2012-2013 Ventura County Annual Report “At Work in Your Community” Increasing awareness of available services can hopefully lead to more effective access
During the course of discussions with community groups, many people expressed surprise at both the number of innovative practices employed by the County, and the wide scope of services provided a daily basis. It is our hope that increased awareness will lead to more members of our community effectively accessing both County services and the outstanding services provided by our public and private community-based partners. With this in mind, we thought it would be useful to share a general overview as well as some specific examples of the programs and services provided. [Read Report]
System for Improving Hospital Emergency Communications Approved by the Board of Supervisors Existing systems at eight hospitals and the Ventura County Fire Communication Center will be upgraded to allow uninterrupted communication should traditional internet service fail
Since 2003, the Ventura County Emergency Medical Services Agency has participated in the Hospital Association of Southern California’s ReddiNet system, which is an internet based communications network connecting hospital, public safety agencies, public health and county, regional and state government agencies. The system is used to daily track hospital diversion status and bed availability as well as to provide 2-way interactive communication for the health care system providers. The current ReddiNet system relies on the commercial internet system, which may be unavailable or unreliable during a wide spread disaster. In order to create redundancy in the system, Homeland Security grant funding will be used to add satellite internet connections. [more info]
The DA’s Conference Room Named After Former District Attorney Michael D. Bradbury The naming of the conference room in the Hall of Justice was sponsored by members of the Board of Supervisors, and by Greg Totten, the current District Attorney, as well being supported by a number of community leaders
A plaque will be installed in the conference room commemorating Mr. Bradbury’s 33 years of meritorious service as a prosecutor with 24years as Ventura County’s District Attorney and to acknowledge that under his leadership the DA’s office was recognized as one of the best and most innovative law enforcement agencies in the nation. [more info]
Board of Supervisors Acknowledge 2013 County Climate Change Action Award Winners and Nominees As part of Earth Day celebrations the Board recognized 16 nominees and presented seven awards in five categories
Nominees in the category of Sustainable Business Practices were The Refill Shoppe, Santa Paula Materials, Ohana Pet Hospital and Trupart Manufacturing with Ohana Pet Hospital as the award recipient. Nominees in the category of Carbon Footprint Reduction were the Conejo Recreation and Park District, GSA Maintenance Division, Sheriff’s Office (Todd Road Jail), and the Ventura County Medical Center (Dietary Department) with the Conejo Recreation and Park District and the Sheriff’s Office (Todd Road jail) as award recipients. Nominees in the category of Climate Action Heroes were Karen Bednorz (Wild and Scenic Film Festival) and Toby Smith (Ventura Bicycle Union) with Toby Smith as the award recipient. Nominees in the category of Schools/School Districts were Ojai Valley School and the Oak Park School District (The Environmental Interconnectivity Team) both nominees received awards. Nominees in the category of Public Outreach/Education were Ventura Chamber of Commerce Green Task Force, California State University at Channel Islands Generation Green Club, The Ojai Green Coalition and the Oak Grove School (EarthPlay 2012) with CSUCI Generation Green Club as the award recipient. [more info]
Harbor Department to Offer Scholarships for Junior Lifeguard Program The Board of Supervisors authorizes up to 20 full-time or 40 half-time scholarships
The Junior Lifeguard Program offered by the Harbor Department has been a stable community resource for 16 years. The moderately priced 4-week summer program is for children 8 to 15 years of ages. Lessons are offered in first aid, water safety, kayaking and other outdoor activities. Offering scholarships makes the program available to students whose parents cannot fund the enrollment fee, and also provides diversity that might not otherwise exist. The Junior Lifeguard Program will also serve to educate young people about the beaches and the harbor and prepare them for possible future participation in programs to be offered at the Boating Instruction and Safety Center. Scholarships were offered for the first time in 2006 and since that time a total of 126 scholarships have been awarded. The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme will once again identify qualified recipients for the scholarships. [more info]
