About Fire Safe Santa Cruz County
Fire Safe Santa Cruz County (FSSCC) was formed in September 2016 as a nonprofit corporation, 501(c)(3), in the state of California through collaboration between local fire safe councils, CAL FIRE, local government, water districts, non-profit organizations, industry, and the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County (RCD). FSSCC is overseen by a Board of Directors. The RCD temporarily serves as the group’s fiscal and administrative sponsor, while we build capacity.
Our Mission
The purpose of Fire Safe Santa Cruz County (FSSCC) is to educate and mobilize the people of Santa Cruz County to protect their lives, homes, community, and environment from wildfire.
Context
Two-thirds of Santa Cruz County is considered Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), putting a large percentage of our population, housing, economy, wildlife, and environment at risk from catastrophic fire.
Valuable Programs We Provide:
- Helping the public learn to live with fire in Santa Cruz County
- Disseminating guidelines for preparing our homes to resist wildfires (home hardening)
- Disseminating guidelines for reducing fuels around our homes and neighborhoods
- Assistance to neighbors wanting to form Firewise Communities and work collaboratively to make their homes and neighborhoods more resilient to wildland fires
- Educational public presentations on wildfire resilience strategies (examples include Residential Insurance Cancelations and Home Hardening Strategies)
- In conjunction with our partners, provide response to individual homeowner requests for assistance, such as chipping programs
End Results
To embrace proactive steps we can all take to make our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities, and our County more resilient to wildfires through education, home hardening, strategic fuel reduction, and community collaboration.
Meet the Fire Safe Santa Council of Cruz County Board Members
Executive Committee:
| Office |
Name |
Primary Affiliation |
Term End Date |
| President | Joe Christy |
President, Fire Safe Council of Bonny Doon |
June 2024 |
| Vice President |
vacant | June 2024 | |
| Treasurer | Cindy Weigelt |
State Farm Agent, Firewise Member |
Interim |
| Secretary |
Patty Ciesla | Wildfire Resilience Program Manager, OR3, County of Santa Cruz |
June 2024 |
| Advisor | Lisa Lurie | Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County |
June 2024 |
Board Members:
| Name | Primary Affiliation | Term End Date |
| Chris Berry |
City of Santa Cruz Water Department |
June 2024 |
| Carly Blanchard |
San Lorenzo Valley Water District |
June 2024 |
| Patty Ciesla |
Office of Response, Recovery, and Resilience |
June 2024 |
| Robert Gray |
Felton Fire Department | June 2023 |
| Liz Kroft |
Sol Property Advisors |
June 2024 |
| Bob Loveland |
City of Santa Cruz, Planning Department |
June 2024 |
| Lynn Sestak |
Santa Cruz County Firewise Coordinator |
June 2023 |
| Tim Shields | City of Santa Cruz Fire Department | June 2023 |
| Felix Sorrentino | PG&E, Vegetation Management | June 2023 |
| Ashley Weil | California State Parks | June 2024 |
| Julie Wuest |
CERT Trainer, Concerned Citizen |
June 2024 |
| Abby Young | Firewise Coordinator, Concerned Citizen | June 2023 |
Board Support:
Sophia Sholtz
Administrative Coordinator
Ilana King
Concerned Resident and Financial Advisor
