Santa Clara County Public Safety Overview

By now, people across the country—and beyond America’s borders—have seen visuals of the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires in Southern California from the safety of their homes, on TV and via the internet.

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 …