From the desk of Seth Schalet, Chief Executive Officer

"Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer" is a song made popular by Nat King Cole on his 1963 album of the same name. I was listening to it recently when a thought came to mind, that for the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, summer has been anything but lazy, while it has been a bit hazy as a result of the Canadian and Oregon wildfire smoke. While hopefully you and yours have been able to relax and enjoy the summertime, the FireSafe Council team has been very busy, juggling multiple projects and planning some big events as summer turns to fall. Here are just a few:

We have been working hard to prepare for the upcoming final Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Town Hall Meeting happening on August 30^th at the Los Gatos Lodge, and broadcast county-wide on Zoom. Amanda, Tara and the CWPP Management and Advisory teams have been working with lead consultant SWCA to incorporate the public comments we received into the final version of the CWPP, to be released soon. You can view the Story Map and Hub Site here: https://santa-clara-cwpp-sccfc.hub.arcgis.com/

We are preparing to announce the start of chipping that was funded by the PG&E grant, and this will begin in early September and focus on areas within Supervisor Simitian’s District 5 region. Also, as we imminently finalize our contract with the County and County Fire, we will provide an update on when we can expect to commence the outreach, registration and work related to this.

We have announced the sale and implementation of wildfire sensors to San Jose Water, where we will be leading the installation, configuration and management of the system. As we build out our vision for an early wildfire detection network, stay tuned for more exciting news related to this.

Recently, I did an interview with Bay Area News Group reporter Hannah Kanik where I was joined by Jared Lewis of San Jose Water and Debra Deininger with N5 Sensors to talk about the Santa Clara FireSafe Council’s technology and services program, where we help partners evaluate, select and implement various wildfire technology products. The article will cover the plans we have to build an early wildfire detection network, starting with sensors and incorporating other technologies for a holistic and comprehensive ability to detect wildfire at its earliest possible ignition point, with the goals of alerting partners and fire service agencies at the point of detection. We know it will run this week, perhaps in the Sunday Edition of the Mercury News and East Bay Times.

I would like to thank Cupertino’s Emergency Manager, Thomas Chin, for the gracious invitation to present this technology at the annual Cupertino Public Safety Forum on Thursday, October 19, 2023, at the Quinlan Community Center. See the flyer here and more to follow as we get closer to the event. 

Last but not least, I am pleased to announce the inaugural “FireSafe Summit” FireSafe Council fundraiser, with the theme “Living with Fire” that we will hold on October 10^th at the beautiful, iconic, Mountain Winery in Saratoga. This will be an annual marquee event, and we look forward to announcing our sponsorship packages, ticket sales and the night’s agenda imminently. Check your email inbox soon for more on this.

Well, that is enough from me. Now hear from the fabulous FireSafe team.

Seth Schalet

CEO

Santa Clara County FireSafe Council

Nestor Valle

"I joined the Santa Clara FireSafe Council in April 2022 as an HFR project coordinator where I had the opportunity to work on the monthly brush chipping program and support other projects in Los Altos Hills. 

This month, I will be transitioning into an HFR project manager role where I will be working on various projects like the annual chipping program, fuel break projects, and other programs around the county. I really enjoy being connected to my local community and I'm looking forward to working closely with more residents and partners to keep the community safe from potential wildfires."

Come see the updated county Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and meet with local wildfire experts.



When: Aug. 30^th from 6-7:30pm

Where: Los Gatos Lodge, Los Gatos, CA

Zoom: https://sccfd.zoom.us/j/84302612978

The CWPP aims to further wildfire preparedness initiatives throughout the county, and provide support for residents seeking resources to be better prepared for wildfire. Learn More

Crews finished up the first phase of the project on San Jose Water property in early July. We are planning to treat additional areas in SJW this fall and winter in coordination with neighboring property owners. We have moved operations back to Midpeninsula Regional Openspace District (MROSD) for most of July since regaining access to roads that were previously damaged by winter storms. Crews will continue to work in the Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve area through the middle of August. Approximately 45 acres was finished in SJW and MROSD combined in July. The project continues to benefit from excellent coordination with our partners and surrounding communities. Learn More

Redwood sprouting on SJW property post treatment, Photo, Stephen Harrington

Recently treated area on SJW property, Photo, Stephen Harrington

We are in the Community Outreach and Education process. Members of the project team attended the Holiday Lakes Estates and Jackson Oaks H.O.A. meeting last Thursday to introduce the project to the community. The event was well attended. We have also begun the process of trying to identify property owners along the route so that we can get permission to extend the treatments beyond the right of way and all the way to the fenceline. Doing this gives the project much greater scope and depth which, in turn, makes it a more robust project. We have applied for our permits and are waiting for the CEQA to be approved by the state. Things are on schedule and hopefully the project will start in early November. Learn More

Inaugural Fundraiser

“FireSafe Summit - Living with Fire”

SAVE THE DATE!

October 10, 2023

4:30-8:00pm

Mountain Winery, Saratoga

All proceeds benefit the FireSafe Council

Santa Clara County FireSafe Council Expands Wildfire Mitigation Network Partnership with Fire Aside

Fire Aside is a software platform that supports fire agencies and FireSafe Councils in their mission to help communities adapt to wildfire. Learn More

CAL FIRE Pilots Dryad Networks’ ‘Ultra-Early’ Wildfire Sensors Ahead of Next Fire Season

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is piloting German environmental start-up Dryad Networks’ ‘ultra-early’ wildfire detection technology to improve fire detection speeds.

Learn More

San Jose Water Company and Santa Clara County FireSafe Council Partner on Wildfire Sensor Network

Santa Clara FireSafe Council provides N5 Sensors’ NSHIELD™ Suite for early wildfire detection protecting watersheds and drinking water systems from wildfire. Learn More

• Be Safe! Life & Fire Safety Educational Video
• On Demand & Online Program - Free
• Crime Prevention & Home Fire Safety
• Thursday, August 17^th -- 10:00 - 11:30am 
• Online Program - Free
• Wildfire Preparedness: Ready, Set, Go
• Monday, August 21^st -- 6:30 - 8pm
• In-Person - Joan Pisani Community Center - Free
• Be Ready: Be Prepared for Disasters
• Wednesday, August 23^rd -- 5:30 - 6:45pm
• In-Person - Campbell Community Center 

Learn More