With over a million people expected to flock to the Bay Area for Super Bowl 50, safety is on everyone’s minds.
San Francisco leaders – including Police Chief Greg Suhr, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White, and Keith Bruce, president and CEO of the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee – hosted a public safety briefing Wednesday to highlight their emergency preparedness and urge attendees to be vigilant.
"You don’t need to be a police officer or a firefighter to be part of our Super Bowl 50 team," said Anne Kronenberg, executive director of the city’s Department of Emergency Management. "Residents and visitors can take simple actions to take care of each other and our city."
Metal detectors and magnetometers are being installed at security checkpoints where fans will enter Super Bowl City. Starting Saturday, the city will also activate an Emergency Operations Center, which will serve as a resource for attendees through Feb. 8, officials said.
Suhr said officials are prepared for demonstrators and may lead them outside Super Bowl City's perimeter. He didn't comment, however, on whether they will be booted from the event.
"We’ll make that call when it happens, but there is no designated 'First Amendment' area inside the event," Suhr said.
Attendees are only permitted to carry bags up to a maximum size of 18-inches by 18-inches. Alcohol, firearms and fireworks, laser pointers, pepper spray, portable speakers, cigarettes and folding chairs made the list of prohibited items, according to officials.
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People are also not allowed to fly drones near or above Super Bowl festivities, officials stressed.
However, Suhr said the FAA has yet to indicate whether air space above the NFL Experience will be restricted to aircrafts.
"We've been asking for restricted airspace, but the FAA hasn't decided yet," he said. "I'd have it done right now."
Transit tickets should be bought at official kiosks and guests can avoid lengthy lines by downloading MuniMobile tickets ahead of time.
People are also reminded to call 911 or notify a police officer nearby if they see something out of the ordinary. Community members can also register for emergency text alerts by sending "AlertSF" to 888-777.
More information can be found online.
