SACRAMENTO, CA – On Wednesday, Nevada County Office of Emergency Services (OES) Wildfire County Coordinator Alessandra Zambrano spoke at a press conference at the State Capitol, addressing California’s growing threat of catastrophic wildfires.
Legislators and fire safety advocates gathered to announce a comprehensive wildfire prevention package, including SB 973, the Wildfire County Coordinator Program, a proven program delivered by California Fire Safe Council in partnership with CAL FIRE. The legislation focuses on expanding homeowner mitigation, prioritizing home hardening and defensible space projects, supporting counties in delivering wildfire risk reduction projects, and accelerating the deployment of fire detection and suppression technologies.
Zambrano said during the conference, “One of the greatest challenges of the wildfire problem is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution nor one scale at which resilience must be built. The County Coordinator Program gives agency to communities, allowing them to guide wildfire resilience solutions that not only address the wildfire hazards but also prioritize protecting resources and values that make their counties home. In Nevada County, this program has acted as a catalyst. It has fostered innovation at all scales, supported community-driven solutions, helped secure more than $12 million in landscape-scale mitigation investments, and helped strengthen local capacity. Most importantly, it has given not just Nevada County, but County Coordinators across the state, hope for a wildfire-resilient future.”
Zambrano joined state lawmakers and wildfire resilience leaders, including Sen. Ben Allen, Sen. Josh Becker, Assemblymember Steve Bennett, Assemblymember Damon Connolly, Assemblymember Chris Rogers, Eric Horne, California Director of Megafire Action, Chris Anthony, Executive Director of FireWERX, Jessica Martinez, Interim Executive Director of the California Fire Safe Council, and Kenneth Brink, Vice Chairman of the Karuk Tribe.
Nevada County OES has been a participant in the Wildfire County Coordinator Program since 2021.
“This program has been an integral component in transforming the Nevada County into a leader in wildfire planning and preparedness, and mitigation, recognized by our state and federal partners,” said OES Director, Alex Keeble-Toll.
Nevada County’s program has been recognized by organizations such as CAL FIRE, California Office of Emergency Services, Sierra Nevada Conservancy, and the U.S Forest Service Tahoe National Forest. The 2025 CAL FIRE County Coordinator Grant, a program of the Community Wildfire Preparedness Project, is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment– particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and- Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable 29 energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investment website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
About the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services (OES)
OES works under the Emergency Preparedness Board Objective, leading the community in all hazards planning, preparedness, response, and recovery with a focus on wildfire. OES focuses on improving county-wide evacuation routes and safety, continuing to strengthen early alert and critical communication systems, and working with residents and community partners in emergency preparedness, defensible space, home hardening, green waste disposal, and fire-safe land stewardship. We are all in this together. Learn more about OES at: ReadyNevadaCounty.org.