New York sports venues prepare for evacuations after Nationals shootout



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Big Apple sports venues have game plans in place to deal with emergencies such as the Saturday night shootout that plunged a Nationals Park baseball game into chaos, sources told The Post on Sunday.

Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center all have contingency plans to mass evacuate fans to designated areas around the venues, though sources have declined to provide details citing reasons of security.

A high-ranking police source said the approach is typical, based on “a greater presence at the edges of stadium property, as opposed to just the park.

“We have stable details and specialist extras at all of the major sites, so pretty solid coverage all the time,” said the source, who added that local cops were keeping an eye on developments in Washington, where three people were injured in the shooting outside the national park, prompting frightened supporters to flee the stadium.

Fans rush to evacuate after hearing gunshots during a baseball game between the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.
Fans rush to evacuate after hearing gunshots during a baseball game between the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.
John McDonnell / The Washington Post via AP

People heading to Yankee Stadium on Sunday night for the game against rival Red Sox said they felt relatively safe – but accepted what happened in Washington as part of a dangerous reality in the world.

“This is New York City – we’re never safe,” said Jake Mondi, 17.

Kerri Buckman, who was in town of Pittsburgh, said she was a die-hard fan who couldn’t be afraid to come and cheer on the Bronx Bombers.

“I come here no matter what to see my Yankees play,” said Buckman, 37.

“You have to be vigilant and attentive to your settings. When you attend big events, you need to be vigilant.

Yankee Stadium is one of the sites with an evacuation plan in place.
Yankee Stadium is one of the sites with an evacuation plan in place.
Frank Franklin II / AP

Roslyn Simpson, 56, who was visiting the stadium on a trip from Los Angeles, said she found Yankee Stadium “really well covered.

“I think people who tend to wreak havoc are looking for the easiest way possible,” she said. “They are not very bright, so if they see the presence, the presence of the police, that will solve the problem.”

But James Smith, 52, of Bayonne, NJ said he would like to see even more security.

“After September 11, they stepped up security,” he said. “I think they should increase it even more.”

A security source, however, said there was little that cops could do to control panicked crowds.

“Even with the best plans, you can’t always control the crowds,” the source said.

“You saw what happened when there was reports of shots fired at JFK,” the source added, referring to 2016, when reports of someone opening the door the fire at JFK airport made travelers tremble in fear.

“Everyone panicked. “

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