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Ready is a national public service campaign designed to educate families and children on being prepared for emergencies. Participants learn how to respond and mitigate emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters.

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. 

Why Ricardo Lara Says His Plan to Fix California’s Insurance Crisis Will Work

09/19/2024

At a CalMatters event, California’s insurance commissioner says the changes he’s making will help homeowners and business owners. One idea: A state grant for those who spend money to protect their property from wildfires.

California Local Pin Marker Recent Articles

Image caption: Municipal bonds built the Redwood Shores water treatment plant in Redwood City, California.
How California Governments Borrow Money

Municipal bonds fund water systems, school buildings, parks, police stations and other public projects that require voter-approved money.

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: A CalFire tanker aircraft drops a plume of fire retardant on a forest.
Building Community Resilience in North Tahoe

The Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation develops partnerships to prepare and respond to emergencies with its COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster).

Image caption: Screenshot of video taken from a mountaintop webcam shows dawn breaking purplish in Sequoia National Park on July 12, 2024.
California Views: The California Local YouTube Page

From short mountaintop webcam time-lapses to handmade videos of stuff we love, we bring you a quick, daily dose of California goodness.

Image caption: Where there's smoke, there's fire. Watch Duty has all the details in one place.
Volunteers Keeping Watch Over California

The Watch Duty team monitors a variety of real-time information resources and compiles all the information in one place.

Image caption: Hundreds of Internet-connected cameras  provide a birds eye view of California.
On the Lookout for California Wildfires

The UC San Diego-managed ALERTCalifornia network of mountaintop cameras act as remote eyes for fire fighters, and the public.

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: Incorporated communities in California must manage local resources and your tax dollars according to a plan.
The Central Role of Planning in California Government

General Plans, mandated by the state and carried out by local counties, cities, and other municipalities, serve as a locality’s ‘constitution'.

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Calforests Applauds Funding for Wildfire Prevention, Preparedness in Governor Newsom’s May Revision

On May 14, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the May Revision includes a proposed budget allocation to assist the State in achieving its fire prevention and fire suppression goals.

Image caption: The O Lot Safe Sleeping site at Balboa Park in San Diego on March 22, 2024.
Is San Diego Homeless Camp Ban ‘Successful’?

A new bill would make it illegal for homeless residents to camp in certain places, such as near schools, throughout California. Its authors say such a ban has had great success in San Diego. But a closer look at that …

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.
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.
Incorporated communities in California must manage local resources and your tax dollars according to a plan.
The Central Role of Planning in California Government
General Plans, mandated by the state and carried out by local counties, cities, and other municipalities, serve as a locality’s ‘constitution'.
Hundreds of Internet-connected cameras  provide a birds eye view of California.
On the Lookout for California Wildfires
The UC San Diego-managed ALERTCalifornia network of mountaintop cameras act as remote eyes for fire fighters, and the public.
Where there's smoke, there's fire. Watch Duty has all the details in one place.
Volunteers Keeping Watch Over California
Watch Duty makes it easy to know what's happening near you, right now.
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