A Word From Chief Bob Roper

Bob Roper Fire Chief

Welcome to the Web site for the Ventura County Fire Department. I hope you will spend some time here learning a little more about our organization, programs and services.

"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.

You can find our complete annual report for 2007 in the Publications section under Public Information, but it's clear that numbers and statistics only tell part of our story. The numbers quantify what we do, but they can’t show the depth of commitment, or the pride and quality of the people whose daily activities are represented by the statistics.

It's people who carry out our mission, and the 579 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. During the most recent fiscal year, we received 31,223 calls for service, an average of 86 every day. As a department, however, we must do more than simply respond when called, we must do all we can to prevent fires and prepare in advance for emergencies.

Our new fire sprinkler ordinance, Ordinance 25, has gone into effect, greatly increasing the number of structures protected by automatic sprinkler systems. We have effectively declared a year-round fire season due to evolving climatic and environmental conditions. This has allowed us to be better prepared to respond to major emergencies at an appropriate level, regardless of the time of year. The success of this change was evident in our response during the October 2007 Fire Siege.

And finally, we are continuing to upgrade our equipment and facilities. We put five new fire engines into service during the past year, built a new fire station in Malibu, remodeled our station in Piru and have two more fire stations in the planning process. 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,

BOB ROPER Fire Chief