HCSO in San Francisco for Super Bowl LX

San Francisco—While millions of eyes were fixed on Super Bowl LX in nearby Santa Clara, two Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office bomb technicians spent game weekend 50 miles north, quietly ensuring that fans flooding the city’s “Super Bowl LX Experience” could celebrate without incident.

Deputy Sheriff Foy Melendy and Corporal Nathan Cumbow joined a multi-agency security ring around the Moscone Center, the downtown hub for NFL-themed exhibits, a 2,000-seat viewing party, the Vince Lombardi Trophy display, every Super Bowl ring ever awarded, and the league’s sprawling media center that drew Hall of Famers, analysts and coaches.

“Our mission was simple,” Melendy said Tuesday by phone. “Keep the venue safe so families could enjoy the moment.”

The pair—assigned to the sheriff’s bomb squad—spent the run-up to Sunday conducting vehicle sweeps at Third and Folsom streets, steps from the convention complex. Most of the traffic they screened consisted of anonymous Cadillac Escalades, taxis and rideshares shuttling players between the Hyatt Regency and Moscone events for Pro Bowl festivities. Among the few recognizable faces: 49ers legends Steve Young and Jerry Rice, plus current tight end George Kittle.

Although they never reached Levi’s Stadium for the game itself, Melendy called the assignment “a great experience,” crediting San Francisco Police Department hosts who “took great care of us” and shared equipment and crowd-control tactics the rural agency could adopt for large-scale events back home.

The Humboldt County veterans are no strangers to high-profile details. Melendy, an 11-year HCSO deputy who previously served in the Navy and Coast Guard, worked maritime security at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, helped safeguard Hillary Clinton’s 2021 visit to Humboldt, and handled crowd control for singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles’ 2022 waterfront concert in Eureka.

Monday’s HCSO Facebook post praised the collaboration: “Specialized units like bomb squads and explosive detection teams conduct proactive sweeps and stand ready to respond to suspicious items so everyone can enjoy the game safely.”

For Melendy, the payoff came in the quiet success of the weekend: thousands of fans streamed through exhibits, players moved securely between hotels and appearances, and the only explosions were the celebratory fireworks after the final whistle.