SF Confident of Safety as Super Bowl Arrives

San Francisco city officials are reassuring the public that they are ready for the influx of people and traffic expected for Super Bowl 50.

“We’ve been planning for this event for three years,” Police Chief Greg Suhr said Wednesday. “We feel that we’re very prepared.”

More than a million people are expected to attend Super Bowl events including a free fan village, Super Bowl City, operating in the Justin Herman Plaza area from Jan 30 through Feb. 7, and the ticketed NFL Experience at Moscone Center.

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Speaking alongside city emergency services and transportation officials and members of the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee, Suhr said his department had been working closely with federal law enforcement and consulting with other cities that have hosted the Super Bowl to prepare for the expected crowds. Police will maintain a heavy presence around Super Bowl events and on public transit, both in and out of uniform, Suhr said.

And while officers will be on the alert for potential terrorist threats, given recent attacks in places like San Bernardino and Paris, he emphasized that “right now we have no credible threats.”

Still, Suhr said the best way to ensure safety is to ask those attending Super Bowl events to stay alert and report anything suspicious.

“If you see something, say something,” he said. This being San Francisco, police are also prepared for possible protests, and will make efforts to respect protesters’ First Amendment rights while balancing them against the rights of those attending Super Bowl events, Suhr said.

Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said she was confident that fire department trucks and ambulances would have emergency access during Super Bowl events and that 911 service would be maintained.

Department of Emergency Management officials said San Francisco has conducted a series of exercises to prepare for the Super Bowl and developed comprehensive emergency plans to work with local, regional, state and federal partners.

The city will activate an Emergency Operations Center from Jan. 30 through Feb. 8 to support and coordinate field operations and provide public information as needed. Residents are being encouraged to sign up for emergency text alerts before the Super Bowl by texting AlertSF to 888-777.

Ed Reiskin, the city’s transportation director, said the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has partnered with traffic navigation app Waze to provide real time information on street closures and traffic impacts during the Super Bowl. Residents can also go to www.sfmta.com/sb50 for information on transit and other transportation options.

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