Fire Safety Discussion - ZONE ZERO

“Zone 0” Town Hall Results from Wednesday, Sept. 17

Watch the Youtube Presentation and see the Speaker Slide Decks below...

From Supervisor Jeff Gorell

Dear Neighbors,

Thank you to everyone who joined last night’s Zone 0 Town Hall—both in person and online. I’m especially grateful to our expert panelists for sharing their knowledge and to the Ventura County Fire Department for their hospitality in hosting the event.

If you weren’t able to attend, you can watch the full recording here. You’ll also find links to the panelists’ slides next to their bios below.

The Board of Forestry updated their Frequently Asked Questions Document yesterday, click here to review. I also want to thank those who submitted thoughtful questions during the meeting. My team and I are gathering responses, and I’ll be sharing updates with you soon.

Stay safe,

Jeff

Supervisor Jeff Gorell

Ventura County Board of Supervisors, District 2 J. Lopez, Board Member, California Board of Forestry & Fire Protection

Mr. Lopez is a retired Assistant Chief from the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Forestry Division with decades of experience in forest and urban forestry, vegetation management, habitat restoration, and wildfire preparedness. He has served on national and international response teams and remains active in wildfire safety and forestry leadership through the California Fire Safe Council.

View Presentation Slides

---

Yana Valachovic, Scientist with the University of California's Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network & Associate Director of the UC Agriculture and Natural Resource Policy Institute

With over 25 years of experience in county government and community engagement, she is a state leader in developing wildfire resilience strategies and serves on both the Governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force and the Wildfire Mitigation Committee. She has conducted post-fire assessments across California and Colorado and has co-authored research on fire behavior and home and landscape design.

View Presentation Slides

Steve Hawks, Senior Director of Wildfire at the Insurance Institute of Business & Home Safety

He leads wildfire policy, code development, post-fire research, and the Wildfire Prepared Home program. He brings more than 30 years of wild land firefighting and prevention experience, having served in CAL FIRE from 1989 to 2022 in roles ranging from firefighter to Assistant Deputy Director. Steve also contributes his expertise on national and academic wildfire advisory councils and spent 13 years on CAL FIRE’s Incident Management Teams. Email shawks@ibhs.org for presentation slides or review in video recording.

Dr. Betsy Connolly, Community Leader

Dr Connolly holds many titles in retirement including Dog Catcher, Equine Veterinarian, College Professor, and School Board Trustee. In retirement, she is using the skills and relationships she developed during her career to protect and serve the Conejo Valley community. Zone 0 - Conejo Valley is one of these efforts.

Dr. Connolly provided a video showcasing properties in our community during her remarks. This is available in the recording of the meeting. She has worked to create a webpage focused on Zone 0 here in the Conejo Valley. More information at: Zone 0 - Conejo Valley

Greg Rubin, Founder of California's Own Native Landscape Design, Inc.

He has spent over 30 years designing more than 800 fire-resistant native landscapes across Southern California. Named the 2018 Horticulturist of the Year by the San Diego Horticultural Society. His designs have proven resilient with projects surviving 25 fire events without the loss of a home. He is also co-author of The California Native Landscape and The Drought Defying California Garden.

View Presentation Slides

Stephen Watson, Executive Director Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council

A recognized leader in wildfire preparedness. Over the past four years, he has driven the council’s rapid growth, advancing programs such as Home Hardening and Firewise USA® community development that are strengthening wildfire resilience across Ventura County. Stephen’s hands-on experience with these initiatives, combined with his leadership in building strong organizational systems, gives him a unique perspective on both the practical and strategic challenges of preparing communities to live safely with wildfire.

View Presentation Slides

Joe Morelli, Fire Marshal Ventura County Fire

Works closely with the Fire Prevention Bureau to fulfill VCFD’s mission of anticipating and responding to the dynamic public safety needs of our community. Ventura County is home to nearly 850,000 residents. With a focus on fire prevention, code enforcement, and community risk reduction, Fire Marshal Morelli ensures that residents and businesses across Ventura County are better prepared and more resilient in the face of wildfire and other emergencies.

View Presentation Slides