In today's newscast:
Technology supports Cal Fire, Emergency Services
California officials are celebrating tools that help keep people safe during wildfires, but residents still need to prepare.
Flanked by aircraft at a hangar in Sacramento, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the heads of CalFire, the Office of Emergency Services and the Natural Resources Agency touted the state’s firefighting tools.
OES director Caroline Thomas Jacobs said investing in monitoring and intelligence technology has made a difference.
"Today I'd like to add that technology gives us the power to prepare earlier, to respond faster and make better decisions when every second counts," she said Tuesday.
Partnerships are also critical.
" We bring together the intelligence, the technology, and the mutual aid to anticipate threats, to position resources, and to rapidly deliver assistance where and when it is needed most," she added.
But, Thomas Jacobs also said residents and homeowners need to make sure they’re signed up for emergency alerts, know their evacuation plans and have supplies ready.
Park and library in Salinas heading toward new name
The process to rename César Chávez Library and César Chávez Park in Salinas is underway. The effort comes four months after survivors went public with sexual assault allegations against the late farmworker rights leader.
" This is not a decision that the city of Salinas is going to make unilaterally," said City of Salinas spokesperson Sophia Rome. "This is really going to be grounded in what the community says."
She says there’s no residency requirement to submit ideas, but all suggestions need to include a support letter.
"There should be some connection to the city of Salinas," she said, "but whether you live here, work here, or just come here to play, we do want to receive any type of feedback.”
Over 100 people have submitted formal responses in the past week.
The deadline to submit new names is Aug. 14.
