The Browns and the City of Cleveland have been awarded a Safety Act “Designation and Certification” from the Department of Homeland Security, the highest level of liability protection granted by the program. The recognition gives the entities protection through October ’22 from paying claims that might be filed by victims of an incident at FirstEnergy Stadium that is deemed by DHS to be an act of terrorism. FirstEnergy in ’17 originally received “Designation” status, which provides less legal protection. Since then, the club has upgraded its emergency preparedness procedures and training policies and completed a “major enhancement of surveillance system in terms of number of cameras, technological proficiency and supporting analytics,” according to Kathleen Lupia, the attorney at New York-based Petrone Risk who helped the Browns navigate the application process and secure federal protection. There are 13 other NFL venues covered under some level of Safety Act protection, although Gillette Stadium, Lambeau Field, MetLife Stadium and State Farm Stadium are the only other stadiums to be awarded DHS’ highest protection.
