Security for the games will have a command center.
The security plan for the 2016 Olympics involves 8,5 members of local and national forces, who patrol the city to ensure tranquility during the event; however, away from the public eye, a group of military and civil police officers, firefighters, and representatives from 44 federal and DF government agencies work discreetly to prevent incidents; they are located at the Integrated Regional Command and Control Center, at the headquarters of the Secretariat of Public Security and Social Peace; the teams working on the ground are in constant contact with the control center; in and around the Mané Garrincha Stadium alone, there are 480 cameras with a range of up to 6 km.
SAULO ARAÚJO, FROM AGÊNCIA BRASÍLIA - The security plan for the 2016 Olympics involves 8,5 members of local and national forces, who patrol the city to ensure tranquility during the event. However, away from the public eye, a group of military and civilian police officers, firefighters, and representatives from 44 federal and DF government agencies work discreetly to prevent incidents. They are located at the Integrated Regional Command and Control Center, at the headquarters of the Secretariat of Public Security and Social Peace.
The facility was inaugurated in 2013 for the Confederations Cup, reached its peak during the World Cup, and operates daily monitoring incidents in the Federal District. However, with the Olympics, a new base was established exclusively focused on preventing or minimizing the effects of situations that could directly or indirectly disrupt the sporting event.
Within the integrated center, any route taken by Olympic delegations or authorities is meticulously studied, and primary, secondary, and tertiary routes are mapped out to ensure safe movement.
The teams working on the ground are in constant contact with the control center. In the Mané Garrincha National Stadium in Brasília and its surroundings alone, there are 480 cameras with a range of up to 6 kilometers. In other words, through this equipment, it's possible to identify suspicious cars and people long before they approach the Mané Garrincha stadium.
Furthermore, professionals working at the Integrated Regional Command and Control Center will receive real-time information from the nine helicopters that will be flying over Brasília's airspace. The preparation of the security forces included training for 168 possible adverse scenarios. These range from minor setbacks, such as protocols for removing a broken-down vehicle on a delegation route, to terrorist attacks.
“Our protocols define even the minutes of each action and the role of each institution. The work aims at prevention, but if we have to act, we are prepared,” emphasizes the Deputy Secretary of Public Security and Social Peace, Colonel Márcio Pereira da Silva of the Military Police.
During the 2016 Olympic Games, the command of the control center will be in the hands of the Secretary of Public Security and Social Peace, Márcia Alencar Araújo. The coordinator of the center on normal days is Delegate José Carlos Medeiros. Due to his accumulated experience at the site, he assists the Secretary of Security in its management. Medeiros explains that monitoring requires special attention to areas of operational interest, which are the stadium, the hotels housing delegations and authorities, and the training centers.
Independence and decision-making power
All officers working at the Integrated Regional Command and Control Center have decision-making power. That is, their decisions do not need to be ratified by someone higher in the hierarchy. The agent from the Department of Transportation (Detran) in the group has the prerogative to dispatch any patrol car at any time she deems necessary, or the Military Police officer can request a search of suspicious vehicles and order a change of route for escort vehicles. All done quickly and without intermediaries.
Delegate Medeiros emphasizes that the success of the operation will depend on the integration between all the agents involved. “Here there is no subordination, because we have a motto: together, we are strong; integrated, we are unbeatable. If one line fails, the other must be ready to act in the shortest possible response time.”
The center doesn't only have representatives from public security. There are members from the Civil House, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Juvenile Court, the Brasília Metropolitan Company (Metrô-DF), the Urban Cleaning Service (SLU), the Inspection Agency (Agefis), and various other bodies with direct or indirect links to the event. They are in constant contact with the Integrated Command and Control Center, which operates at the headquarters of the Federal Highway Police in the South Police Sector and has the mission of acting as a liaison with all the capitals hosting the Olympic Games. It is also where the international police forces are concentrated.
Crisis room
The center also houses a crisis room, where a small group of staff members meet to make decisions should something more serious occur. To ensure complete security, access for all authorized individuals is via biometric reader. “It’s where we will make the most complex decisions as quickly and discreetly as possible. We want to be more decisive without drawing attention,” says Medeiros.