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Findings 17 findings
F01
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) is well positioned to respond to wildfire threats.
F02
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds the public has a responsibility for wildfire preparedness by making themselves aware of and heeding Ventura County Fire Department guidelines.
F03
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds the Ventura County Fire Department has primary firefighting responsibility in the Local and State Responsibility Areas.
F04
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds the Ventura County Fire Department acts as first responder for fires in the Federal Responsibility Area.
F05
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds Oxnard, Ventura and Fillmore have local Fire Departments and the remaining cities contract with Ventura County Fire Department for fire services. Wildfire Preparedness in Ventura County
F06
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds the Fire Communications Center responds to all non-law enforcement 911 calls.
F07
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds the Fire Communications Center utilizes a network of cameras to scan for wildfires in the remote parts of the county.
F08
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds emergency preparation guides and emergency notification systems are available to the public.
F09
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds the Ventura County Fire Department has created a unified county fire and medical response force.
F10
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds the Ventura County Fire Department has created four 18-person crews to fight fires in remote areas of the county with the goal of keeping them 10 acres or less.
F11
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds the Ventura County Fire Department has Mutual Aid agreements with neighboring counties, as well as state and federal agencies, to supplement its firefighting capabilities.
F12
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds the Mountain Fire was ignited by embers from the previous Balcom Canyon fire.
F13
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that current technology cannot detect buried embers.
F14
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that canines can be trained to detect the scent of buried embers.
F15
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that expertise in wilderness canine search techniques exists in current K-9 Search and Rescue organizations, including in Ventura.
F16
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds obtaining and training a new K-9 costs approximately $20,000.
F17
The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds the cost of a trained canine vs. the cost of damage from wildfires makes an evaluation of obtaining a K-9 trained in buried ember detection worth pursuing. RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations 3
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R01The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury recommends the Ventura County Fire Department investigate the feasibility of incorporating a canine into post-fire investigations by December 31, 2026. (F-12, F-13, F-14, F-15, F-16, F-17)
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R02The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury recommends the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, serving as the Board of Directors for the Ventura County Fire Department, support any Ventura County Fire Department effort to obtain and train an ember- detecting canine, including financially up to $20,000, by December 31, 2026. (F-16, F- 17) Wildfire Preparedness in Ventura County 15 RESPONSES Responses required from: The following governing bodies : Ventura County Board of Supervisors serving as the Board of Directors for Ventura County Fire Department (F-16, F-17, R-02) Responses invited, but not required, from: The following appointed officials : Chief, Ventura County Fire Department (F-10, F-11, F-12, F-13, F-14, F-15, R-01) 16 Wildfire Preparedness in Ventura County REFERENCES Ref-001. Interviews with various officials and other interested parties. Ref-002. NOAA Global Climate Report. Accessed March 12, 2026. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/global/202602, Ref-003. Ready Ventura Preparedness Guide. Accessed March 12, 2026. https://s48240.pcdn.co/wpcontent/uploads/2023/08/ReadyVC_PreparednessGui de_5.5x8_FIN Ref-004. National Interagency Fire Center. Accessed March 12, 2026. https://nifc.gov Ref-005. VCFD Firewise Program. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://fire.venturacounty.gov/firewise/, Ref-006. 2022/2023 Ventura Civil Grand Jury Final Report. Water Availability For Wildfires in Ventura County. June 12, 2023. Accessed May 5, 2026. https://vcportal.venturacounty.gov/GDJ/docs/reports/2022-23/GJ-Report_2022- 23_WaterAvailabilityForWildFiresInVenturaCounty.pdf Ref-007. California State Legislature. California Assembly Bill 367 (AB 367). Accessed March 17, 2026. