PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2020
** Ventura County Fire Department Wins CAPIO Awards **
Public relations communication campaigns are recognized

CAMARILLO, Calif. – On July 15, 2020, Ventura County Fire Department’s (VCFD) Public Relations team were presented with an Excellence in Public Information and Communications (EPIC) award and two Awards of Distinction , celebrating public information and communications campaigns from the 2019 year from the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO).
 
CAPIO’s EPIC awards program recognizes the most creative and effective efforts in the areas of communication and marketing campaigns, newsletter production, special events, writing, and other content creation. The EPIC Awards honor work that transcends innovation and craft – work that made a lasting impact. CAPIO received 275 entries to its various award categories.
 
Excellence in Public Information and Communications Award: Maria Fire - Crisis Communications
VCFD was successful in sharing incident information throughout the Maria Fire. Good crisis communications and timely disaster response led to no serious injuries or fatalities, leaving the agency’s reputation stronger than ever. Good crisis communications were possible because of the proactive efforts of VCFD’s PIO team. They built a multifaceted bilingual communications approach by preparing a coordinated crisis response, investing in PIO training workshops, and leveraging strong stakeholder relations all in preparation for a significant event.
 
Award of Distinction: ‘Everyday Heroes Fair Exhibit’ - Special or Community Event, Recurring
Awarded for reaching over 300,000 members of the community through an interactive and educational event, sharing fire safety and disaster prevention information to all ages. VCFD’s exhibit theme, ‘The Stars of Ventura County – Not All Heroes Wear Capes’, featured recipients from the 2019 VCFD Annual Awards Ceremony and spotlighted everyday heroes, together with fire personnel across all bureaus, volunteers, and citizen award winners, including those that received a Lifesaving Citation Medal and Lifesaving Award Commendation.
 
Award of Distinction: Public Safety Power Shutoffs - Communication and Marketing Process
VCFD’s Public Information Office partnered with the County, the VC Office of Emergency Services (OES) and County Public Health to maximize the impact and outreach for a PSPS public safety and education campaign, targeting an audience of over 850,000. During the 2019 fire season, more than 20 VC Alerts were sent to residents impacted by PSPS. Each alert included evacuation information, a PSPS message directly to the public and a detailed map of the areas impacted.
 
To stay updated on Ventura County Fire Department’s news, visit: https://vcfd.org/public-info/news-releases
For more information, visit the “ VCFD Contact Us ” web page or call (805) 389-9710.