Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner is the Guest Speaker for the October 3, 2023 meeting. Chief Gardner brings extensive managerial and administrative experience in fire protection over a 23-year career with Ventura County Fire. Most recently serving as the Deputy Fire Chief, he has been responsible for the department’s daily operations supervising all five bureaus. His experience also encompasses large-scale incident command and regional coordination for numerous large-scale incidents, including the Thomas Fire, Easy Fire, Maria Fire, Borderline response, Woolsey Fire and Hill Fire. His budgeting background encompasses the planning and management of fire’s $200 million dollar budget and the creation of Fire’s 10-year capital plan.