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB3 67. Ref-008. Alert California Camera System. Accessed March 17, 2026. https://s48240.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/VC-Alert-and-Warning-Plan- September-2023.pdf. Ref-009. OES Alert and Warning Plan. Accessed March 17, 2026. https://s48240.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/VC-Alert-and-Warning-Plan- September-2023.pdf, Ref-010. Ventura Public Works Water and Sewer Service Areas. Accessed March 17, 2026. https://publicworks.venturacounty.gov/wsd/servicearea/, Ref-011. CAL FIRE. Mountain Fire. Accessed May 5, 2026. https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/11/6/mountain-fire Ref-012. Ventura County OES. Mountain Fire damage. Accessed May 5, 2026. https://vcoes.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/79fc1177ec104999b76e46112c 0a2487 Ref-013. How Powerful Is a Dog’s Nose. Phoenix Veterinary Center, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 25, 2026. https://phoenixvetcenter.com/blog/214731-how- powerful-is-a-dogs-nose. Ref-014. Coates, Jennifer. Dog Nose Facts You Probably Didn’t Know. PetMD, May 28, 2020. Accessed March 25, 2026. https://www.petmd.com/dog/behavior/5-dog- nose-facts-you-probably-didnt-know Wildfire Preparedness in Ventura County 17 Ref-015. Detection dogs can now be used to sniff out smoldering embers in the aftermath of a forest fire. International Association of Fire Services, May 15, 2018. Accessed March 30, 2026. https://ctif.org/news/detection-dogs-can-now-be-used- sniff-out-smoldering-embers-aftermath-forest-fire Ref-016. CAL FIRE. Defensible Space. Accessed March 31, 2026. https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/defensible-space. Ref-017. Ventura County K-9 Search and Rescue. Accessed March 31, 2026. https://www.vcsark9.org/. Ref-018. Climate Check: Heat Risk in Ventura County. Accessed April 16, 2026. https://climatecheck.com/california/ventura Ref-019. Grover’s Mill Podcast. Cadaver Dogs: 5 Things You Didn’t Know, September 10, 2018. Accessed March 31, 2026. https://medium.com/@groversmill/the-truth- about-cadaver-dogs-5-things-you-didnt-know-a53344a43ee7. Ref-020. Holloway, Kimberley. EBSCO. Cadaver Dogs, 2024. Accessed March 31, 2026. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/science/cadaver-dogs Ref-021. Office of the State Fire Marshal. Canine Unit. Accessed March 31, 2026. https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/fire-engineering-and-investigations/- /media/26a707e784884453a3bfb87fca026168.ashx. Ref-022. Ventura County OES. Accessed April 1, 2026. https://sheriff.venturacounty.gov/patrol-services/office-of-emergency-services/. Ref-023. USDA Press Release. Accessed April 16, 2026. https://www.usda.gov/about- usda/news/press-releases/2026/03/31/usda-prioritizing-common-sense-forest- management-moves-forest-service-headquarters-salt-lake- city#:~:text=USDA%20Policies- ,USDA%20Prioritizing%20Common%20Sense%20Forest%20Management%2C %20Moves%20Forest%20Service%20Headquarters,people%20who%20depend %20on%20them. Ref-024. VCFD Fire Hazard Reduction Program. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://fire.venturacounty.gov/fire-hazard-reduction-program-fhrp Ref-025. California Fire Safe Council. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://cafiresafecouncil.org/about-us/about/, Ref-026. Ojai Valley Fire Safe. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://firesafeojai.org/. Ref-027. CAL FIRE. Palisades Fire. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/1/7/palisades-fire, Ref-028. Cook, Kyle. Marshall Fire ignited by previously buried embers and Xcel power line, investigators conclude. Rocky Mountain PBS, June 8, 2023. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://www.rmpbs.org/news/marshall-fire-cause-xcel-power-line- buried-embers. Wildfire Preparedness in Ventura County Ref-029. Phillips, Grant. Ventura Fire Chief warns of winds this fire season. Ojai Valley News, May 5, 2026. Accessed May 7, 2026. https://www.ojaivalleynews.com/news/county/ventura-fire-chief-warns-of-winds- this-fire-season/article_72282e7a-877e-4249-884b-c100c8c285a7.html Ref-030. Ventura County Executive Office. Accessed May 13, 2026. https://venturacounty.gov/county-executive-office/about-us/ Ref-031. VCFD Emergency Response. Accessed May 15, 2026. https://fire.venturacounty.gov/emergency-response/ Ref-032. Carlson, Cheri. CAL FIRE to review county fire department’s response to 2024 blaze. Ventura County Star, February 2, 2026. https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2026/02/02/cal-fire-to-review-county-fire- departments-response-to-2024-blaze/88440361007/ Ref-033. Carlson, Cheri. Ventura County is building a $32M radio system. Here’s why. Ventura County Star, September 5, 2025. https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2025/09/05/ventura-county-is-building-a- 32m-radio-system-heres-why/85618874007/ Ref-034. Ventura County Fire Department. Accessed June 3, 2026. https://fire.venturacounty.gov/about-vcfd/ Ref-035. