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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KTVU) - Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium is one month away. And a number of Bay Area police officers and firefighters are commemorating the event with special badges on their uniforms.
But first responders in one local department are not being allowed to wear, or even buy, them.
The Santa Clara Police Department has a major role ensuring the game goes off without a hitch. "The planning is going fantastic. We're working together with all our partners. All our surrounding agencies, our federal partners," says Assistant Chief Dan Winter.
And now, those officers are wearing the Super Bowl logo on their badges with pride. "It gives us a sense of belonging. What a better way to enjoy the Super Bowl than to have it as part of your badge with that Super Bowl 50 logo," exclaimed Lt. Kurt Clarke.
The officers and firefighters are paying for their own badges, which cost about $150 each.
But not every department involved can wear a Super Bowl badge. San Francisco Police have the badges, but officers aren't allowed to wear them on duty because the chief doesn't want multiple badges confusing anyone.
The San Francisco Fire Department, led by Chief Joanne Hayes-White, has ruffled some feathers because it won't let firefighters even buy the badges. "The chief really felt that the sporting event didn't rise to the occasion to replicate our badge. It's never been replicated in 150 years," said Fire Department Spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge.
At the Firefighters Union headquarters, this is a hot button issue. "It's upsetting, it's upsetting to me personally and to our membership," said union spokeswoman and firefighter, Adrienne Sims.
While the chief and the fire commission made this decision, firefighters may still get their badges. The union is appealing to the NFL to make badges of their own. They would look exactly like department badges, they just would say Local 798, instead of San Francisco Fire Department.
"I'm born and raised San Franciscan, I want to represent my city, and I think it's unfortunate that we're not being given that opportunity to represent our fire department," said Sims.
There are more than 20 agencies that either have or will have the badges, including the California Highway Patrol. Some 1800 CHP officers bought the badges, and they will be allowed to wear them on duty.