Sacramento County Local News: Public Safety


All Local Public Safety News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: A Pyrocumulus cloud generated by the Dixie Fire in July, 2021.
What is Fire 'Containment?' That and Other Terms, Explained

What does it mean when firefighters call a fire "contained?" Here's a brief guide to commonly used fire prevention terminology.

Image caption: Many of Robert Kerbeck’s neighbors in Malibu Park lost their homes in the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which left behind lots where only chimneys still stood.
Give Your Home a Fighting Chance in a Wildfire

California wildfires are becoming larger, more frequent and more ferocious. ‘Malibu Burning’ author Robert Kerbeck shares simple steps you can take to protect your home.

Image caption: With CERT training, volunteers can learn firefighting skills.
Emergency Teamwork

Fires, floods, earthquakes—California’s got it all. And CERT volunteers are ready to step in.

Image caption: Thousands of homeowners have been kicked off their fire insurance policies.
California Fire Insurance Crisis: How the State Helps Homeowners

As California insurance companies have revoked the fire policies of thousands of homeowners, the state has taken steps to get them covered again.

Image caption: Though it’s the most famous, the San Andreas Fault is just one of more than 500 active faults in California.
Battening Down for the Big One

Making it through the earthquake is the easy part. The hard part is surviving in the chaos that follows.

Image caption: Supercell storms are just one of many weather phenomena in the era of climate change.
The New Vocabulary of the Climate Change Era

The climate change era has created a whole new set of terms for a wide variety of storms and other weather phenomena. Here are some of the most important.

Image caption:
How Not to Feel the Burn

California residents can turn to these public and private entities to help prepare for wildfires and protect their property.

Image caption: There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained

Community service districts can do most anything a city government can do. Here’s how they work and how to start one.

Image caption: Mosquitos kill about 725,000 people every year, worldwide.
Taking a Bite Out of the Mosquito Population

The pesky mosquito can be deadly as well as annoying. Here’s how local governments in California have been waging war on mosquitoes for more than a century.

Image caption: California will soon be getting a new hotline number as an alternative to 911 for mental health crises.
988, the New Mental Health Emergency Number, Explained

California will soon add a new emergency hotline service with the number 988. Here’s the story behind that new service, and the original 911 number.

Image caption: States have expansive powers to protect the health of the general public.
The State’s Broad Power to Protect Public Health, Explained

Since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, states have possessed broad authority to protect public health, even to suspend laws and commandeer private property. Here’s why, and how it works.

Rancho Cordova Grapevine Independent logo From Rancho Cordova Grapevine Independent...

05/21/2025
Image for display with article titled Lunch With Assemblyman Hoover

The Rancho Cordova Luncheon, a staple of local community engagement for more than 64 years, once again brought together business leaders, residents, and policymakers for an informative gathering on May 16.

Folsom Times logo From Folsom Times...

05/19/2025
Image for display with article titled City of Folsom to Host Wildfire Prevention Open House June 3

As wildfire season approaches, the City of Folsom is inviting the community to take proactive steps in preparing for emergencies with a Wildfire Prevention Open House on Tuesday, June 3.

California Local Pin Marker From The Union...

05/13/2025
In a presentation to Nevada County supervisors, a CalFire fire chief said the three or four month fire season of the past was now "passe" as his department is making staffing plans for a 12-month fire season.

California Local Pin Marker From CapPublicRadio...

05/09/2025
A conversation with State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant about the new fire hazard maps and how local communities are preparing for widfires.

California Local Pin Marker From The Sacramento Bee...

05/09/2025
As the warm weather season begins, a warning to beware of jumping into lakes, rivers and streams.

Sacramento News and Review logo From Sacramento News and Review...

05/08/2025
Image for display with article titled Sacramento Is Seeing Extremely Violent Offenders Get Early Parole: A New Bill Supports Prison Officials Releasing More of Them

In late March, Nicole Wines couldn’t get her mind off the upcoming parole hearing: Every time Wines is notified that her sibling’s killer is being considered for release, it forces her to re-imagine the unimaginable.

Carmichael Times logo From Carmichael Times...

05/06/2025
Image for display with article titled Device to Save a Life

Thanks to three Rotary clubs, 18 automated external defibrillator (AED) units have recently been installed at public facilities in Sacramento, Carmichael, Elk Grove and Marysville.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/06/2025
As the Los Angeles fires raged in January, about 1,000 inmate firefighters labored on hand crews alongside professional firefighters battling the blazes.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/05/2025
Ryan Matlock died of a fentanyl overdose after seeking addiction treatment. Today, his mother is urging lawmakers to get tougher on health insurance plans.

Folsom Telegraph logo From Folsom Telegraph...

05/01/2025
Image for display with article titled Folsom Adopts New CAL FIRE Hazard Severity Map

While Folsom adopted fire hazard zones defined by the state, officials explained the maps are not used for insurance rates.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/29/2025
A California law empowers state investigators to check on conditions at ICE detention centers. A new report raises concerns about health care inside them.

California Local Pin Marker From Monterey Herald...

04/28/2025
Residents living near farms can now sign up to be alerted when pesticides will be applied by the a new system recently launched by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/28/2025
Groups that support California crime victims and attempt to reduce gun violence lost millions of dollars in grants when the Trump administration pulled funding.

Folsom Telegraph logo From Folsom Telegraph...

04/24/2025
Image for display with article titled Phase 2 of Folsom Lake Crossing Median Barrier Project on Deck

After numerous accidents and at least six fatalities since 2016, city officials are moving forward this week with the Folsom Lake Crossing Median Barrier Phase 2 project.
The project aims to enhance safety along the segment of the crossing roadway between Folsom Dam Road and Folsom Auburn Road.

California Local Pin Marker From The Sacramento Bee...

04/24/2025
With a mandate to reduce traffic deaths, the City of Sacramento Public Works Department is gearing up to implement dozens of additional traffic safety projects per year.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

04/24/2025
In an April 24 press conference. CalFire unveiled the latest addition to their fleet of firefighting aircraft, a new C-130 Hercules.

California Local Pin Marker From The Sacramento Bee...

04/16/2025
In their April 15 meeting, Davis City Councilmembers discussed public safety and protection in the wake of the Picnic Day shootings.

California Local Pin Marker From The Sacramento Bee...

04/16/2025
A 312-unit multi-story market-rate apartment complex planned for development on Alhambra Boulevard at C and D Streets is causing concern about traffic, height and loss of privacy in adjacent neighborhoods.

California Local Pin Marker From EdSource...

04/16/2025
Against the backdrop of a rise in vaccine skepticism, California reported a drop in the rate of kindergartners immunized against measles last year, fueling fears that there may be a resurgence of the once-vanquished disease amid the deadly outbreak in West Texas.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/14/2025
Six conservancies throughout the state will oversee work largely in Southern California and the Sierra Nevada.