Fire chief honored for dedication to job, service to community

Jeff Shea guided efforts to contain spread of Easy blaze



RECOGNIZED—Ventura County Fire Department Division Chief Jeff Shea recently received the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce’s Distinguished Service Award for his work throughout the year and his leadership during the 2019 Easy fire. Courtesy of VCFD

RECOGNIZED—Ventura County Fire Department Division Chief Jeff Shea recently received the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce’s Distinguished Service Award for his work throughout the year and his leadership during the 2019 Easy fire. Courtesy of VCFD

Ventura County Fire Department Division Chief Jeff Shea remembers the “controlled chaos” on Nov. 2, 2019 when strong Santa Ana winds ignited the Easy fire and spread it across 1,800 acres in Moorpark, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks.

“I was responsible for the operations to prevent the fire from crossing the freeway and stopping it from impacting the City of Moorpark and the City of Thousand Oaks. The fire did get established on the other side of the 23 Freeway, but we had resources in place with helicopters and fixed-wing (aircraft) to contain the fire,” said the 21-year veteran of the fire department.

Efforts by Shea’s teams, along with support from first responders throughout the state, helped the Moorpark community emerge mostly unscathed from the flames.

“Lifesaving is the No. 1 priority, and then property and infrastructure protection is No. 2, and containing and controlling the fire is No. 3,” Shea said. “All things considered, we had a fortunate result. We did have some damage to structures, but there were no lives lost.”

The Thousand Oaks resident’s work did not go unnoticed. To honor his dedication to the job and his leadership during the emergency, Shea was named a Distinguished Service Award recipient by the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce. He was recognized alongside Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Senior Dep. Nolan Stoyko during the Chamber’s installation dinner earlier this month.

The award is a big honor, Shea said, and it reflects not just his efforts, but the collective efforts of his team members, who help keep the community safe each and every day.

“It was totally unexpected and was an honor and privilege to be recognized,” Shea said. “But I don’t accept it on my own. It’s definitely a collective effort that’s been recognized.”

The fire department’s collaborative, team-based environment is something Shea has embraced since he joined the agency more than two decades ago. In fact, it’s what inspired him to become a firefighter after earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from California Lutheran University.

“I was drawn to (the career) for a couple of reasons,” Shea, a Santa Paula native, said. “I grew up playing football and played at CLU. I gravitated toward the ‘team concept’ and saw the fire service as the extension of that with the goal, at the end, to help our fellow man.”

Shea began his career as a firefighter at T.O.’s Station 30. He worked there for four years before being promoted to fire engineer at the station in 2004. Two years later, Shea was named fire captain where he worked in T.O. and Simi and in the aviation unit until 2015.

Then he was promoted to battalion chief in Camarillo, where he also worked in the agency’s human resources bureau.

Three years later, he was named to his current position, division chief of central county operations, where he acts as fire chief for the cities of Camarillo and Moorpark, works as the department’s chief fire cause investigator, and is responsible for the operation of its dispatch center. He also oversees the county’s special operations, which include Urban Search and Rescue, the Hazardous Incident Response Team and the Swift Water Rescue Team.

“I enjoy being part of the community and serving the community,” Shea said. “With the variety of opportunities and different specialties with the Ventura County Fire Department, I was able to be exposed to a myriad of different experiences. It’s been great.”

For Shea, though, the best part of his job is the people—those he works with and those he’s gotten to know in the community. From the Thomas fire and the Montecito mudslide to the shooting at Borderline and the Woolsey fire, Shea said he has consistently been amazed by the community’s ability to support one another in the face of undeniable tragedy.

“There are those instances with that human element where people do unbelievable things for each other despite being impacted themselves personally,” he said. “I can’t describe it, but it’s amazing to see people help each other out in the most trying of circumstances.”

Fellow award winners

Other award recipients included Christine Trunick, who was named Ambassador of the Year; and Dr. Zachary Potts, who was honored with the Chairman’s Award of the Year.

Michelle Barrett received the Chamber Member of the Year Award; and Darci and Mark Richardson were named Business Person(s) of the Year.

Julie’s Cookies was honored as Small Business of the Year; 99.1 The Ranch was named the Mid-Size Business of the Year; and California State University Channel Islands was recognized as Large Business of the Year.

Mayor Janice Parvin received the Visionary Award for her many years of service to Moorpark.