| Ventura County Fire Department |
|
| Motto: Committed to excellence, delivered with pride. | |
| Established | May 11, 1928 |
| Staffing | Career |
| Strength | 398 uniformed 133 non-sworn support[1] |
| Stations | 31 |
| Engines | 60(30 First-Run Engines, 1 First-Run Quint, 1 CRASH, 11 Wildland Engines, 17 Reserve Engines) |
| Trucks | 4(3 First-Run, 1 Reserve) |
| Squads | 4(3 First-Run, 1 Reserve) |
| Rescues | 2 |
| Bulldozers | 9 |
| Airplanes | 0 |
| Helicopters | 4(Contracted by Ventura County Sheriff's Department) |
| Fireboats | 5 |
| EMS Units | 4 |
| EMS Level | ALS |
| Fire chief | Bob Roper |
The Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) provides fire protection and emergency response services for the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, California, and for six other cities within the county. Together, these areas compose the Ventura County Fire Protection District in the state of California, USA. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors is the fire district's board of directors. These five elected supervisors appoint the fire chief, and task him with providing fire protection services for the district.
In addition to the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, the department currently provides the following cities with service: Camarillo, Moorpark, Ojai, Port Hueneme, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks.
The mission of the Ventura County Fire Department is to:
Contents |
1928 - On May 11, 1928, the Ventura County Fire Protection District (VCFPD) is established. Walter Emerick is appointed as the Fire Warden (Fire Chief). Fire headquarters is located at 845 E. Santa Barbara St. in Santa Paula. The building is still in use as the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner's Office.[3]
1930 - On July 11, 1930, a Fire Warden in the Santa Paula headquarters was on duty for a 24-hour shift.
1931 - The VCFPD purchased its first bulldozer in November.
1933 - First aid kits were added to all VCFPD equipment.
1942 - The Fire District hired its first handcrew to fight wildfires and repair forestry telephone poles.
1946 - Division Captains had radios installed in their trucks, all using the Sheriffs Dept. frequency. Total Fire District personnel: 34.
1950 - Division Captains reclassified as Battalion Chiefs.
1954 - The Battalion Chiefs devised a numbering system for the fire engines.
1960 - Fire station names were changed to coincide with the engine numbering system.
1964 - The VCFPD issued self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) masks to replace Chemox canister masks.
1966 - The firefighter work schedule was changed to a 72-hour, two platoon system.
1969 - A second radio frequency was added and a dispatch center was put into service at Fire Station 31 in Thousand Oaks.
1972 - Minimum staffing was instituted throughout the county, ensuring at least three people on duty in a station at all times. The VCFPD begins its Fire Cadet program. VCFPD apparatus color was changed from red to yellow. The Fire District's first aerial ladder truck goes into service in the city of Thousand Oaks.
1974 - The first diesel fire engines were put into service.
1975 - A mandatory physical fitness program is instituted.
1976 - A central dispatch center is established and headquarters is moved from Santa Paula to a location more central for the county in Camarillo. A 56-hour, three platoon work schedule is begun.
1980 - The Incident Command System is implemented by all partner agencies within Ventura County.
1983 - The 911-telephone system goes into service.
1985 - A special unit to respond to hazardous material incidents (Haz-Mat) is formed.
1986 - The VCFPD hires its first female firefighter.
1992 - VCFPD engine companies began carrying defibrillators.
2002 - VCFPD established its first paramedic program at Stations 31 and 45. Fire Boat 5 is placed into service as a joint venture between the Fire District and the Harbor Department.
2003 - The Ventura County Fire Protection District celebrates its 75th anniversary. From an organization formed in response to the fire protection needs of an agriculturally-oriented, mostly rural area, the Fire District has grown into an all-risk, first response emergency organization serving dynamic and diverse communities. The VCFPD headquarters facility in Camarillo is remodeled and enlarged from 6,492 sq. ft. to 28,492 sq. ft.
2006 - A new Support Complex housing the Wildland/Aviation division, Supply Unit and Repair Facilities opens in Oxnard. Computers are installed in all Fire District structural engines, ladder trucks and command vehicles to implement computer-aided dispatch.
2007 - Total Fire District personnel: 645 (uniform, civilian, reserve and seasonal). A new, state-of-the-art Fire Communications Center opens at headquarters in Camarillo.
