Plans for Police, Fire Center Announced

Educators and public safety officials announced Monday they plan to jointly build and operate a multimillion-dollar police and fire training facility at Camarillo Airport.

The Ventura County Community College District, the Ventura County Fire Protection District and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department intend to pool their resources to create the facility on a 53-acre site at the southeast corner of the airport. The facility’s cost has not been determined.

“This is the first of its kind, in terms of a model like this, in the state of California,” Philip Westin, chancellor of the college district, said Monday during a news conference at the airport.

He was flanked by county Fire Chief Bob Roper, Sheriff Bob Brooks, Chief Administrative Officer Lin Koester, Supervisor Kathy Long and other officials.

The officials offered few details about the plan beyond the agreement to work cooperatively.

The training center would include several buildings where fire and law enforcement recruits would share equipment and classrooms. The classroom courses, ranging from juvenile law and procedure to cultural diversity, would be administered by the college district.

Recruits at the Ventura County Public Safety Regional Training Center would also be able to receive community college credit.

Construction on the facility would begin by 2002 with completion expected a year later.

“We’ve been waiting nine years to get to this point,” Long said. “I’m pleased we’ve been able to collaborate.”