Santa Cruz County Local News: Public Safety

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.