Preventative measures in and around the Berlin Olympic Stadium
World Cup 2006 means an increased operations level lasting several weeks for the security agencies in Germany. Over 3 million football fans are expected at the 64 matches between 9 June and 9 July. Players, fans and journalists should feel secure while hooligans, terrorists and thieves are to be kept away. This is why the twelve German World Cup stadiums have been equipped, at the cost of millions, with CCTV technology provided by Videor who will be there at the kick-off in the Berlin Olympic Stadium.
The security defects in the German World Cup arenas listed by the consumers association Stiftung Warentest caused uproar and on 18 January were even tackled by the Sports Committee of the German Bundestag. Stiftung Warentest reported "substantial security defects" which could turn some stadiums into death traps for spectators should a mass panic occur. The consumer protection organisation even gave a red card to the Berlin Olympic Stadium (74,200 spectators) because of its lack of emergency routes.
Stadium boss Peter von Löbbecke reacted calmly and claims that the Olympic Stadium is one of the safest arenas in Germany. "FIFA awarded top marks to our stadium. Tests have also demonstrated that it can be cleared within twelve minutes", explained von Löbbecke, and he also referred to the video surveillance technology installed in the stadium.
Use of mobile video surveillance equipment
Digital communications technology including nearly 300 kilometres of cabling and costing several million euros has been used in the 240-million euro rebuild of the arena. Above the VIP rostrum is the facilities management centre, which is networked to the fire and transportation services and where the whole of the stadium's communications, security and safety technology converges. This is where security staff and police officers keep track of events on Eneo monitors and also access the attendants' cameras that observe the underground car park and the routes to the boxes.
This is also the position from where the quick-reaction teams are coordinated should riots spring up around the stadium. The mobile surveillance equipment not only lets the police keep an eye on the stadium, but all important locations in Berlin can also be controlled during the World Cup 2006, surveillance vehicles and camera teams will transmit information from the city to the command centre in the Olympic Stadium around the clock. So the head of operations will be always in touch with what is happening at the main railway station or on the World Cup Fan Mile.
Everything in view with "Esprit" and eneo VPT systems
Some of the 34 video cameras inside the stadium are fitted with VPT Pan/Tilt systems for 360° rotation so that all areas can be inspected. "Esprit" Pan/Tilt systems equipped with high-resolution video cameras are installed in the outer security ring of the Olympic Stadium. The system's high speed and positional accuracy are outstanding and can reach speeds up to 100° per second, while the camera's programmable presets oversee the whole stadium area with a precision of 0.25°. This area will be different during the World Cup because the capital's security concept includes a rerouted traffic system.
Stadium evacuation in 15 minutes
Vehicles will be prohibited from being driven directly to the Olympic Stadium. Vehicle access to the area around the stadium as well as the adjacent roads and parking areas will only be allowed for user groups specified by the FIFA Organisation Committee. In addition to the inner and outer security rings, there will be a large vehicle exclusion zone surrounding the stadium. Whoever drives there in a car should use the parking area on the Trade Fair grounds and travel directly to the Olympic Stadium on the public transport system.
The changed traffic routing also means that over 70,000 spectators can be evacuated quickly in an emergency: "Half of the Olympic Stadium is built into the ground so that the escape routes from the upper tiers are much shorter and lead to the outside rather than into the stadium," said Berlin Senator for Urban Development, Ingeborg Junge-Reyer (SPD) rejecting the consumer association's criticism.
