El Dorado County Local News: Public Safety


All Local Public Safety News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

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: 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: 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

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: 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.

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.

Folsom Times logo From Folsom Times...

05/16/2024
Image for display with article titled EDH Fire Premieres “Kyle’s Story” to Raise Helmet Safety Awareness

The El Dorado Hills Fire Department has released the premiere of "Kyle’s Story," a compelling documentary that explores the serious consequences of not wearing a helmet through the personal journey of a local teenager Kyle Benton.

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo From Tahoe Daily Tribune...

05/16/2024
Image for display with article titled Mechanical Forest Thinning Project to Begin Near South Lake Tahoe

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is scheduled to begin mechanical forest thinning this week on approximately 75 acres located in two locations, one near High Meadows Trail and one near Cascade Properties in South Lake Tahoe.

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo From Tahoe Daily Tribune...

05/16/2024
Image for display with article titled Protect Your Home – Sign Up for a Defensible Space Inspection, Chipping Services

Summer is here and the snow is melting. Prepare for wildfire season and sign up for defensible space evaluations and curbside chipping services. For more information on these services and to register online, visit www.nltfpd.org.

California Local Pin Marker From South Tahoe Now...

05/16/2024
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the annexation of the Meeks Bay Fire Protection District into the North Tahoe Fire Protection District.

Tahoe Guide logo From Tahoe Guide...

05/13/2024
Image for display with article titled How to Use This Guide

The Tahoe Wildfire Preparedness Guide is available in digital format for free at YourTahoeGuide.com/fire. You can download it, fill out the checklists, and post the resources section on your refrigerator.

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo From Tahoe Daily Tribune...

05/10/2024
Image for display with article titled Map Update to Existing Fire Ordinance Turns Into Wider Discussion of Fuels Reduction Efficacy

City Council unanimously passed the first reading of an ordinance designating Very High Fire Severity Zones within city limits provided by CalFire. South Tahoe Fire Chief Jim Drennan explained, "This really is just a revision of the map for an ordinance that's already in place."

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo From Tahoe Daily Tribune...

05/10/2024
Image for display with article titled TahoeAlerts: Stay Informed About Emergencies Throughout the Lake Tahoe Region

In collaboration with surrounding cities and counties, Placer County announced the launch of TahoeAlerts, an emergency notification system locator.

California Local Pin Marker From YubaNet...

05/07/2024
Expert advice on staying safe during rattlesnake season.

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo From Tahoe Daily Tribune...

05/02/2024
Image for display with article titled Lake Tahoe Boating Season Begins With New Protocols to Prevent Spread of New Zealand Mudsnails

Lake Tahoe watercraft inspection stations are open for the season to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species and boaters can now book an appointment for this summer online, announced the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.

California Local Pin Marker From South Tahoe Now...

05/02/2024
A look at the "burnbot", a remote control masticator being used to reduce fuels in the Tahoe National Forest.

California Local Pin Marker From Georgetown Gazette...

05/02/2024
A call is out for volunteers to work with theGeorgetown Divide Fire Safe Council.

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo From Tahoe Daily Tribune...

05/01/2024
Image for display with article titled Love Bears? Read This and Help Keep Tahoe Bears Wild

As human beings, we are innately fascinated with the natural world and often spend time and money to view the strength and resiliency of wildlife.

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo From Tahoe Daily Tribune...

04/30/2024
Image for display with article titled Residential Burn Permits Required May 1 in CAL FIRE Amador-El Dorado Unit

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Amador- El Dorado Unit has announced that residential burn permits will be required effective Wednesday, May 1.

Folsom Times logo From Folsom Times...

04/29/2024
Image for display with article titled Baby Eagle Doing Well After Being Rescued From Fall Near Lake Natoma

A collaborative effort among Sacramento Metro firefighters, officials from California State Parks, Fish and Game, Wildlife Encounters, and Sierra Pacific Tree Services officials rescued an eaglet that had toppled out of its nest and was dangling 100 feet off the ground.

California Local Pin Marker From Village Life...

04/29/2024
Cameron Park Community Service District staff preparations of the 2024-2025 budget is leasing to discussion of fire protection services and the possible closing of Fire Station 88 on Alhambra Drive.

California Local Pin Marker From South Tahoe Now...

04/29/2024
It's time to work on home defensible space and fire hardening.

California Local Pin Marker From Village Life...

04/26/2024
CalFire announced the opening of the Ponderosa Fire Center on Palmer Drive in Cameron Park, which will serve as a base of operations for seven firefighter crews.

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo From Tahoe Daily Tribune...

04/24/2024
Image for display with article titled Casting Call: Volunteers Needed for Educational Film Projects

Clean Up the Lake is embarking on a light-hearted and comedic journey to develop creative content that promotes boating safety, in collaboration with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

California Local Pin Marker From Mountain Democrat...

04/23/2024
The El Dorado County Department of Transportation is starting construction of a pedestrian and bike path in Pollock Pines soon.

California Local Pin Marker From Mountain Democrat...

04/19/2024
Local county residents recount recent sightings of mountain lions near schools in populated areas.
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