Partnership aims to protect regional watersheds and drinking water system

San Jose Water (SJW), Inc. recently announced it has formed a strategic partnership with the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council (SCCFSC) to provide a series of technology solutions supporting SJW’s commitment to environmental stewardship and water resources management. With a focus on reducing wildfire risk and creating a consortium to monitor areas at elevated risk to wildfire in SJW’s service area, this partnership will protect critical infrastructure and provide monitoring and early detection of wildfire in Santa Clara County.

The first projects include serving as a value-added reseller (VAR) for AlcheraX’s FireScout technology which will add an artificial intelligence (AI) capability to wildfire early detection and monitoring on SJW lands. The SCCFSC will provide multiple FireScout systems to SJW, provide consulting for the setup, configuration and implementation of FireScout. This project is part of SCCFS’s larger regional effort to coordinate multiple land management, municipal and fire agencies to expand a wildfire-early detection network across county and jurisdictional boundaries — leveraging SCCFSC’s relationships to provide strategic consulting and technology procurement for wildfire risk-reduction and environmental stewardship practices.

FireScout was selected principally for its industry-leading nighttime detection capability and 91% accuracy rate. FireScout provides location-specific detection — helping operations teams and first responders deploy resources quickly and efficiently. The cloud-based SaaS solution enables SJW to connect to a state-of-the-art wildfire detection network that continuously monitors the landscape for ignitions.

Additionally, the SJW and SCCFSC partnership establishes a Community Wildfire Mitigation Pilot Program focused on at-risk communities in Santa Clara County. SJW is providing funding to SCCFSC to offer an innovative bundle of solutions, which includes:

• Developing projects in coordination with local communities and stakeholders;
• Providing technical support, community outreach and engagement events, promoting programs through social media and other communication/outreach networks; and
• Project oversight and management of Hazardous Fuels Reduction (HFR) and defensible space programs throughout the County.

“This partnership expands SJW’s wildfire mitigation and community wildfire protection work, improving overall coordination of our wildfire response,” said Jared Lewis, SJW’s Manager of Environmental Planning and Natural Resources. “SCCFSC’s team brings a wealth of technical expertise, a strong history of collaboration, and innovation that increases our ability to protect the County’s critical water resources and communities most susceptible to catastrophic wildfire.”