Ready for Anything: How KC Scout is Preparing for World Cup Traffic

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With each day that passes, the anticipation leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup grows. As preparations ramp up, some challenges have begun to emerge.

“The unknowns. Without the experience of what to expect, it’s so difficult to plan for what you don’t know. Are we doing enough?” said Emergency Response Operations Supervisor, Scott Banes.  

Due to those unknowns, KC Scout has gone above and beyond to prepare for anything and everything.

“Over the past several months, we have been providing various trainings to other districts within MoDOT, KDOT, and both the Kansas and Missouri State Highway Patrol” Banes said. “We have also been preparing our fleet of ER trucks with maintenance needs and updated equipment, as well as building up an inventory of parts for the truck-mounted message boards in case any issues arise.”  

With the increased number of visitors in our city, ensuring adequate support is essential. To help boost readiness, employees from districts across the state have stepped in to assist. Banes has led ER ride-alongs, conducted radio testing to ensure Scout can handle increased traffic, and facilitate push-and-pull training and additional incident management courses.

Even with the unknowns, Scout anticipates and is preparing for heavy congestion and abandoned vehicles on the roadways.

“With the expected attendance we have a higher expectation for clearing lanes of crashing and breakdowns sooner to keep the flow of traffic to as normal as possible,” Banes said.

Amid all the preparation, Banes is proud of his team for their dedication and teamwork. “I’m proud of the team for adjusting their schedules and for how they’ve shared their knowledge with volunteers – everything from what to watch for to scenarios they may encounter. They really stepped up to make sure everyone got the most out of these trainings,” Banes said. 

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