Liberty emergency planners learn from security operations staff at FIFA World Cup in Atlanta

Two emergency management planners from Liberty University’s Department of Emergency Management & Community Engagement (EMCE), Rachel Moriarty and Emily Ruble, had the opportunity of a lifetime in July to shadow security operations staff at the FIFA World Cup — the world’s largest sporting event.

The planners observed Fulton County and Atlanta emergency preparedness teams during the semifinal match between England and Argentina on July 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The event drew nearly 70,000 fans.

The professional development trip provided the planners with valuable firsthand insight into event security and emergency management, and the knowledge they gained will be used to help strengthen Liberty’s preparedness efforts for home football games, Commencement, and other large-scale campus events.

“I was very grateful for the opportunity. We never would have expected to have this kind of opportunity to shadow this amazing, large-scale event,” said Moriarty, who came to Liberty two years ago after serving with the Lynchburg Fire Department. “They were all very welcoming and very open to our questions.”

“It was a really great opportunity for professional development,” said Ruble, who has seven years of experience working in the City of Lynchburg’s 911 dispatch center. “We got to see a lot of the inner workings of how public safety was coordinated and utilized from the Joint Operations Center for the City of Atlanta all the way to the law enforcement staging areas. We got to bring back a lot of things that we can implement for our emergency planning for big events here on campus.”

Moriarty and Ruble play an important role in the university’s emergency action and operation plans by coordinating safety measures, reviewing and updating operating procedures, and more.

The FIFA World Cup match allowed them to witness how emergency management professionals from various agencies in Atlanta and the surrounding areas develop and implement fortification plans, manage crowds, and collaborate across agencies to ensure safety inside and outside the stadium.

“For me, it’s all about coordination,” Ruble said. “I love being able to coordinate with different public safety groups and get everyone on the same page.”

Liberty’s Department of Emergency Management & Community Engagement operates under the Office of Security & Public Safety and is dedicated to protecting the Liberty community through preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

The department’s emergency communications center achieved international accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) last year. It has also served as the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Region 3 Coordination Center since 2024.

In tune with this mission, Ruble said department leadership actively pursues professional opportunities to strengthen its dedicated workforce. For the Atlanta trip, Liberty coordinated with Director-Chief of the Fulton County Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Joseph Barasoain, a department consultant.

“Our leadership is really good about allowing us to do professional development opportunities,” Ruble said. “They really do care about investing in their people and making sure that we are ready to handle whatever happens on campus.”

EMCE has even helped other universities with Commencements and trainings across the state. Liberty Chief of Police Gerald Irwin and Director of EMCE Jeffrey Hurtak served as keynote speakers at the University of Notre Dame’s Unified Response Symposium last year.

“Rachel and Emily will now be able to bring back their experiences and the knowledge they gained to Liberty University and Lynchburg,” Hurtak said. “The mission is about serving others, and our team had the opportunity to serve alongside some of the best in the business. They helped where it was needed and were quick to offer their assistance for anything that came forward. They served with the foundation of Liberty University, which, as President (Dondi) Costin says, ‘If it is Christian, it ought to be Christian.’”