Fire Safety: Host a Town Hall

October 3, 2023

Dear Neighbors,

Many of us know firsthand just how crucial wildfire prevention is in our local community. In 2020, my own home was situated within an evacuation zone during the historic SCU Lightning Complex Fire. It's these shared experiences that have fueled our collective commitment behind educating our neighbors and securing the necessary resources we need to protect our community from the devastating effects of wildfires.

While this year has brought relief with fewer severe wildfires, the recent hazy and smoky skies serve as a reminder of the ever-present danger. This year alone, CAL FIRE has responded to 4,337 wildfires that have scorched 114,562 acres across our state. Fire season is now a year-round concern, and the most destructive fires often occur in September and October.

This past week, I hosted a Wildfire Safety Town Hall at The Villages in partnership with District 8 San Jose Councilmember Domingo Candelas, CAL FIRE, and the San Jose Fire Department, where we had an important discussion on fire safety in our community. I have been proud to partner with “The Fire Safety Committee” at The Villages to pursue wildfire preparedness grants to fund crucial fuel management work near our hillsides.

I want to thank everyone who participated in this Town Hall as well as those dedicated members of our community, like those on The Villages Fire Safety Committee, that are working together to make our community safer and more resilient in the face of wildfires.

A special thank you goes out to CAL FIRE Chief Baraka Carter, Chief Ed Orre, and Captain John Reynolds, as well as San Jose Fire Department Chief Captain Robert Sapien for their invaluable presence and contribution this event.

In last year’s budget, I supported more than $2.8 billion in investments to ensure we could accelerate forest health and wildfire resilience projects throughout the state, which included:

$472 million for forest health and fire prevention grants
$130 million for stewardship of state-owned land
$50 million for post-fire reforestation
$170 million to state conservancies for forest health projects
$70 million for prescribed fire and hand crews
$40 million for the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity (RFFC) Program
$30 million for workforce development
$25 million for assistance to small landowners

I also secured over $2,000,000 to allow us to better fight wildfires and save lives through the purchase of a new MOSES satellite communication technology. Santa Clara County became the first County in the state to purchase the system to provide cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite service where it is needed the most to ensure that this community can withstand the challenges of a major disaster, including wildfires. The military-grade system allows first responders to make voice calls, track and coordinate resources, support mutual aid resources, and communicate with the general public regarding critical evacuation information.

I encourage you to visit readyforwildfire.org to learn more about wildfire prevention and practices like defensible space, fire safe landscaping, and evacuation planning.

If you would like to learn more or host a Wildfire Safety Town Hall just like this in your local neighborhood, please don't hesitate to reach out to my office through Zachary Contini at Zachary.Contini@sen.ca.gov.

Sincerely,