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Accessed June 3, 2026. https://fire.fandom.com/wiki/California_Department_of_Forestry_and_Fire_Protec tion Ref-036. The Cost of Starting a K-9 Unit. Accessed June 4, 2026. https://www.policemag.com/articles/the-cost-of-starting-a-k-9-unit Ref-037. Electronic Detection Dogs Equip Agencies with High-Tech Tracking Partners. Accessed June 4, 2026. https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/behind-the- shades/2025/06/electronic-detection-dogs-equip-agencies-high-tech-tracking Ref-038. Make a Donation. Accessed June 4, 2026. https://www.vcsok9.org/donate Ref-039. About Cal OES. Accessed June 4, 2026. https://www.caloes.ca.gov/cal- oes/about-cal-oes/ Ref-040. Emergency Telecommunications Failure. Accessed June 4, 2026. https://www.undrr.org/understanding-disaster-risk/terminology/hips/tl0211 Ref-041. Working Dogs: Detection. Accessed June 4, 2026. https://www.aaha.org/resources/2021-aaha-working-assistance-and-therapy-dog- guidelines/working-dogs-detection/ Ref-042. Mountain Fire losses mount; recovery begins. Accessed June 4, 2026. https://vccf.org/mountain-fire-losses-mount-recovery-begins/ Ref-043. DeMuro, Rich. How wireless companies keep signals alive in wildfires. KTLA5, January 15, 2025. https://ktla.com/news/california/wildfires/how-wireless- companies-keep-signals-alive-in-wildfires/ Wildfire Preparedness in Ventura County 19 Ref-044. Myth Busted. Things IR can’t see through. Accessed June 5, 2026. https://www.iirt.sg/the-challenges-and-limitations-of-infrared- thermography/#:~:text=in%20Infrared%20Thermography- ,Emissivity,deep%20within%20walls%20or%20machinery. Ref-045. Fire-Fighting Dogs: Sniffing Out Arson, Wildfires, and More. Accessed June 9, 2026. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/fire-fighting-dogs/ ATTACHMENTS Att-001. Wildland-Urban Interface map. Maps. Ventura County SALC. Accessed June 5, 2026. Att-002. National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC). 2025 National Interagency Standards for Resource Mobilization. Accessed March 31, 2026. Att-003. California Firewise Insurance Notice. National Fire Protection Association News and Articles. Accessed April 19, 2026. Att-004. Palisades Fire Impact. Aon Q1 2025 Global Catastrophic Recap. Accessed May 18, 2026. Att-005. Data supplied by Ventura County Fire Department, email, January 15-16, 2026. Att-006. Request for canine ember detection training information, email, Canine Accelerant Detection Association (CADA), Dec 26, 2025 – Jan 20, 2026. Att-007. Mutual Aid Agreement. May 1, 2020. Obtained from VCFD Nov 17, 2025. Att-008. Ventura County Emergency Operations Plan – 2025, p. 16. Accessed June 3, 2026. Att-009. Reciprocal Services Agreement between the United States Coast Guard, Channel Islands and the Ventura County Fire Protection District. Accessed June 3, 2026. Att-010. Gray Book. Allotments for Contract Counties. Obtained from VCFD November 17, 2025. Att-011. Hardy, Marian. Water Search With Dogs. Accessed June 4, 2026. Att-012. REACH Hueneme Donation for Police Department Canine Unit. Accessed June 5, 2026. Att-013. Ventura County Fire Department News Release, November 7, 2025. Accessed June 5, 2026. Wildfire Preparedness in Ventura County GLOSSARY TERM DEFINITION CAL FIRE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Cal OES California Office of Emergency Services DOI U.S. Department of the Interior FCC Fire Communications Center FLIR Forward Looking InfraRed FRA Federal Responsibility Area. U.S. Forest Service primary firefighting agency IR InfraRed heat detecting technology. Typically identified as FLIR K-9 Dog (canine) LRA Local Responsibility Area. VCFD primary firefighting agency OES Office of Emergency Services SRA State Responsibility Area. CAL FIRE primary firefighting agency, except VCFD is contracted by CAL FIRE to be primary agency VCFD Ventura County Fire Department (also known as the Ventura County Fire Protection District) USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture USWFS U.S. Wildland Fire Service, created April 3, 2026. WUI WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE (WUI). A geographical area identified by the state as a “Fire Hazard Severity Zone” in accordance with the Public Resources Code, Sections 4201 through 4204, and Government Code, Sections 51175 through 51189, or other areas designated by the Fire Code Official to be at a significant risk from wildfires including Hazardous Fire Area. Wildfire Preparedness in Ventura County 21
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R17Wildfire Preparedness in Ventura County 15 RESPONSES Responses required from: The following governing bodies : Ventura County Board of Supervisors serving as the Board of Directors for Ventura County Fire Department (F-16, F-17, R-02) Responses invited, but not required, from: The following appointed officials : Chief, Ventura County Fire Department (F-10, F-11, F-12, F-13, F-14, F-15, R-01) 16 Wildfire Preparedness in Ventura County