As the weather warms and plants start to bloom, our nation will soon celebrate the return of America’s favorite pastime. Yes, Major League Baseball players will soon pick up their bats and gloves as they return to the field for another year of Spring Training.

Kicking off in February 2023, Spring Training means baseball enthusiasts will be able to get a sneak peek at what to expect from their favorite teams. Dedicated fans will travel far and wide to see their favorite players practice and prepare for the regular season.

But ball players aren’t the only people getting ready for the start of the season. In January, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) gathered security leaders from six MLB teams along with 13 state and local first responder organizations from across Florida for a special Back to the Ballpark tabletop exercise designed to test how they would work together if a real-world security incident were to happen.

“This exercise is just one of many examples of the planning and coordination that take place behind the scenes to keep fans across the country safe,” said CISA Deputy Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security, Steve Harris. “From the club’s front offices to stadium security personnel and state and local law enforcement, we’re all on the same team when it comes to safety and security. CISA looks forward to building upon our existing relationships to ensure fans at ballparks everywhere have a safe and enjoyable experience.”

CISA organized the exercise, which was held concurrently at loanDepot park in Miami and the Port of Tampa. The exercise provided representatives from the Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays (members of the Grapefruit League) with the opportunity to take a deeper look at how each team coordinates with law enforcement to keep fans, players and staff safe.

Participants in the Miami portion of the exercise also considered the unique security challenges posed by the upcoming World Baseball Classic, a special tournament featuring 20 professional baseball teams from around the globe. From March 11-21, Miami’s loanDepot park will host games during all three rounds of the international tournament, including the final Championship Round.

“Much like players preparing for the regular season during Spring Training, CISA routinely conducts exercises with government and private sector partners, including sports teams, to plan and practice a wide range of scenarios that could potentially happen during a mass gathering, whether it’s a ball game, concert or festival,” said Jay Gamble, CISA Regional Director. “This exercise will help ensure fans of America’s Pastime can see their favorite players and enjoy a ballgame safely.”

CISA exercise specialists led participants through an open and collaborative discussion regarding pre-incident intelligence and information sharing, coordination between public and private sector partners, and incident response protocols in a no-fault, criticism-free environment. For MLB participants, security personnel and first responders, the exercise was an important opportunity to examine emergency response plans and procedures.

CISA conducts dozens of exercises each year in partnership with sports leagues, stadiums, concert venues and other critical infrastructure stakeholders around the country to develop and test response plans in an effort to improve readiness for potential threats.

Original source can be found here