A primary function of the Oak Park Fire Safe Council is to work with partner agencies to bring programs based on Oak Park-specific requirements to our residents. These programs are aligned with our mission to help protect property and life in Oak Park. The partners and other organizations below are critical in that effort. In some cases they provide grants for specific programs, while in others they provide educational materials for our residents and guidance about how to use it. In all cases we work closely together to accomplish our mission.
PARTNERS:
NFPA – Firewise USA®: The National Fire Protection Association is a U.S.-based, international nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating fatalities, injury, and property and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards. They are responsible for the Firewise program, a foundational element of our strategy.
Ventura County Wildfire Collaborative: The Ventura County Wildfire Collaborative’s mission is to establish a countywide, collaborative approach to designing, implementing and maintaining a holistic, wildfire resiliency strategy that builds individual, local and regional capacities to better prepare for, prevent, mitigate, respond to, and recover from potential wildfire threats for Ventura County neighborhoods and communities located in the Wildland Urban Interface. Oak Park is in the process of joining the collaborative.
Cal Fire: The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is the fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency. The department has provided a number of grants to help us build our infrastructure.
Ventura County Fire: The Ventura County Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency response services for the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, California, and for seven other cities within the county. Together, these areas compose the Ventura County Fire Protection District. This department is leading the implementation of Firewise in Ventura County.
California Fire Safe Council: The California Fire Safe Council, a non-profit corporation, was first formed as a project of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) in 1993.
It has brought together community leaders, governmental agencies, and corporations to provide education to California residents on the dangers of wildfires and how to best prevent them. Its early days were spent creating the Fire Safe Council concept and materials on hazardous fuel reduction and defensible space, while working with our partners to build a thriving statewide network of interested individuals and organizations. Cal Fire is responsible for the Fire Safe Council’s structure and processes.
Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council: The mission of the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council, previously the Central Ventura County Fire Safe Council), is to reduce the threat of wildfire to farms, ranches, urban neighborhoods, and infrastructure through an aggressive program of action, education and collaboration. The council was recognized by the IRS as a 501c3 non-profit organization in September 2010. The Oak Park Fire Safe Council works closely with this regional branch to secure grant funding and align our efforts with other Fire Safe Councils in Ventura County.
Ojai Fire Safe Council: The Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council (OVFSC) was founded in 2000 and has successfully managed more than 26 federally funded grants totaling more than $1.3 Million. The council has received state, local and private grants, and community donations to fund its work. OVFSC is the most mature Fire Safe Council in Ventura County and shares many of its best practices with newer Fire Safe Councils such as ours in Oak Park.
Community Foundation of Oak Park: The Community Foundation of Oak Park’s mission is to support Oak Park programs and projects by acting as a governing body and tax-exempt umbrella for community groups and donor-defined funds. The OPFSC operates under the financial umbrella of the Community Foundation.
Resource Conservation District for the Santa Monica Mountains: Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs), once known as Soil Conservation Districts, are “special districts” of the state of California, set up under California law to be locally governed agencies with their own locally appointed, independent boards of directors. Although RCDs are established locally by the rules of a county’s Local Agency Formation Committee (LAFCO), and they often have close ties to county government, they are not county government entities.
Edison: Southern California Edison, the largest subsidiary of Edison International, is the primary electricity utility for much of Southern California. It provides 15 million people with electricity across a service territory of approximately 50,000 square miles. Edison has provided a number of grants to help build our infrastructure at OPFSC.
ASSOCIATED ORGANIZATION:
Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District: Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District: The Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District is committed to providing safe parks, promoting a healthy lifestyle through recreational activities and amenities, and preserving open space, trails and community history. It is responsible for support and maintenance of the open space in and around Oak Park.
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