Ventura County Fire Department Division Chief Dan Horton told the Simi Valley City Council the department responded to 2,914 calls in the third quarter and 12,134 calls year-to-date, with medical calls accounting for about 80% of the total.

Horton described a new whole-blood transfusion program launched April 1, 2025, in partnership with Ventura County Medical Center, the Ventura County EMS Agency and Vitalant Blood Bank. "Currently, all 5 VCFD paramedic rescue ambulances carry whole blood daily," Horton said. He added three county aviation helicopters also carry whole blood and that paramedics have provided "over 25 transfusions in the field," a milestone he said has meaningfully improved outcomes for trauma patients.

"And I'm proud to say that this patient lived," Horton said, describing the program's first successful field transfusion and the coordination that delivered the patient to VCMC in Ventura.

Fire Inspector Afra Malky briefed the council on proposed updates to the state's Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps. Malky said the maps designate hazard (the potential to ignite and spread) rather than risk, and are used to guide local land-use decisions, building codes and mitigation planning. She said new construction standards tied to the maps are already in effect for newly built homes and that state action is anticipated on existing homes; homeowners in affected zones will have a phased three-year compliance period ending Jan. 1, 2029.

Malky described the defensible-space concept and the three mitigation zones around structures, noting the most immediate area — roughly 0–5 feet from a structure — should be kept noncombustible. She acknowledged compliance may pose financial or physical challenges for some homeowners and said the department will assist and phase in the requirements.

During Q&A, council members asked about practical steps such as where to replace combustible decking and how the new maps relate to interior sprinkler requirements. Malky advised noncombustible materials are recommended for decking near homes in Zone 0 and clarified that interior sprinklers — a long-standing life-safety requirement — are distinct from the external mitigation measures prompted by the hazard maps.

The briefing also included operational data showing increases in brush and structure fires in the third quarter and emphasized prevention tools like defensible-space outreach and the county's Fire Safe Regional Council for neighborhood-level preparedness.