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Santa Cruz County Public Safety Overview



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National Night Out is an annual community event that strengthens police-community partnerships. Neighborhoods host festivals, parades, and other events while police officers demonstrate safety procedures.

California Local Pin Marker Local Public Safety Digest

Santa Clara County Ramps Up Response as Invasive Mosquito Detected in More Areas

11/01/2024

The invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitos have been detected in more areas of Santa Clara County, prompting officials to hold meetings to discuss their response to the threat posed by the species. 

Temporary Road Built Over Mountain Charlie Landslide

10/06/2024

Santa Cruz mountains residents are able to more easily come and go thanks to a temporary road built over the slow moving Mountain Charlie Road landslide.

California Local Pin Marker Recent Articles

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Input Wanted on Rural Highway Upgrades in Santa Cruz County

Graham Hill Road was a Highway 9 detour in February. (Nik Altenberg — Santa Cruz Local file)
Highway upgrades

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
The Hills Are Alive

The Santa Cruz Boardwalk Giant Dipper has drawn over 60 million thrill-seekers to scream while careening around the roller coaster’s hairpin turns. But more than 65,000 motorists a day know that roller coaster ride pales compared to the high-speed, white-knuckle …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Controlled Burn Starts in San Mateo County, With More Planned for Santa Cruz County

A controlled burn at Wilder Ranch State Park is planned Oct. 28 to Nov. 5, depending on weather. A crew works at Wilder in 2023. (State Parks)
SANTA CRUZ >> Cal Fire started a 250-acre controlled burn on private land …

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo LOCAL NEWS
24/7 Access to Narcan at Mountain Health Center

Santa Cruz Community Health Partners with Central Coast Overdose Prevention to Provide 24/7 Access to Naloxone (Narcan) in the San Lorenzo Valley

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Mid-Day Fire Chars Two Acres

A wildland fire broke out in trees and brush flanking northbound Highway 1 north of Buena Vista Drive Monday in Watsonville.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Central Fire to Pay Out Nearly $1 Million in Firefighters’ Brawl

Central Fire District agreed to pay nearly $1 million in a civil suit brought by an employee. (Nik Altenberg — Santa Cruz Local file)
LIVE OAK >> After more than a year in court, Central Fire District of Santa Cruz …

KSQD logo LOCAL NEWS
Gary Griggs: “California Catastrophes: The Natural Disaster History of the Golden State”

Gary Griggs, UCSC Distinguished Professor of Earth Sciences tells us about his new book, California Catastrophes: The Natural Disaster History of the Golden State, about the history of disasters in our state and what we can expect in the future.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Rats, High Rents Plague UC-owned Hilltop Apartments in Santa Cruz

Residents at the UC-owned, 168-unit Hilltop Apartments on Western Drive in Santa Cruz described problems with rats, delayed maintenance and unexplained charges. (Nik Altenberg — Santa Cruz Local)
Key takeaways

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Zayante Fire Proposes More Staff, New Equipment With Measure T

Measure T asks voters to help fund more firefighters and equipment upgrades in the Zayante Fire Protection District. (Allison Gasparini — Santa Cruz Local file)
ZAYANTE >> Zayante Fire leaders want to bring back more full-time staff and replace aging …

Featured

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.
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.
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
Here's the story behind that new service, and the original 911 number.
Mosquitos kill about 725,000 people every year, worldwide.
Taking a Bite Out of the Mosquito Population
How local government tries to control the world’s deadliest wild animal—the mosquito.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
How Not to Feel the Burn
These groups help residents preserve their property, health and life.
Supercell storms are just one of many weather phenomena in the era of climate change.
The New Vocabulary of the Climate Change Era
As climate change causes more extreme and unusual weather, we need a new set of terms to describe the various phenomena
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 easy—the hard part comes later.
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
Wildfires are larger, more frequent, and more ferocious—so be prepared.
Thousands of homeowners have been kicked off their fire insurance policies.
California Fire Insurance Crisis: How the State Helps Homeowners
The state tries persuading insurance companies to cover homes in fire zones.
With CERT training, volunteers can learn firefighting skills.
Emergency Teamwork
With CERT training, ordinary civilians can play critical roles in protecting their communities.
Members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service hone their skills at various local events.
Listening Skills
With the CZU fires in mind, volunteers in the Santa Cruz Mountains are taking emergency communications into their own hands.
Workers clean up after flooding in Capitola Village.
Disaster Prep: Alerts, Maps and Apps
Keep these online resources handy in case of floods, fires, quakes and other disasters
View of the flooded San Lorenzo River Park Benchlands in Santa Cruz, California on New Year's Eve 2022.
Communicating During Disaster and Crisis
Recent lessons learned over days of local disaster.
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