Santa Clara County Public Safety Articles

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

Homeless residents living along train tracks pose an unsafe and dangerous problem for railroad workers across California cities, including San Jose.
Recent videos shared by a San Jose-based railroad enthusiast show workers and riders passing by homeless camps close to …

Mountain View is taking steps to close a massive funding shortfall for a new public safety building after the cost shot up to $210 million, an amount that far exceeds what the city budgeted for it.
In a 6-0-1 vote, …

Stevens Creek Boulevard is on the road to a complete renovation in the name of safety and public transit, but improvements are years away.
The Stevens Creek Boulevard Corridor Vision Steering Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to recommend a plan …

As Palo Alto’s most critical infrastructure project nears the finish line, the city remains embroiled in a dispute with the main contractor, a conflict that is threatening to further raise the costs of the $120-million public safety building.
The project …

Traffic safety improvements meant to protect San Jose and Los Gatos may have actually made cycling on a busy road more dangerous, bicycle riders said.
San Jose transportation department workers recently added plastic barriers known as “bollards” along Los Gatos …

Roads in certain parts of fast-paced Silicon Valley have just gotten slower.
Los Gatos and Cupertino recently slowed some speed limits by 5 miles per hour in an attempt to promote traffic safety and reduce injuries and fatalities. Los Gatos …

Smoke and burned trees are pictured near Sylvan Lake State Park during a wildfire that erupted south of Eagle in the White River National Forest on June 20, 2021. With intense wildfires becoming a greater threat in the West, homeowners …

Human flesh and blood. Confidential patient information. Fentanyl.
Santa Clara County’s top prosecutor alleges his investigators found these items and more after a covert, yearlong investigation into illegal dumping by Valley Medical Center, St. Louise and O'Connor hospitals. Investigators in …

Leaders across the West Valley are pushing for a greener future in one of the country’s most polluted areas, but it could be more challenging after a controversial ruling on the use of gas.
Campbell and Los Gatos recently explored …

Valley Water and the National Weather Service urged the community to prepare for winter storms during a news conference held Nov. 13 at a sandbag distribution center in San José.

Construction on the new 8,200-square-foot Redwood Fire Station began July 2021, and last week the community got the first glimpse of this gleaming facility.

Dozens of traffic enforcement cameras will be placed across San Jose’s most dangerous streets after city leaders approved a multimillion-dollar pilot program.
City transportation officials have examined priority safety corridors where 30% of fatalities and severe injuries are caused by …

A key Los Gatos school intersection in need of safety features is getting long-awaited renovations this fall.
Los Gatos has begun building sidewalks and buffered bike lanes along a 0.3-mile stretch of Shannon Road between Cherry Blossom Lane and Los …

Homeless deaths in Santa Clara County are down so far this year despite an opioid crisis and thousands of people living on the streets.
There have been 159 deaths as of Oct. 6, compared to 169 deaths during the same …

The City of Gilroy and the developer of Glen Loma Ranch this week resolved a standoff over the builder’s previous promises to pay for the construction of the Santa Teresa Fire Station.

Los Gatos resident Rob Stump never knows when he might get that dreaded insurance company call. Stump, who lives in a home nestled along one-way winding roads in the tree-covered Los Gatos hillside, needs wildfire protection — but he doesn't …

A non-native Aedes aegypti mosquito—an aggressive species that can spread certain diseases—has been discovered in a residential area of Gilroy, according to the Santa Clara County Vector Control District. A mosquito of the same species was also found recently in …

People with drug and alcohol problems have for years found refuge at a long-term homeless housing program known as Hillview Court in Milpitas. But for an alarming number of them, the promise of stability and support has led to death. …

For many Los Gatos teenagers, nothing beats the thrill of speeding through the streets on an electric bike. E-bikes provide the kind of independence that kids used to only get with a driver’s license at 16. But in a moment, …