Arena Becomes First NHL And NBA Arena To Receive Homeland Security SAFETY Act Certification
DETROIT – Little Caesars Arena, home of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and NBA's Detroit Pistons, has received SAFETY Act Certification, the highest level of protection awarded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Managed and operated by Olympia Entertainment, Little Caesars Arena becomes the first combined NHL, NBA and entertainment venue to earn the certification.
As part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act (SAFETY) encourages the creation and use of anti-terrorism technologies and practices.
Little Caesars Arena joins Comerica Park, home to MLB's Detroit Tigers, as the only professional sports venues operating under the same ownership group to receive SAFETY Act Certification for all ticketed events. Comerica Park earned the award in 2015.
"Our priority at Little Caesars Arena and Comerica Park is to create a safe environment for our fans, players, performers and guests," said Richard Fenton, VP, Corporate Safety and Security, Ilitch Holdings, Inc. "During the design and construction of Little Caesars Arena and its surrounding areas, we went through an extensive review process to assure we implemented the most comprehensive physical and electronic protective measures available by working with federal, state, county and local public safety experts. We are proud that these broad efforts have made Little Caesars Arena the first combined NHL and NBA arena to be awarded SAFETY Act Certification."
The SAFETY Act Certification applies to Little Caesars Arena and the 100-foot perimeter around the arena, the parking deck, office buildings on Henry and Woodward, the Via and the Chevrolet Plaza. It includes the security design development process, supporting policies and procedures, and the implementation, management, and continuous oversight by employees, contractors, and consultants. This designation and certification will expire on December 31, 2022.
The state-of-the-art arena opened with 10 consecutive sold out concerts, with performers including multiple Grammy® Award-winning global superstar Ed Sheeran, the legendary Paul McCartney and Grammy® Award-winning band Imagine Dragons.
Little Caesars Arena will host a variety of other special sporting events in its inaugural year, including the UFC 218 pay-per-view (Dec. 2), the Hitachi College Basketball Showcase (Dec. 16), college hockey's Great Lakes Invitational (Jan. 1-2) and Duel in the D (Feb. 10) and the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament (March 16 & 18).