Ventura County Fire Department marks move to spacious digs in Thousand Oaks

The Ventura County Fire Department dedicated its new, larger headquarters in Thousand Oaks Thursday morning, welcoming the move after decades in Camarillo.

Officials addressed a crowd at an outdoor ribbon-cutting ceremony before they hosted tours of the two-story, 98,000-square-foot facility at 2400 Conejo Spectrum St., near Highway 101.

“Let’s make the best of this place for the next 50 years, and let’s continue to make this department the best we can be,” Fire Chief Dustin Gardner told the group, which included elected officials and current and former fire department staff.

Thousand Oaks Mayor Al Adam told attendees he was happy to see the offices move to the city, calling it "a special day."

The department started its operations at the modern building in May.

The facility is less cramped than the former headquarters, which totaled less than 30,000 square feet in leased buildings at the Camarillo Airport, said fire department spokesman Scott Thomsen during a tour.

The department bought the new headquarters building last fall for $15 million, Thomsen said, which is cheaper than building a new 40,000-square-foot structure for $34 million to $40 million.

“We bought a building for twice the size at half the price," he said.

The structure was originally an Amgen building, then was used by Sage Publishing, which still has offices elsewhere on the property, Thomsen said.

Little renovation was required and the purchase included cubicles and desks that were already at the facility. “We did some painting and carpet cleaning," Thomsen said.

Staff members seem to enjoy the natural light and wider hallways, he said.

The new site features a string of offices and conference rooms along the perimeter of the second floor, with cubicles for other staff in the middle. It currently houses 148 employees in various divisions, Thomsen said: administrative, command, fire prevention, emergency medical services, communications, and business and records.

The dispatch center, which serves the entire county, remains in Camarillo. But space for expansion is being left on the first floor for possible additions over the next few years that could include a backup dispatch center, an emergency operations area and a fitness facility for staff. There are already showers in place.

The first floor now has a reception area and a counter where permits will be issued by fire prevention staff. Plans call for the county's Resource Management Agency to eventually issue construction permits at the shared counter.

A large meeting room on the first floor could host town halls on topics such as fentanyl, said Supervisor Jeff Gorell, whose district includes Thousand Oaks, during the dedication ceremony.

No fire engines will operate from the headquarters, where staff will oversee stations throughout the county, Thomsen said.

Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura County Fire Department marks move to spacious digs in Thousand Oaks