Online community workshops scheduled Thursday (Aug. 19) and next week will present local residents with the opportunity to learn more about an ongoing Santa Clara County fire service review as well as voice opinions on the suggested consolidation of the county’s fire districts.
The meetings are hosted by the county’s Local Agency Formation Commission. Thursday’s workshop is geared toward central and east county residents and is slated to run 6-7 p.m. The Aug. 25 edition, also set for 6-7 p.m., is for residents living within the north and west portions of the county, including those in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. On Tuesday (Aug. 17), LAFCO hosted a similar workshop for south county residents.
LAFCO oversees the boundaries of cities and special districts in the county, including the four local fire districts, to ensure orderly growth. The agency has accepted a County Board of Supervisors request to prioritize a countywide fire service review this year. Supervisors made the request after a South Santa Clara County Fire Protection District management audit from 2019 proposed consolidating the fire districts to better allocate financial resources.
The Aug. 17 LAFCO meeting attracted 37 participants, said Santa Clara County Fire Department Acting Chief Brian Glass.
In conjunction with the LAFCO workshops, county residents also may complete a short online survey about fire services and wildfire preparedness. To access the survey, visit bit.ly/LAFCO_FireSurvey.
For more information on the workshops, visit santaclaralafco.org/countywide-fire-service-review.
