Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Events Fact Sheet

SEAR events are voluntarily submitted special events, which are sent to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Operations Coordination (OPS) by state, local, and federal officials for a risk assessment. Examples of submitted events have included the Super Bowl, Indianapolis 500, and the Kentucky Derby. OPS applies a risk-based methodology to all submitted events and assigns them a SEAR rating. This methodology considers the threat, vulnerability, and consequences for each event.