Emergency Preparedness

The City encourages you as residents to stay involved and informed so that you are well prepared in the event of an emergency. A disaster is a community problem, and to fulfill our mission we need the support and active participation of the people we serve.

During a disaster, City personnel are the first to safeguard the life and property of our residents. Our mission is to provide the very best emergency services possible and strengthen local operations by educating our community about potential disasters. The City of Ventura is susceptible to various types of disasters that include earthquakes, fires, tsunamis, flooding, hazardous materials releases, landslides and terrorism. A disaster is a community problem, and to fulfill our mission we need the support and active participation of the people we serve. We encourage you to stay involved and informed so that you are well prepared in the event of an emergency.

Want to get information during an emergency in your neighborhood?

If we can’t REACH you…We can’t ALERT you.

Ventura residents can receive emergency messages through VC Alert, a high-speed emergency notification system that may be used to deliver critical messages such as evacuation notices directly to you. Our system includes some landline and cellular phone numbers. However, residents and businesses are encouraged to register online to ensure that real-time emergency messages are received. Sign up for VC Alert.

Get a Kit

Water and food
Battery powered radio
Flashlight
First Aid Kit
Essential medications
Plan on being on your own for at least 72 hours.

Make a Plan

Have contact numbers for family members and an out of town contact.

Designate a place for your family to meet outside of the home and neighborhood.

Find out what the evacuation location is for your child’s school.

When a public safety agency requests that you evacuate for any emergency, follow their directions. Evacuations are typically measure of last resort and become necessary due to current or anticipated fire behavior. If possible, we will attempt to notify you in plenty of time to prepare. However, the time to evacuate your home is when you feel that you are in danger. Residents that flee the area after the notice of evacuation, clog streets and slow emergency vehicle response, decreasing public and personal safety.

Evacuation centers are predesignated by the American Red Cross and are typically located at large, full-service facilities such as the high schools and the County Fairgrounds. The specific evacuation centers used are determined based on the needs of an incident. For instance, if a major hazardous materials spill occurs on the freeway, then an evacuation center will be located at a facility that citizens can travel to and remain at safely out of the hazard zone. Citizens should listen to emergency broadcasts through the local radio stations as well as comply with directions from emergency personnel to determine how and where to evacuate during an emergency.