PENN VALLEY, Calif. – Forrest Hurd is seeking election to the Penn Valley Fire Protection District Board of Directors after being appointed to the board earlier this year. Hurd will appear on the November 3 ballot as an appointed incumbent in a five-candidate race for two seats. Nevada County Elections confirms both his ballot designation and the five-candidate field.
Hurd was appointed in March to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of longtime director Gordon Mangel. Since joining the board, he has focused on the districtโs finances, operations and long-term needs. He also joined the districtโs recently formed finance committee. District records show the board created the finance committee this summer.
For Hurd, the work is personal.
His family has depended on Penn Valley Fire during serious medical emergencies involving his son. Those experiences shaped both his respect for the department and his interest in helping protect its future.
โPenn Valley Fire has saved my sonโs life more than once. I know what it means to have this department show up when your family is facing their worst moments. Thatโs personal for me. I want to make sure Penn Valley Fire is still here, still strong, and still able to serve our community with the same high level of care that weโve seen for years.โ
Long-term funding has become one of Hurdโs primary concerns. District records this year have documented rising fire-suppression and emergency medical costs, including costs increasing faster than some existing revenue mechanisms allow.
Hurd believes maintaining reliable local service will require careful financial planning at the district level, but also stronger advocacy outside of it. He wants Penn Valley Fire and other community fire districts to have a stronger voice when legislation and funding decisions affecting emergency services are being considered at the county and state level.
He has also emphasized preserving Penn Valleyโs ability to make its own decisions about fire and emergency services as broader regional discussions continue about consolidation and the future structure of local fire service.
That type of advocacy is familiar territory for Hurd. His community work grew out of caring for his medically fragile son. He founded the Caladrius Network, a childrenโs organization that helped families access difficult-to-obtain medical treatment and later became involved in state legislation affecting charitable patient-access programs.
Before that, Hurd spent approximately 15 years working in residential treatment programs for at-risk youth. His responsibilities included managing treatment teams, supervising staff and training employees in communication, de-escalation and crisis prevention.
Hurd has lived in Penn Valley since 2008 and lives in Lake Wildwood with his wife, Nicole, and their two children. He also serves on the board of the Penn Valley Fire Auxiliary Thrift Store and volunteers with the organization.
His campaign is focused on reliable fire and emergency medical response, responsible financial oversight, long-term funding, wildfire preparedness, legislative advocacy and keeping decisions about Penn Valley Fire connected to the community it serves.
More information is available at ElectForrest.com.