Santa Cruz 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: Workers clean up after flooding in Capitola Village.
Disaster Prep: Alerts, Maps and Apps

Prepare for disaster in Santa Cruz County by keeping crucial information at your fingertips—just one touch away on your smartphone.

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: Members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service hone their skills at various local events.
Listening Skills

How local amateur radio operators can help in the next big emergency.

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.

Press Banner logo From Press Banner...

04/17/2025
Image for display with article titled April Marks Distracted Driving Awareness Month in Scotts Valley

As April marks Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the Scotts Valley Police Department is emphasizing the crucial need for drivers to remain focused and vigilant on the road.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

04/17/2025
Three local fire districts in the county are partnering to conduct a feasibility study focusing on consolidation.

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.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo From San Lorenzo Valley Post...

04/15/2025
Image for display with article titled CHP Cracks Down on Speeding, Reckless Driving on Highway 9

In response to growing concerns from residents, the California Highway Patrol is launching a targeted enforcement campaign along Highway 9 to curb speeding and reckless driving. The initiative follows a recent Boulder Creek town hall meeting hosted by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, where locals voiced frustration over dangerous driving behaviors on the busy corridor.

The Pajaronian logo From The Pajaronian...

04/15/2025
Image for display with article titled Community Rallies Against Proposed Battery Storage Facility in Watsonville

A grassroots movement of citizens concerned about the construction of a new battery storage facility in Watsonville held a public meeting on Monday evening to discuss the dangers of such a project and rally local residents by passing around petitions and encouraging citizens to join the group.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo From San Lorenzo Valley Post...

04/14/2025
Image for display with article titled Fire Engulfs Cabin Near Bigfoot Discovery Museum in Felton

A fire broke out Sunday night, April 13, 2025, around 10 pm at a small cabin and shed at the Bigfoot Discovery Museum Complex on Highway 9, prompting a swift response from local fire crews.

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.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/13/2025
The California DMV routinely allows dangerous drivers with horrifying histories to continue to operate on our roadways. Too often they go on to kill. Many keep driving even after they kill. Some go on to kill again.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

04/11/2025
In their April 10 meeting, the Capitola City Council voted unanimously to send a letter to local state elected representatives with suggestions for e-bike legislation to increase public safety.

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo From San Lorenzo Valley Post...

04/10/2025
Image for display with article titled Clampers Install New Safety Fence at Junction Park

Members of E. Clampus Vitus Branciforte Chapter 1797 helped out at Junction Park in Boulder Creek this past winter by putting up a safety fence.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/09/2025
California’s Public Advocate has been pressing for new utility fire maps since 2023. Utilities are on board — but regulators turned them down.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

04/07/2025
Image for display with article titled Santa Cruz County Could Seek Payout for Water Contamination

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday are expected to join a class action settlement from manufacturers of firefighting foam for contamination of a county well that serves the Rountree jail facility near Watsonville.

California Local Pin Marker From Times Publishing Group...

04/06/2025
Residents in the local wildland urban interface can register through April 30 to participate in the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County Spring 2025 No-Cost Community Chipping Program to help dispose of yard waste or cut brush and trees ahead of the upcoming fire season.

The Pajaronian logo From The Pajaronian...

03/28/2025
Image for display with article titled Jimmy Panetta Stresses the Dire Impacts of Budget Cuts on Local Health

Proposed cuts by the Trump administration would be devastating for new mothers, children, immigrants, seniors and lower and middle class community members, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-19th District), who represents much of Santa Cruz County, told a packed town hall meeting on March 28.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

03/28/2025
Image for display with article titled New Pesticide Alerts Draw Praise, Criticism in Pajaro Valley

After five years of activism from Pajaro Valley residents and others across the state, California residents can now get text and email alerts about pesticide use near their homes, schools and workplaces as part of a SprayDays website that launched this week.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

03/27/2025
Image for display with article titled Lithium Battery Storage Proposal Near Watsonville Faces Hurdles

In the wake of the Moss Landing battery storage fire in January, some Santa Cruz County activists have battled a New Leaf Energy Inc. proposal to build a more modern battery storage site at 90 Minto Road near Pinto Lake outside Watsonville.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

03/25/2025
Santa Cruz County residents are encouraged to attend upcoming community natural disaster preparedness events, visit the online guide to natural disaster preparedness and take the public survey.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

03/25/2025
Hundreds of pile burns to reduce the fuel load will be taking place though April as Santa Cruz County prepares for fire season.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/18/2025
Evacuating the Tahoe basin in summer could take 14 hours, and 99% of properties are at risk — yet new resorts are being built in high-danger fire areas.