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SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's Fleet Week begins next week. In a matter of days, Marina Green will be transformed as the Bay Area watches five Navy ships sail into the San Francisco Bay, and planes take to the air.
In a weeks time San Francisco's waterfront will be transformed by Fleet Week 2022 and after the pandemic is back to the basics. "This year it's kind of business as usual as you might say," said Lewis Loeven from San Francisco Fleet Week.
Organizers say following the pandemic huge crowds turned out for Fleet Week last year, and they're predicting big crowds again this year.
"We will have five Navy ships. That's what's on schedule right now, plus Coast Guard and they'll be open for tours down on the piers," said Loeven. "The air show is going to be spectacular we have two navy F-35s coming in the first time ever the Navy F-35s are coming in for Fleet Week."
The US Coast Guard will be patrolling the waters making sure the Bay is safe for all. As members of the armed services, they say the recognition and support they see from the Bay Area means a lot. "It's very touching as you say, and humbling too to really see how the public really embraces its US armed services, especially the sea going services," said Capt. Taylor Lam from the US Coast Guard.
As the city gears up for the festivities, San Francisco police say they're preparing to protect the city and its potentially hundreds of thousands of visitors. "We did table top exercises in preparation. So, just some scenarios, realistic catastrophes that may happen," said Deputy Chief Robert O'Sullivan from San Francisco Police Department. "So, we are prepared."
City leaders are advising visitors, as they have in years past, to use public transit and say if you must drive, be sure to not leave any valuables in your vehicle, in fact they're warning people who drive to clear any valuables out of their car even before they park, just in case burglars are watching.