A Word From Chief Mark Lorenzen
Welcome to the Web site for the Ventura County Fire Department. I want this site to become your “one-stop shopping” destination for information about our department and fire safety. I hope you will spend some time here learning a little more about our organization, programs and services.
We are continually working to make the site more useful to you. Over the past year, we have upgraded our main site, added an additional site for wildfire information and created a page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/venturacountyfire) to give you the information you want when you need it. We are also exploring other social media options to further improve our communication with you.
When we have a major incident in the county – an earthquake, wildfire or other significant event – a special yellow box will appear on our home page with information on the incident. When a major emergency occurs, go to our home page for details. Our Fireline page (http://38.101.117.146/fireline/index.html) is a real-time activity log that will show you the calls for service being answered by our firefighters.
Our “Ready, Set, Go!” wildfire preparation site (http://vcreadysetgo.org) has everything you need to know about preparing your home and family for wildfires. The site offers videos, downloadable printed materials, checklists, links and other information all on one, convenient site. And, when a wildfire is actually threatening Ventura County, the site will offer up-to-the-minute updates on the fire including its location, current status, size and information on evacuations and road closures. (This information will also appear on our home page.)
“Anticipate and respond” is more than just the mission statement for the Ventura County Fire Protection District, it’s a way of life, because we can’t be successful as a department without doing both. Thanks to the dedication, preparation and skill of our department members, we are able to meet the challenges of a diverse and dynamic population as we deliver consistently high levels of service to those who rely on us for their safety. The 531 people who make up the Ventura County Fire Department are all working both individually and collectively to make Ventura County a safer place to live and work.
They are faced with an enormous task. The department’s response area covers 848 square miles and we serve a population of more than 480,000. We average about 90 calls for service every day. We are continually working to ensure that our training, equipment and facilities are at the necessary levels to meet the needs of the citizens and communities we serve.
As you explore our Web site, I hope it will give you some insight into what we mean when we say, “Committed to Excellence, Delivered with Pride.”
Sincerely,
Mark Lorenzen
Fire Chief