Has it really been 18 years between Super Bowls here in the City of Saint Francis? Hard to believe but our Forty Niners claimed their 5th Super Bowl victory (against no losses) after a posting league best 13-3 regular ‘94 season. As it turned out, it would be Steve Young’s first and only Super Bowl Championship. A 49-26 (the score wasn’t even that close) shellacking of the San Diego Chargers at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. After five Super Bowl wins, the Super Bowl Parade down Market Street had almost become commonplace in San Francisco.
Why do I mention this? Because the way officers put the post-NFC Championship Plan into motion you’d have thought that they worked all five prior NFC post-Championship game celebrations. From those in Command down to the Officer on the street, everyone was active and engaged. The result was an almost “without event” event. We’re going to need to be even more active and engaged if things turn out the way we want after the Super Bowl as the post-game celebration will be tremendous and the Super Bowl Parade figures to be at least as big as The World Series Parade was…and that was HUGE!
World Series and Super Bowl Championships and Championship Celebrations are nice problems to have here in San Francisco, and the SFPD should take every opportunity to showcase the best Police Department in action at every big event we get…which, based on our recent successes, should be annually. By the time this article is out, the Super Bowl could quite well have been played and we will have already contended with the post-game celebration that comes with becoming only the second team in NFL history to boast six Lombardi Trophies. I have no doubt, in advance, as to how you all will perform. You all have been calm, cool, and engaging under the most challenging of circumstances. How do I know this? – because we work major events as well as any Police Department in the world. With a little bit of luck, the NFL will select San Francisco as the host city for the 2016 Super Bowl and we’ll be able to be the first team to ever play in the Super Bowl as the home team. We’d also be the first cops to work such an event(s). Hold a good thought that it comes to pass. GO NINERS!
Let me close with a cool story no one could have imagined. Towards the end of the 49er-Packers Playoff Game, a photographer from Santa Rosa collapsed on the northwest corner of the field near the end zone. He had had a severe life threatening heart attack. “Rock Med” went to work immediately rendering life saving and he was ultimately transported “Code 3”, escorted by SF’s Finest, to SFGH, where they were able to stabilize him and save his life. The coincidence….the “Rock Med’ medic, Gabe Stirnus, that administered CPR was the partner of Officer Steve Gritsch (the officer who administered life saving CPR to “Baby Nash’ in the Bayview last December saving that newborn’s life) when they worked together at Bennett Valley Firefighter/Paramedics. Talk about two guys who know what they’re doing and know when to do it. Count that as two lives saved by quick thinking first responders that we are lucky to have here in SF. Doesn’t get much better than that.
Take Care and Be Safe Out There!
Greg Suhr
Chief of Police, San Francisco Police Department
