
Students in the San Lorenzo Valley (SLV) have firsthand knowledge of the devastation fire can leave behind. Fire safety and fire prevention in their community, now more than ever, are a top priority.
Thanks to a federal grant, the community has access to specialized education that will empower them to be more proactive about fire safety and prevention.
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded a FEMA Disaster Fire Prevention and Safety grant for nearly $270,000 to the Ben Lomond Fire Protection District (BLFPD) along with Boulder Creek FPD, Felton FPD and Zayante FPD to purchase a new, contemporary Fire Safety Education Trailer and specialized training fire extinguishers.
The award enabled the four San Lorenzo Valley fire districts to purchase and design a new, contemporary Fire Safety Education Trailer and specialized training fire extinguishers. This trailer replaces the 37-year-old educational trailer, which was outdated and in need of constant repairs.
The new trailer will be transported to each school site in October, the annually designated Fire Safety Education Month, where local volunteer fire personnel will conduct hands-on tours and specialized curriculum for students at each grade level.
San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District (SLVUSD) Charter students were the first to tour the SLV Fire District’s brand-new, high-technology fire safety training trailer in May at the Quail Hollow campus.

The trailer features many safety demonstrations, such as earthquake and storm simulations, doors that heat up with smoke, artificial fire extinguishers that teach the participants how to put out various fires, barbecue gas shutoff and a stove that simulates catching on fire.
The SLVUSD has partnered with the SLV fire districts for 26 years to provide specialized K-5 curriculum to the students and families of the San Lorenzo Valley. Since 1999, the volunteer firefighters of the fire districts—Ben Lomond, Zayante, Boulder Creek and Felton—have conducted hands-on classroom and trailer instruction at SLV preschools and elementary classrooms, reaching more than 1,100 students and their families annually.
The new trailer will serve more than 1,500 SLV students. Collectively, these volunteer fire departments serve more than 34,000 residents of the San Lorenzo Valley.
The CZU fire in 2020 profoundly changed the lives of the residents of the San Lorenzo Valley. The entire Valley was evacuated, and 911 homes were destroyed, including 430 in Boulder Creek alone. The children of the community experienced firsthand the terror of wildfire and its aftermath, along with witnessing the firefighters’ courageous efforts to ensure their safety.
Now, as these local firefighter heroes conduct educational training in classrooms and the contemporary fire safety trailer, these lessons are made more meaningful and relevant for the students.
“This specially designed, high-tech fire education trailer helps us give our community, especially our children, more powerful fire safety and prevention education,” said Ben Lomond Fire Chief Stacie Brownlee. “The award recognizes the courage, passion and perseverance of our volunteer firefighters who show us every day that they are committed to doing everything they can to protect life and property in our mountain communities.”