Resources
A Wealth of Invaluable Resources
The VRFSC works tirelessly to safeguard people and protect the property of individuals and families living in Ventura County. To this end, we provide the latest resources and tools to learn about wildfires—and to better prepare for the next area wildfire event.
Home Hardening
How Homes Ignite
Buildings ignite during wildfires as a result of one or more of these three basic wildfire exposures: embers, radiant heat, and direct flame contact. The most common source of home ignition is from embers.
Home hardening means making changes to your home to reduce the risk against wildfire.
It is critical to ensure that your home can resist ember ignition by installing proper vents, removing combustible materials next to your home, sealing any opening into the home, enclosing soffits, installing tempered glass double pane windows and correctly installing gutters and gutter guards.
Other Home Hardening Resources
Defensible Space
Defensible space is crucial for your home’s wildfire safety. It’s the buffer zone you create between your property and the surrounding wildland area. This space is key to slowing or stopping wildfire spread and protecting your home from embers, flames, or heat. It also gives firefighters a safer area to defend your property.
Zone 0 extends zero to five feet from structures, including the building itself.
Zone 1 begins five feet from your house and extends 30 feet away.
Zone 2 lies beyond the home defense zone, extending at least 100 feet from the house or to your property line.
Ventura County Fire Dept
CAL FIRE
Emergency Preparation
VC ALERT
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services aims to assist Ventura County residents in preparing for, responding to and recovering from a local disaster. By providing information about local hazards and step-by-step preparedness education and materials, Ready Ventura County supports whole community resilience.
Ventura County residents may opt-in to receive emergency notifications that deliver time-sensitive alerts when there is a threat to health or safety.
Check incidents in real-time.
READY, SET, GO!
READY, SET, GO!
This award-winning, national program helps community members be Ready with preparedness understanding, be Set with situational awareness when fire threatens, and to Go, acting early when a fire starts.
Wildfires are now a year-round reality in Ventura County. This means that both firefighters and residents have to be on heightened alert for the threat of wildfire at all times. Firefighters train hard and make countless preparations to be ready for a wildfire. Residents, farmers, and ranchers all need to do the same. Successfully preparing for a wildfire requires you to take personal responsibility for protecting yourself, your family and your property.
SCE's PSPS
Preparing for a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)
In order to reduce the risk of wildfires, power utilities in Ventura County (Southern California Edison/PG&E) recently developed plans to shut down power during critical fire weather. During periods of extremely hot, dry, and/or windy weather, the Public Safety Power Shutoff Program (PSPS) can prompt multi-day power outages in many areas
A PSPS outage will last as long as the potentially dangerous weather conditions exist—plus the amount of time it takes for power company workers to inspect and repair their equipment in affected areas. Residents need to be prepared to endure a power outage lasting 3-5 days.
Actual frequency of PSPS events will depend on various weather and environmental factors, and each respective decision will be made with the most accurate assessment of situational awareness data and real-time information.
What does this mean for Ventura County residents?
Power outages deeply impact the whole community and can make it difficult for people to meet even their most basic needs. They may also present a wide range of additional challenges.
- Disruption of communications, water, air conditioning, and transportation
- Closure of retail businesses, grocery stores, gas stations, banks, ATMs, and more
- Food spoilage and water contamination
- Inability to use medical devices like oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines, and more
- Inability to use elevators, garage doors, electric gates and doors, and more
How can I prepare?
PSPS events and other power outages are never anything close to ideal. But you can take some smart steps to help make the outage experience more tolerable—and less stressful. Here are some helpful preparation tips and steps.
- Plan for any medical needs, like medications needing to be refrigerated or battery-dependent assistive technology and medical devices
- Build a Ready, Set, Go! emergency supply kit, including food, water, flashlights, a radio, fresh batteries, first-aid supplies, and cash
- Register with Southern California Edison or PG&E to receive up-to-date alerts. Login with your SCE.com User ID here.
- Sign up for Ventura County emergency alerts at VCAlert.org
- Identify backup charging methods for phones, such as USB power banks
- Learn how to manually open your garage door
- If you own a backup generator, make sure it’s safe to operate
- For additional PSPS resources, check out this fact sheet from prepareforpowerdown.com
PSPS Flyer: How to Prepare in Ventura County Volante de PSPS: Cómo prepararse para los cortes de electricidad en el Condado de Ventura
VCTC
Ventura County Transportation Commission
TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN
Provides a proactive strategy and roadmap for transportation response and recovery during emergencies for Ventura and Santa Barbara counties going forward.
Goals of the TEPP
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- Develop an all-hazards transportation emergency preparedness plan
- Respond to the needs of the communities sooner and more effectively
- Create a blueprint for evacuation
- Improve transit agency management during disasters
- Develop a plan for disadvantaged and vulnerable populations
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