Battalion 1 (Station 54 Battalion Headquarters)
| # | Location | City | Nickname | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 189 Las Posas Rd | Camarillo | Camarillo Airport | Engine 50, Crash 50, HazMat 50, Squad 50, Utility 50 |
| 52 | 5353 Santa Rosa Rd | Camarillo | Mission Oaks | Engine 52, Brush Engine 352 |
| 54 | 2160 Pickwick Dr | Camarillo | Camarillo | Battalion 1, Engine 54, Truck 54, Water Rescue 54, USAR 54 |
| 55 | 403 Valley Vista Dr | Camarillo | Los Posas | Engine 55, Engine 155 |
| 57 | 3356 Somis Rd | Somis | Somis | Engine 57, Brush Engine 357, Light & Air 57, Command 11, Utility 57 |
Battalion 2 (Station 23 Battalion Headquarters)
| # | Location | City | Nickname | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 12727 Santa Paula-Ojai Rd | Santa Paula | Summit | Engine 20, Utility 20 |
| 21 | 1201 Ojai Ave | Ojai | Ojai | Engine 21, Brush Engine 321 |
| 22 | 466 S. La Luna Ave | Ojai | Meiners Oaks | Engine 22, Brush Engine 322, Patrol 22, Utility 222 |
| 23 | 15 Kunkle St | Oak View | Oak View | Battalion 2, Engine 23, Rescue 23 |
| 25 | 5674 W. Pacific Coast Hwy | Ventura | Rincon | Engine 25, Water Tender 25, Utility 125, Engine 125 |
| 26 | 12391 W. Telegraph Rd | Santa Paula | Saticoy | Engine 26, Brush Engine 326 |
Battalion 3 (Station 30 Battalion Headquarters)
| # | Location | City | Nickname | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 325 W. Hillcrest Dr | Thousand Oaks | Civic Center | Engine 30, Truck 30, Battalion 3 |
| 31 | 151 Duesenberg Dr | Thousand Oaks | Westlake | Engine 31, Squad 31 |
| 32 | 830 S. Reino Rd | Newbury Park | Potrero | Engine 32, Brush Engine 332, Patrol 32 |
| 33 | 33 Lake Sherwood Dr | Thousand Oaks | Lake Sherwood | Engine 33, Engine 133, Utility 33 |
| 34 | 555 Avenida de los Arboles | Thousand Oaks | Arboles | Engine 34, Engine 134, Squad 134 |
| 35 | 2500 W. Hillcrest Dr | Newbury Park | Newbury Park | Engine 35, OES Engine 344 |
| 36 | 855 N. Deerhill Rd | Agoura | Oak Park | Engine 36, Brush Engine 336 |
| 37 | 2010 Upper Ranch Rd | Thousand Oaks | North Ranch | Engine 37, Light & Air 37, Utility 137 |
Battalion 4 (Station 41 Battalion Headquarters)
| # | Location | City | Nickname | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 4185 Cedar Springs St | Moorpark | Mountain Meadows | Engine 40, Engine 140, Utility 40, USAR 40, OES Water Tender 12 |
| 41 | 1910 Church St | Simi Valley | Church Street | Battalion 4, Engine 41, Truck 41, Squad 41 |
| 42 | 295 High St | Moorpark | Moorpark | Engine 42, Brush Engine 342, Engine 142 |
| 43 | 5874 E. Los Angeles Ave | Simi Valley | Yosemite | Engine 43, Brush Engine 343, Utility 43 |
| 44 | 1050 Country Club Dr | Simi Valley | Wood Ranch | Quint 44, Engine 144, Truck 144 |
| 45 | 790 Pacific Ave | Simi Valley | West Simi | Engine 45, Engine 145, Foam 45 |
| 46 | 3265 N. Tapo St | Simi Valley | Tapo | Engine 46, OES Engine 283 |
| 47 (Under Construction) | 2901 Erringer Rd | Simi Valley | Big Sky | Engine 47 |
Battalion 5 (Station 51 Battalion Headquarters)
| # | Location | City | Nickname | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 613 Old Telegraph Rd | Fillmore | Fillmore | Engine 27, Rescue 27, Water Tender 27 |
| 28 | 513 N. Church St | Piru | Piru | Engine 28, Brush Engine 328 |
| 51 | 3302 Turnout Park Circle | Oxnard (Joint station with the city of Oxnard FD) | El Rio | Battalion 5, Engine 51, Brush Engine 351, Utility 51 |
| 53 | 304 Second St | Port Hueneme | Port Hueneme | Engine 53, Utility 53, Utility 153 |
| 56 | 11777 Ellice St | Malibu | Malibu | Engine 56, Patrol 56, Engine 156 |
VCFD provides fire protection services for a wide variety of terrain, and operates many different types of apparatus to meet its needs. To complement its array of engine and truck companies, VCFD also uses wildland engines, dozers, paramedic squads, patrol vehicles, water tenders, foam vehicles, and fire boats. They also operate the specialized "Crash" vehicles for Camarillo Airport. VCFD contracts with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department to provide air support. Medical transport by ambulance is provided by contract with privately owned ambulance companies. Currently, the primary ambulance for the county is AMR Ventura County for the communities of: Thousand Oaks, Oak Park, Camarillo, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Ventura, Fillmore, Santa Paula, Piru, Lockwood and Hungry Valley. Lifeline Medical Transport provides paramedic ambulance service to the Ojai Valley, and Gold Coast Ambulance serves Oxnard, El Rio, and Port Hueneme.
VCFD is under the auspices of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, who appoint the Fire Chief. Reporting directly to the Fire Chief, the Deputy Fire Chief oversees the six bureaus within the department:
This bureau provides fire suppression, emergency medical care, hazardous materials response, Urban search and rescue, swift water rescue, and the Fire Training Section. Under the command of an assistant chief, the bureau composes all three divisions of fire stations, as well as the Fire Training and Emergency Medical Services Sections.